Not too long ago, employee wellbeing was just another buzzword. Today, it’s considered as important a factor in business success as hard graft and clever marketing. It’s an investment in personnel happiness that can reap significant rewards, and teambuilding activities are facilitating the progress desired.
Employers are showing an increasing willingness to invest in employee wellbeing because of the advantages that come with it. But there is also recognition that wellbeing does not just relate to physical health. The most effective employee wellbeing programmes are designed to improve the overall quality of life of personnel, with mental, emotional, social and environmental factors addressed.
So, while initiatives like free personal finance management advice and free annual health checks are welcome, there is also a clear appetite for incentives that encourage employees to be healthier.
For that reason, progressive companies are turning to teambuilding activities to cultivate more positive outlooks, nurture self-confidence and help motivate colleagues to work for each other.
Teambuilding For Performance
The benefits that come with employee wellbeing are significant, with executives willing to support programmes financially because of their positive impact on workforce capability, employee engagement and overall performance.
A study carried out by US financial planning firm Towers Watson showed that employers with effective health and productivity programmes generated 20% more revenue per employee, realized a 16% higher market value and delivered a 57% higher shareholder return.
Another 2010 study in the US revealed that medical costs and absenteeism fell by about $6 for every dollar invested. Since businesses know how beneficial it is to have a healthy workforce, as well as an engaged one, it makes sense to implement programmes that promote employee wellbeing.
Teambuilding activities make a key contribution by creating positive relationships, bonding team members through shared experiences, cultivating more effective collaboration and motivating workmates to achieve more.
4 Key Wellbeing Benefits Of Teambuilding Activities
- Brings Colleagues Together
The ideal working environment has happy colleagues working together and achieving great things. But the reality can be quite different. For example, the first dedicated study of workplace wellness carried out in the US discovered that 80% of the 2,000 participants said they work alone because of “unhelpful or hostile work environments”.
To counter the ‘hostile workplace’, companies are turning to team challenges, where colleagues help each other to solve problems. As many as 52% of the US companies who participated in the 2016 State of Workplace Well-Being Survey confirmed they use competitive team challenges to bring their employees together and unite them behind a common goal, improving relationships and lowering stress.
- Builds Workplace Trust
It can be difficult to develop a positive working environment when there is a lack of trust between employees and leaders. The root of the problem is the feeling amongst employees that managers and CEOs don’t care, so when they are expected to dig deep and go the extra mile, they’re not inclined to do so.
Trust establishes an emotional connection, so it’s vital if a company wants to operate efficiently and productively. Teambuilding activities can help build trust amongst employees – especially if the leader takes part too. By working with a boss to solve mysteries, overcome challenges or set up a basecamp, employees feel more valued.
And the difference can be significant. In a 2015 survey, 38% of some 2,000 participating employees admitted they were more engaged and 18% willing to go the extra mile when they felt their employer cared about their wellbeing.
- Boosts Motivation
One of the biggest challenges for companies is maintaining motivation levels at work. There is a definite correlation between employee wellbeing and motivation, with research showing that 57% of employees in the US, and 69% of employees in the UK, are not motivated by their employer’s mission. This lack of motivation then impacts directly on productivity and engagement.
Teambuilding activities can be highly effective in improving motivation levels, especially when the individual is tired, feeling unvalued or simply needs some stimulation. But teambuilding can be tailored to allow companies re-introduce or reiterate their mission, so their employees can get on board more effectively.
- Healthier Employees For Greater Productivity
From an employee’s point of view, a key attraction with teambuilding activities is getting out of the office and enjoying life a little. But it’s also often the catalyst to adopting an overall healthier lifestyle.
From the business’s point of view, that is extremely good news because there is a huge body of research that shows healthy employees cost less. The savings come in the form of lower absenteeism, fewer sick days, more energy and productivity, and more innovative thinking. In a 2014 study carried out by the University of Warwick, employees were asked if they considered themselves happy at work. It was discovered that those who did were, on average, 12% more productive than employees who described themselves as not happy.
At Orangeworks, we create exceptional experiences that our customers remember forever. We are Ireland’s largest outdoor adventure and teambuilding company. Orangeworks is part of the Catalyst Global Network – the largest teambuilding network in the world with 32 companies in over 40 regions.
