17 Ideas for Corporate Team Building Activities

Team building activities are a great way to foster collaboration, communication, and trust among employees. In a corporate setting, these activities can help improve team dynamics, boost morale, and increase productivity.

Prioritizing team building activities is more important than ever, too. Why? Gallup’s research indicates that only a mere 32% of American employees are genuinely excited about their work. This is far from optimal, considering full-time workers dedicate more hours to their professional roles than to interacting with family and friends.

But coming up with new and engaging team building ideas can be a challenge. In this article, we’ll explore 17 corporate team building activities ideas that are sure to bring your team closer together in a fun and memorable way.

Why Team Building is Important in the Corporate World

From boosting morale to sparking innovation, team building plays a pivotal role in aligning individual efforts with the organization’s goals, ensuring that each member feels valued and connected. Understanding the multifaceted benefits of team building will illuminate its indispensable role in the success and sustainability of any business. Here are some of the benefits of corporate team building events:

Improved Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration are essential for any successful business. Team building activities provide an opportunity for employees to interact with each other in a non-work setting, allowing them to get to know each other on a personal level. This can lead to improved communication and collaboration in the workplace.

Increased Trust and Morale

Team building activities can help build trust among team members. When employees feel comfortable and connected with their colleagues, they are more likely to trust and rely on each other. This can lead to a more positive work environment and increased morale.

Enhanced Productivity

A strong team dynamic can lead to increased productivity. When employees feel connected and supported by their team, they are more likely to work together efficiently and effectively. Team building activities can help foster this sense of teamwork and improve overall productivity.

Increasing Job Satisfaction

Engaging team building activities can contribute to increased job satisfaction. When employees have fun and enjoy participating in team building activities, it can have a positive impact on their overall job satisfaction. This, in turn, can lead to higher employee retention rates.

Enhancing Employee Engagement

Engaging team building activities can help improve employee engagement. When employees are actively involved in team building activities, they feel a sense of ownership and belonging within the team. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and a higher likelihood of staying with the company.

Promoting a Positive Work Culture

Team building activities can contribute to creating a positive work culture. When employees participate in activities that promote collaboration, communication, and teamwork, it sets a positive tone for the overall work environment. A positive work culture can significantly impact employee retention rates.

Boost Employee Retention

Team building activities not only foster collaboration and improve team dynamics but can also play a significant role in boosting employee retention. When employees feel connected, supported, and engaged with their team, they are more likely to stay with the company for the long term.

Top Ideas for Memorable Corporate Team Events

Absolutely! Let’s delve deeper into each idea, focusing on additional benefits, strategies for encouraging employee participation, and other relevant details.

1. Outdoor Adventure Quests

Outdoor quests like scavenger hunts encourage strategic thinking and physical activity. They can be themed to align with corporate values or current projects. To increase buy-in, involve employees in planning the route or selecting challenges. These quests can also highlight local landmarks or history, adding an educational element.

2. Cooking Competitions

Cooking competitions not only foster teamwork but also celebrate diversity through cuisine. Encourage teams to prepare dishes from different cultures. Offering prizes and incorporating judges from the company’s leadership can increase enthusiasm. These events also enhance communication skills and adaptability in a high-pressure environment.

3. Sports Tournaments

Sports tournaments promote a healthy lifestyle and spirited competition. Offer a variety of sports to cater to different interests and abilities. Involving employees in choosing the sports can boost participation. These events can also be family-friendly, inviting employees’ families to cheer them on, enhancing the sense of community.

4. Nonprofit Work

Group volunteering strengthens bonds and provides a sense of fulfillment. Let teams choose the charity or cause, giving them a personal stake in the activity. This not only fosters team unity but also enhances the company’s image in the community. Post-event discussions can provide insight into team values and social responsibility.

5. Innovation Labs

Dedicated time for brainstorming and innovation allows employees to focus on creative problem-solving. Encourage cross-departmental teams to enhance diverse thinking. This not only fosters innovation but can also lead to practical solutions for company challenges. Here are a few ideas for innovation lab activities:

1. Brainstorming sessions: Set aside dedicated time for brainstorming sessions where team members can freely share ideas and explore innovative solutions to company challenges. Encourage open and collaborative discussions to generate a wide range of ideas.
2. Hackathons: Organize a hackathon where teams work together to develop new products, services, or solutions within a limited timeframe. This fast-paced and intense activity can spark creativity and encourage out-of-the-box thinking.
3. Design thinking workshops: Conduct design thinking workshops to help team members understand and apply the principles of human-centered design. This approach encourages empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing to solve complex problems.
4. Idea pitching sessions: Organize idea pitching sessions where team members can pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of judges or the entire team. This activity not only encourages creativity but also helps team members develop their presentation and communication skills.

