There are many challenges an employer faces to keep employees engaged, which is when team bonding comes into play. Keeping employees engaged is key when reducing turnover, increasing productivity, and promoting a happy work environment. So what are the biggest obstacles one must overcome to ensure the team bonding exercises make their proper impact? Fun Planners, top Orlando event planners for Florida Team Building, has some ideas on what these challenges include and how to overcome them.
It’s no surprise one of the number one problems managers face for employee engagement is getting their employees off of their phone long enough to interact with each other. Especially prevalent for younger employees and lower income workers, cell phones have made us screen-addicts. At Fun Planners, we recommend that instead of working to get your employees off their phone, try incorporating the phone into your team bonding activities. There are mobile scavenger hunts or mobile-friendly surveys that are both great ways to utilize their phones while keeping them engaged.
Multi-generational workplaces often have a tough time overcoming generational differences with their team building experience. Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millenials all have different ideas for what they expect in the workplace. Boomers and Gen-Xers complain about the lack of managerial experience the Millennials have and believe it affects their work culture. Millennials, on the other hand, want to incorporate flexibility and some fun in the workplace. Try to intersect these two needs by incorporating manager type training exercises with some fun. Every generation enjoys food and laughter, so you can’t go wrong with those!
In an ever increasing digital world, digital and remote workers are becoming the norm. By the year 2020, 50% of the people will be working remotely. This presents a unique challenge to employers and managers. How can you build engagement and encourage inter-communication remotely? Try planning a day once a month where you and your remote employees meet and work a day together at a coffee shop, restaurant, etc. Another way to engage remote employees is by having a team building event once every quarter where you get all the employees together for a fun day!
While there are a couple challenges with engagement for team building exercises, the end result is well worth the effort. Your employees will feel more satisfied with their work and therefore be more productive with it. It also leads to lower turnover and satisfying work relationships! If you want help with planning a Florida Team Building exercise, call Fun Planners today at 407-955-4949.
