Team-Building Tactics to Promote Teamwork

Having employees who function well as a team is vital to the health and success of virtually every business. It’s the catalyst for increased productivity, fewer errors, lower turnover and maximum profitability. But how can you effectively go about creating a team-oriented environment? Here are some practical tactics for doing so.

Examine Teamwork Skills During Interviews

You could make the argument that creating a team-oriented workplace starts with first finding individuals that fit into this type of culture. You’ll want to ensure you’re hiring employees who enjoy working in a team and who thrive in this type of setting.

Be sure you’re clear about the teamwork element when posting a job description. Also, work a few key questions into the interview to assess a candidate’s teamwork skills. Here are a few examples of questions from The Balance:

  • Give an example of a successful project you were part of. What was your role? What made the project successful in your view?
  • Can you share an example of a situation in which teamwork enhanced your ability to accomplish your goals or the outcomes that were expected from you as an employee?
  • Do you feel more energized when you are working alone or when you are working as part of a team?

Create an Open Working Environment

Does your business still make use of cubicles or other workplace barriers? If so, this could hinder teamwork and make it more difficult for employees to operate as a cohesive unit. The solution?

Create an open working environment with low or no partitions so employees can interact and collaborate with greater ease. This concept is particularly popular with the younger generation of millennial workers who tend to value a collaborative atmosphere.

And according to the International Facility Management Association, “About 70 percent of U.S. offices have some type of open floor plan.” So why not get on board with this trend?

Implement Team-Building Activities

When many people hear the phrase “team-building activities,” they immediately think of those cheesy (and sometimes horrifying) “bonding” moments that everyone hates. In fact, “31 percent of employees say they dislike team building-activities.” So forget these traditional, mostly ineffective techniques.

But what can actually work is simply getting together with your employees outside of the office. Go mountain biking, go to happy hour, have a shared meal or whatever it takes for your employees to get to know each other on more of a personal level.

There’s no denying the impact that team chemistry can have on a workplace. That’s why you’ll want to make team building a priority and use one or more these tactics to achieve it.

Looking to assemble a team of dedicated professionals? Contact Encadria Staffing Solutions to see how we can help.

 

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