7 Reasons to Do Off-Site Team Building Activities

After two years of separation and remote work, hosting an off-site team building activity is a great way to get your team together in person and to help them get re-engaged.

In the past few years, even the idea of gathering employees in person at the office has been next to unfathomable, let alone getting everyone together for an off-site team building activity.

But as things start to reopen across North America in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is a better time than ever to get your remote and in-person colleagues together at an off-site venue.

Here are the seven big benefits of hosting an off-site team building activity for your workgroup.

1. Post-Pandemic Reconnection

First and foremost, your team has most likely not seen each other face-to-face in the best part of two years.

So, it’s a safe bet that getting them back together for an in-person activity is going to be a great way to help rebuild connections and bonds between them.

And as much fun as it is to do at the office, hosting an off-site team building activity will help them reconnect while creating a sense of excitement that’s amplified by being in a new and exciting venue.

If you’re not sure where to book your off-site team building activity, check out our article, The Top 20 Destinations in North America for Company Retreats, which can give you some ideas for the best places to meet meetings away from the office.

And remember, since your team hasn’t seen each other in a while, it’s probably wise to kick off your team building activity with some icebreaker questions to get everyone loosened up.

Some of our favorites include:

• You have your own late-night talk show. Who do you invite as your first guest?
• What would the title of your autobiography be?
• What was your favorite band ten years ago?
• If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
• If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Looking for more suggestions? Check out our list of The 300 Best Team Building Icebreaker Questions for Work.

2. Outside-the-Box Thinking

While it might not be an intuitive benefit, doing an off-site team building activity can actually stimulate outside-the-box thinking.

Why?

Because being in the office means you’re surrounded by the same familiar scenery as always.

On the other hand, experts say that a change of scenery can spark greater creativity and improve your overall happiness and quality of life.

So, if your goal is to stimulate your employees’ minds, mix up your location. And if you’re looking for some off-site team building activities for outside-the-box thinking, we’ve got a few you’ll love.

Clue Murder Mystery

Can you and your colleagues solve a deadly crime? In this team building activity, you’ll need to examine case files and decipher clues to solve the mysterious murder of a man named Neil Davidson.

Team Pursuit

Break out into groups and play to your coworkers’ strengths as you take on four types of challenges, ranging from mental, physical, skill, and mystery.  

Domino Effect Challenge

With Domino Effect Challenge, your group will split into teams that will need to complete their own respective section of a chain reaction machine. But then, they will also need to come together as a full group to collaboratively assemble their sections into a fully functioning device. 

3. Celebratory Atmosphere

There’s a certain sense of celebration for employees when they get to spend a day away from the company or home office and have fun together in a new venue.

And that’s another great reason to do off-site team building activities: to celebrate your team’s wins and successes in a new and exciting place.

When your team feels like they’re being recognized and celebrated, it does wonders for their wellbeing and overall engagement.

So, if you’re considering an off-site team building activity, make sure to pick something with a celebratory nature, like one of the following ideas.

Hardware Harmony

Using tools, parts, and hardware, your group will need to collaborate in order to create musical harmony. Together you’ll collect household items, rehearse, and put on your very own concert before donating everything to charity.

Game Show Extravaganza

In groups, tackle photo and trivia challenges that cover a range of topics, including pop culture and politics. You can opt to run the activity yourself or have one of our event coordinators virtually host it for you.

And if you really want to add a new dimension of excitement, you might want to consider hiring a guest speaker for your corporate event and hiring a caterer for your off-site meeting.

4. Fewer Distractions

When you’re in the office, it can be hard to avoid thinking about work—especially when you’re within eyesight of your workstation.

But getting away from the office to do an off-site team building activity also helps eliminate the typical distractions of your workplace so that your team can focus more intently on the event at hand.

For example, there will be no phones ringing, email notifications popping up, or instant messaging app messages dinging away.

It’s true that getting everyone away from their desks and phones for a few hours can seem like a big ask, especially if your colleagues are customer-facing, or working on commission. But it’s worth it because your team members will be completely removed from their workstations and get truly engaged with the activity.

5. Internal Networking and Socialization

When you get employees, teams, and departments into a new environment, it makes it easier for them to break out of silos and to connect more closely in a way they might not have in the confines of the office.

If you’re trying to find ways to create connections among big groups of employees, check out our article that focuses on Picking the Right Icebreakers for Large Groups in 3 Easy Steps.

6. Talent Appeal and Retention

Doing off-site team building activities doesn’t just offer benefits in terms of the immediate term. They can also have longer-term benefits to company culture and staffing.

For both prospective and existing employees, having a fun and engaging company culture is a huge draw.

So, that means it’ll help retain your existing employees, in turn reducing the cost of employee turnover, but it will also make your organization more appealing to prospective A-Player employees as well.

7. Greater Engagement

When you tally up the cumulative effects of the factors listed in this article, one big thing stands out: doing off-site team building activities ultimately contribute to greater employee engagement, in turn driving strong teams, happier and more productive employees, and ultimately stronger business performance.

The world has been on hiatus for nearly 24 months. And, as things return to normal and you’re able to start getting your team together in person again, hosting off-site team building activities is going to be a great way to kick-start relationships and get employees re-engaged.

Are you attending hosting any off-site team building activities this year? Let us know in the comments section below!

Plan an unforgettable off-site team building activity in 2022.  

If you’ve got questions about how you plan an off-site team building activity your employees will love, reach out to an Employee Engagement Consultant.