RecGenie

Why Take Team Building Outdoors?

It's that glorious time of year when school children are off gallivanting in national parks, splashing around in water parks, or having the time of their lives at theme parks. Meanwhile, the rest of us—oh, the grown-up 'daytime vampires'—are usually cooped up in the office, squinting through the glass, wondering when we last saw the sun. As UK residents, our quest for that elusive Vitamin D often feels like a mythical odyssey reserved for bank holidays, doesn't it?

But here's a thought: why keep all our team-building activities indoors when an entire world of outdoor adventure is just a step away? Outdoor team building isn't just about getting a good dose of fresh air; it's about transforming everyday interactions into an electrifying adventure that bolsters team spirit. Dive into the findings from McEwan et al. (2017), who discovered that dynamic, engaging team exercises—especially in new and unfamiliar settings—can significantly ramp up teamwork and overall performance. So, why not swap those fluorescent lights for a bit of sunlight and see your team's spirit soar?

Enhancing Team Dynamics Through Outdoor Training: Insights from Research

Proven Effectiveness: Research by McEwan et al. shows that teamwork training enhances team behaviours and performance across a variety of professional settings, including healthcare, military, and academia. This underscores the universal benefit of incorporating structured team-building activities for recruitment professionals to boost productivity and improve interpersonal dynamics.
Tailored Programs: The study highlights the importance of customizing team-building interventions to meet specific team characteristics, such as whether a team is newly formed or long-established. In recruitment, tailoring team-building exercises to address the unique challenges of your team—whether it's adapting to rapid team scaling, integrating diverse new hires, or enhancing collaboration among remote team members—can significantly improve outcomes
Strategic Implementation for Optimal Outcomes: McEwan et al. found that the success of teamwork interventions often hinges on how well the activities match the team's specific needs and the nature of their work. For recruitment agencies and HR departments, this might mean developing initiatives that focus on improving communication and negotiation skills, fostering a culture of mutual respect, and encouraging creative problem-solving.

Implementing Team building in Recruitment

Regular Workshops and Retreats: Organise workshops focusing on role-playing and scenario-based activities tailored to the recruitment process, enhancing skills directly applicable to daily tasks.
Feedback-Driven Development: Use regular feedback from team members to continuously adapt and refine team-building activities, ensuring they remain relevant and effectively address the recruitment sector's evolving challenges.
Leveraging Technology: Employ virtual team-building tools and platforms to engage remote recruitment teams, fostering inclusivity and teamwork across geographical boundaries.

The Ultimate Team Building Playbook: From Outdoor Adventures to Creative Workshops Remember

“The best activities for fostering improvement are those tailored to your team's specific needs. Your choices can come from a wide range of options and will reflect how you lead and inspire your team toward growth. However, doing the bare minimum will only be proactive in the short run.”

Outdoor Adventure Activities: Learn survival skills, tackle high ropes courses, and plan regular hikes.
Sports and Recreational Activities: Organize team sports days or engage in water sports for physical challenges and fun.
Problem-Solving Challenges: Escape rooms and city-wide treasure hunts enhance strategic thinking and collaboration.
Creative and Learning Workshops: Participate in cooking classes or art workshops to foster creativity.
Days Out: Reconnect with the thrill of theme parks or team bouldering for shared adrenaline rushes.
Charitable and Community Projects: Participate in community gardening or charity competitions to build team unity.
Corporate Retreats: Combine relaxation and strategic planning in wellness or strategic retreats.
Role-Playing Workshops: Develop leadership through simulated business challenges or customer service scenarios.
Weekend Hikes: Encourage family inclusion and leadership through regularly scheduled hikes, ensuring accessibility for all.

Planning Schedule for Team Building Activities

Quarterly Events: Schedule regular events each season to maintain engagement without overwhelming the team.
Bi-annual Intensive Retreats: Deep dives twice a year help realign team goals and decompress.
Monthly Mini-Sessions: Short, informal gatherings like lunches or group exercises can effectively boost morale and maintain connections.
As Needed: Flexibly plan sessions post-major projects or during intense periods to address immediate team needs.
Monitoring and Feedback: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of activities and adjust based on team feedback to optimise outcomes.

Embracing Team Building: Beyond the Office Grind

Off with the cape, and in with the... sunscreen? Can too much sun really threaten our office vampire status? Writing this might seem as effortless as an Instagram fitness influencer snapping on a filter, but let's dive deeper into the gritty realities of corporate life. It's gruelling and often unrelenting, echoing sentiments found in literature discussing the toll modern life takes on the human brain.

While it’s tempting to escape work the moment the clock strikes the hour, it’s crucial to forge and strengthen community bonds within our professional circles. Considering work consumes a significant chunk of our lives—some studies suggest as much as one-third—it’s vital to promote and leverage team-building exercises. Research, including the study by McEwan et al. (2017), shows these activities statistically enhance various aspects of teamwork.

Creating a workplace where people are excited to invest their efforts is especially key in high-pressure environments. Here, the stakes of money, deadlines, and targets loom large, and the typical British fallback on pub outings may not always be the healthiest outlet.

So, as we navigate the dual challenges of professional growth and talent acquisition, remember: the most effective teams aren’t confined to office spaces. They’re forged in broad, open environments where ideas can flourish, and spirits can recharge. Each outdoor adventure or creative workshop isn’t merely a diversion—it’s a strategic move towards cultivating a resilient, united, and joyful team, well-equipped to meet the recruitment challenges of tomorrow.

References

McEwan, D., Ruissen, G. R., Eys, M. A., Zumbo, B. D., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2017). The Effectiveness of Teamwork Training on Teamwork Behaviors and Team Performance: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Interventions. PLOS ONE, 12(1). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0169604

Noel Fielding as Richmond the Goth | It crowd, Noel fielding, Richmond it crowd. (2012, November 1). Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/386746686723534114/

Samardzic, M., Doekhie, K. D., & Wijngaarden, J. D. H. (2020). Interventions to improve team effectiveness within health care: A systematic review of the past decade. Human Resources for Health, 18(2). https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12960-019-0411-3

Unsplash. (2017, December 8). Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash. Unsplash.com. https://unsplash.com/photos/printed-sticky-notes-glued-on-board-zoCDWPuiRuA

Unsplash. (2018, October 15). Photo by Felix Rostig on Unsplash. Unsplash.com. https://unsplash.com/photos/low-angle-photography-of-two-men-playing-beside-two-women-UmV2wr-Vbq8

Wythe, J. (2023). “Trips are the thing we all remember from our school days”: The learning value of school trips for children with special educational needs from the perspective of primary school teachers. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12638

‍