How often should you hold a team-building event?

Team events generate excitement, energy and enthusiasm within your company. Your employees will have a stronger connection to their colleagues, and ideally feel invigorated by the experience.

But when are the best times to host a team building event? How many is too many, and how few is not enough? People ask us these questions all the time, so let’s dig in!

How often should we get the team together?

At EVENTO, we never need a reason to have a party. But, that’s because we’re usually the hosts! But, for a business, there are plenty of benefits to getting your team together, and a lot of considerations around how often.

Top occasions for a team event

Let’s start with reasons for getting the team together. There are plenty, and here are just a few.

  • The Holidays: Our busiest time of year is no surprise: the holidays. Our clients reach out to us as early as August to book their holiday event. Having a holiday event is the most common team building activity, and it is expected of employees as a way to wrap the year, celebrate successes and enjoy the holiday season.
  • Summertime: Another peak time for events, especially in places with cold winters, is summer. It’s a convenient mid-point in the year, and a time where everyone is enjoying warmer days and extended daylight. Energy levels are high and it’s an ideal time for team bonding.
  • Celebrating success: Whether it’s a big win, a strong quarter or a company milestone, these moments are a great time to connect the team.
  • Welcoming new employees: You don’t need to celebrate every new employee. But if your team makes a bunch of hires, why not have the team get to know the new folks?!
  • Re-connecting: In an increasingly remote world of work, team building events are the perfect way to connect people that may have limited interaction in person.
  • Operational challenges: Sometimes your employees need a nudge. A team building event that focuses on problem solving or productivity could get them back on track, and leave them feeling more vested in the organization.
  • Just because: People love work when it doesn’t require…working. Give the team a fun day or night out and you’ll reap the retention awards.

And team building doesn’t always have to require a big investment or substantial time out of the office. Occasional team lunches, happy hours or in-office potlucks all help build the team.

Why plan a team building event?

There are plenty of reasons, but they really all come down to employee happiness, retention and productivity. A workforce that feels appreciated will feel more invested in the ups and downs of your organization. Here are a few benefits of events:

  • Isolation reduces productivity up to 21%. With the rise of remote work, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected. Give them a reason to socialize and you’ll see a more productive team.
  • Socializing between team members improves communication by 50%. In both remote and in-person settings, communication can be an issue. More time spent together, even in casual settings, can ease communication barriers.
  • Improve retention by creating connections. Did you know that 62% of employees with one to five work friends would reject a job offer elsewhere? Build connections within your team and you’ll see improvements in retention.

So what about frequency?

The data says that team building events are on the rise, with 81% of leaders saying they are doing more team building events than they were a year ago. Events built around food and seasons are the most popular with employees. At EVENTO, we’re seeing this as well – more clients than ever are coming to us for repeat events over the year.

How often are teams getting together? Here’s what the data says.

  • Monthly (25%)
  • Every three months (22%)
  • Every six months (26%)
  • Once a year (10%)
  • Weekly (9%)
  • No scheduled time (11%)

So if you are getting the team together less than quarterly, you are in the minority, you may be lagging behind other organizations.

Ready to plan your next team event? Check out our tips for planning an awesome event.

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