How To Boost Engagement And Communication In The Workplace

Keeping morale high throughout the workplace can be difficult if your employees aren’t familiar with each other. Failing to maintain a happy workplace can have a negative effect on your employees’ productivity. However, organising a team-building activity outside of the office could make for a great solution, resulting in productive, efficient, motivated and all-round happy staff members throughout your business.

Activities outside of the workplace are great opportunities for employees to get to know each other separately to work pressures; opening up better communication lines cross-departmental. Here, conference centre venue, Wyboston Lakes explains why team-building should be a vital part of your business plan.

1.      Encouraging employees to work together

In a recent study by the University of Phoenix, 70% of respondents revealed they worked as part of, what they would call, a dysfunctional team. Meanwhile, research by Gallup suggests that poorly managed work groups are on average 50 per cent less productive and 44 per cent less profitable. A happy workplace is a productive workplace, and improving communication and engagement encourages positive working relationships.

These figures prove the importance of team work and relationships amongst colleagues. Team-building events will do this, as they teach participants about how working together will improve the efficiency of all members involved –  for example, how one team member can help another one’s weakness.

2.      Opens lines of communication

When communications lines break down, levels of production and morale are negatively affected throughout the business. A lack of collaboration or ineffective communication has been linked to 86 per cent of all workplace failures cited by employees and executives, a survey reported on by ClearCompany has revealed. A study by HerdWisdom also detailed that 33 per cent of employees believe a lack of open and honest communication will have the most negative impact on employee morale.

However, effective communication is an important part of team-building events, as members of a group must talk and discuss options in order to solve a problem that they’ve encountered. Communicating in these scenarios could lead to barriers been broken — employees being shy to talk to each other, for instance — which then carries through when staff members are back in the workplace. Keeping lines of communication open between management and staff is a great way to keep track of how projects are running so you can measure its success.

3.      Improves engagement levels

Did you know that employees who have a high engagement level are 87 per cent less likely to leave a company than those who have a low engagement level? That’s according to research reported on by Officevibe when they were looking into statistics related to disengaged employees.

Mark Jones, the managing director of Wyboston Lakes, was also keen to add: “Any organisation will benefit from an engaged workforce; employees that are committed, passionate and inspired by their performance will of course generate superior customer service and increased profitability.”

Organising events outside of the workplace help to boost morale amongst staff. Team-building days are likely to improve engagement among colleagues, as they bond with each other while working together. Friendships could also develop during these events, with research by Gallup claiming that having a close friend at work can increase engagement by 50 per cent.