6. Escape Room Challenges

Escape rooms require critical thinking, patience, and collaboration. To increase participation, choose themes that resonate with your team’s interests or industry. Debriefing sessions post-challenge can provide insights into team dynamics and individual problem-solving approaches.

7. Board Game Tournaments

Board games are excellent for strategy and team bonding. Choose games that require teamwork for added collaboration. To ensure wide participation, include a mix of games, from quick and casual to more complex strategic games. This setting allows for informal networking and relationship building.

8. Role-playing Sessions

Role-playing different business scenarios can enhance empathy and understanding among team members. Encourage employees to step into roles different from their usual job, fostering a better understanding of different company roles. This can lead to improved interdepartmental cooperation and communication.

9. Cultural Exchange Fairs

Cultural fairs celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity. Encourage employees to participate by sharing their own cultural heritage, creating a platform for education and connection. This can also be an opportunity for team members to practice presentation and organizational skills.

10. Team Building Workshops

Professional workshops offer structured learning and development. Choose facilitators who are experts in areas relevant to your team’s needs. Providing certifications or recognition for participation can motivate employees to engage fully.

11. Adventure Sports

Adventure sports like rock climbing require trust and communication. To ensure safety and comfort, provide options for different skill levels and emphasize the importance of supporting each other. These activities can lead to increased confidence and risk-taking ability in the workplace.

12. DIY Project Days

DIY projects encourage creativity and practical problem-solving. They can also contribute to the workplace, like creating art for the office walls. Involving employees in choosing and planning the project can ensure that it’s meaningful and engaging for everyone.

13. Mindfulness and Yoga Retreats

Such retreats focus on mental health and stress management. Tailor programs to different levels of experience and include discussions on applying mindfulness in the workplace. These sessions can lead to improved focus, reduced stress levels, and better employee well-being.

14. Film Making Challenge

Creating films requires teamwork, creativity, and planning. Encourage teams to make films that align with company values or current projects. This activity can uncover hidden talents and is a fun way for employees to express their creativity.

15. Creative Workshops

Creative workshops like painting or coding encourage lifelong learning. Offering a range of workshops allows employees to choose based on their interests, increasing engagement. These activities can also uncover hidden talents within the team, potentially useful in future projects.

16. Office Olympics

Office Olympics is a fun and competitive team building activity that can be held within the office premises. It involves organizing a series of mini-games or challenges that employees can participate in. These games can be based on traditional Olympic events or customized to fit the office environment.

This corporate team building activity can be a great way to boost morale, create a sense of friendly competition, and promote team bonding within the office. It provides an opportunity for employees to showcase their skills, have fun, and build stronger relationships with their colleagues.

17. Spaghetti (aka Marshmallow) Challenge

At Bizzabo’s recent Go-to-market Kickoff in New York City, Senior Vice President of Global Sales Mark Brooks put our teams to the team-building test with the Spaghetti Challenge. Also known as the Marshmallow Challenge, this corporate team building activity mixed up our customer success, marketing, sales, product, and R&D teams for a fun challenge.

With spaghetti noodles, string, tape, and a single marshmallow, teams were tasked with building the tallest free-standing structure topped with a marshmallow in just 18 minutes. Needless to say, hilarity and intense competition ensued!

Tips for Planning Team Building Events in Your Company

1. Understand Your Team’s Needs

Before implementing team building activities, it’s important to understand your team’s needs and goals. Consider conducting a survey or holding a team meeting to gather feedback and ideas from employees.

Looking at past survey responses is a valuable practice to ensure that you are meeting the expectations of your team when planning team building activities. By reviewing the feedback and insights gathered from previous surveys, you can gain valuable information about what worked well and what areas need improvement.

