Regardless of the industry, for any organization to both retain and attract talent, employee satisfaction in the workplace is an imperative component. As a concept, employee satisfaction (also referred to as “job satisfaction”) can be defined as the level of fulfillment an employee feels toward their position of employment.
Research has shown that 77% of employees deem their relationships with co-workers to be a top contributing factor to employee engagement, which is correlated to overall job satisfaction. Companies must recognize the vital importance of fostering employee satisfaction by providing team building opportunities in the workplace.
As the world moves forward from the pandemic, most organizations are once again returning to the office model. One magnificent way of guaranteeing that your team members will bond is utilizing fun office activities.
Indoor team building activities for adults can range from a few minutes to over an hour. Here are some great ideas for indoor activities that teams can use to increase employee satisfaction in the workplace.
For this fun indoor activity, have your team partner up into pairs. In a large room, ensure the space is clear of any obstacles such as furniture. Place soft objects like pillows, balloons, etc throughout the room.
Thereafter, have one member from each respective team put on a blindfold while the other shouts out directions to navigate the minefield of objects on the floor. The objective of this activity is to see which team pair can successfully work together to make it to the other side of the space the fastest, without the blindfolded team member trodding on any of the objects.
A fun activity that will definitely build and foster team rapport is the Jigsaw Puzzle Swap. Have employees divide into teams of three, then distribute different jigsaw puzzles all with an identical level of complexity. However, ensure that each box contains six puzzle pieces belonging to other jigsaw puzzles being used in the activity.
The objective of this activity is obviously to see which team can complete their jigsaw puzzle the fastest. Yet, in addition, each team must devise creative ways to convince other teams to “swap” the pieces necessary to complete their respective jigsaw puzzles.
An excellent way to increase employee satisfaction in the workplace is to take your team outdoors into the fresh air. Outdoor team building activities give employees a change of pace from the office setting, which can prove invigorating and beneficial for both mind and body.
Few things are more synonymous with fun than water balloons. No one can resist a good game of water balloon tag, and this incredibly fun activity will be a definite hit with all team members.
In an open field or park setting, distribute water balloons from a bucket to each member of your team. The employee who is able to dodge the most water balloons without getting saturated wins the game.
The world over, food is the universal element that connects us. A wonderful activity guaranteed to provide a bonding opportunity with members of your team is a park picnic. Regardless of food preference, Ritual for Companies offers a multitude of options that will appeal to any palate.
Nothing spells fun and hilarity like a good game of Pictionary. On slips of paper, write a single noun (person, place, or thing) on each piece, then put all the slips of paper into a container. Have your employees partner up, distribute notepads and writing utensils, then choose which pair will go first.
One member from the respective pair then selects a slip of paper and must draw the specific word chosen for their partner to guess in one minute. If unsuccessful, all other teams have 45 seconds to successfully guess the word.
This office game is a fun and effective way to allow your team to become more familiar with one another. Have everyone on your team come to the office with a photograph of themselves as a baby. Spread all the pictures out on a table, so employees can peruse each one individually.
The objective of the game is to guess which team member corresponds with each baby photo. An excellent way for employees in your organization to see coworkers in a different light as infants.
Have your team sit in a circle, and give each employee a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Allot 30 seconds for each team member to write a single sentence of a story on their piece of paper.
After the 30 seconds is up, everyone passes their piece of paper to the person on their right. That individual then reads the sentence, folds the paper over so it is no longer visible, and proceeds to write the next sentence in the story. The game ends once the entire one side of each piece of paper has been used. Take turns going around the circle, reading the results of this collaborative storytelling activity.
It can prove somewhat daunting to find team building activities that will engage all employees regardless of background and personal preference. That said, organizations must recognize the significance of providing workers with opportunities to foster team rapport that will increase employee satisfaction. Gratification with their job means that employees are happy to do the work that they do. An integral component to fostering team building within any company is utilizing fun work activities. When people are having fun together engaged in pleasurable activities, inevitably a good rapport amongst all involved is developed.
After providing your employees with engaging and enjoyable team building exercises, treat everyone to a company lunch with Ritual for Companies. The perfect addition to any fun office game or work activity.