Holding a company retreat can be a great way to bond with your employees. It can be especially helpful if you have a remote workplace, because many of your employees may never have a chance to meet each other otherwise.
There are a lot of ways to organize an employee retreat. However, it is usually best to hold it outside. It will seem less stuffy and formal, which is one of the main benefits.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By CherylRamalho
Here are a few tips that you should follow when organizing a retreat.
Find out what types of activities everybody will want to partake in
Keep in mind that some people aren’t used to spending much time outdoors. You don’t want to come up with lots of activities that most of them won’t like.
Here are some things that you may want to run by them:
- Kayaking
- Hiking
- Cornhole toss
- Simply lounging around
It is important not to make assumptions about the types of activities that your employees may like. They may have very different tastes than you.
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You also need to be careful about taking a majority vote for activities that employees will feel pressured into participating in. A small number of employees that feel frustrated with them can when the vibe for the entire group.
Try to find something where there will be near universal interest. You can also try to arrange the retreat so that people can Break up into two or three groups to participate in different activities. However, it is a good idea to try finding activities that will have unanimous participation, since the entire purpose of the retreat is to get employees together to bond.
Make sure there is plenty of food
Keeping your employees well fed is very important. During a company retreat, food may not be easily accessible if you don’t plan ahead.
Make sure that you find out what types of food employees will want beforehand. It is very important to find out if anybody has any major food allergies first.
You also need to make sure that there’s plenty of water. Dehydration can be serious concern event in moderate temperatures. Keep in mind that alcohol and most sodas have more dehydrating effects then hydrating ones. You can still purchase them for your employee retreat, but it is important to have plenty of water, Gatorade or other hydrating drinks as well.
You also need to make sure everything stays fresh. Homus.org has a lot of products that can keep them in good shape.
Don’t make any employees feel too overwhelmed
It is a good idea to encourage employees to participate in activities that are posted during the retreat. However, you don’t want to be too pushy about it.
Keep in mind that employees have a variety of personalities, tastes and interests. Some are going to be more reserved and can only process so much stimulation. Try not to make them feel obligated to do things they aren’t comfortable with.
Find a personable company ambassador to host the retreat
Keeping employees interested is difficult. You will want to find a host that is capable of keeping them engaged. Find somebody that resonates with the general personalities of all of your employees, while also being relatively outgoing.
Make Your Employee Retreat Memorable!
Hosting an outdoor retreat can be an excellent way to get your employees to bond with each other. There are a lot of ways that you can do this. However, it is important to make sure that they are going to appreciate the activities and have fun, rather than feel like it is an obligation.