When analyzing past survey responses, pay attention to the following:

1. Activity preferences: Look for patterns in the types of activities that received positive feedback. Identify the activities that were most enjoyed and had the highest participation rates. This will help you understand the preferences of your team and guide your future planning.
2. Feedback on organization: Take note of any feedback related to the organization and logistics of the team building activities. This could include comments on the scheduling, venue, or availability of resources. By addressing any concerns or suggestions, you can ensure a smoother and more enjoyable experience for your team.
3. Impact on team dynamics: Evaluate the feedback that relates to the impact of the activities on team dynamics. Look for comments on improved communication, collaboration, and trust among team members. This will help you gauge the effectiveness of the activities in achieving their intended goals.
4. Suggestions for improvement: Pay attention to any suggestions or constructive criticism provided in the survey responses. This feedback can provide valuable insights into areas where you can make adjustments or introduce new ideas to enhance future team building activities.

2. Plan Ahead for Team Events

To ensure the success of team building activities, it’s important to plan ahead. Set a date and time that works for everyone and make sure all necessary materials and resources are prepared.

Planning ahead for team building activities is crucial to ensure their success and inclusivity. When organizing these activities, it’s important to consider the diverse schedules of your team members and accommodate those who may attend online. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead in a way that considers diverse schedules and remote participation:

1. Flexible scheduling: Take into account the availability of your team members and try to find a date and time that works for everyone. Consider using scheduling tools that allow participants to indicate their availability and find the most suitable time slot.
2. Virtual options: If some team members are unable to attend in person, provide virtual options for them to participate. This can include live streaming the event, setting up video conference calls, or creating online collaboration spaces where remote participants can contribute.
3. Consider time zones: If you have team members in different time zones, be mindful of the time difference when scheduling the activity. Try to find a time that works for everyone or consider rotating the schedule to accommodate different time zones.
4. Accessibility: Ensure that the chosen venue or online platform is accessible to all participants. Consider any specific needs or accommodations that may be required, such as wheelchair accessibility or closed captioning for virtual participants.
5. Test your technology: If you are incorporating virtual participation, test the event technology and ensure that it is working properly before the event. This will help avoid any technical difficulties during the activity and ensure a smooth experience for all participants.

By planning ahead and considering diverse schedules and remote participation, you can create an inclusive and engaging team building experience for all team members, regardless of their location or availability.

3. Encourage Participation

Encourage all employees to participate in team building activities. This will help build a sense of unity and inclusivity within the team.

Kindly note that your request may be unrelated to the content of the article. However, I can provide you with some suggestions on how to incentivize participation or make it “required” without being aggressive:

1. Recognition and rewards: Offer incentives such as recognition, rewards, or prizes for employees who actively participate in team building activities. This can include certificates, small gifts, or even a mention in company-wide communications.
2. Gamify the activities: Turn team building activities into a friendly competition by introducing a point system or leaderboard. Offer rewards or privileges to the team or individual with the highest participation or performance.
3. Tie it to performance reviews: Make participation in team building activities a part of the performance review process. This can be done by including it as a criterion for evaluating teamwork or collaboration skills.
4. Make it fun and engaging: Design team building activities that are enjoyable and engaging for employees. Incorporate elements of fun, creativity, and friendly competition to encourage participation.
5. Connect it to professional development: Emphasize the learning and skill-building aspect of team building activities. Highlight how participation can contribute to employees’ professional growth and development.
6. Provide flexibility: Offer a variety of team building activities and allow employees to choose the ones that align with their interests and preferences. This can increase participation by catering to different individuals’ preferences.
7. Communicate the benefits: Clearly communicate the benefits of team building activities to employees. Highlight how participation can improve teamwork, communication, and overall job satisfaction.

Remember, it’s important to create a positive and inclusive environment where employees feel motivated and encouraged to participate in team building activities.

4. Debrief to Plan Better Team Building Strategies

After each team building activity, take some time to debrief and reflect on the experience. This will allow employees to share their thoughts and feelings and provide valuable feedback for future activities.

Ready? Build an Epic Team Building Event

Team building activities are an important aspect of creating a positive and productive work environment. By implementing these 17 ideas for corporate team building activities, you can help improve team dynamics, boost morale, and increase productivity in your company. Remember to plan ahead, understand your team’s needs, and encourage participation to ensure the success of these activities.