Whether you’re part of an HR department or a team leader, there are many different things you can do to help a team bond and perform better. We have put together 6 different things that you can start doing today that will encourage team spirit. Continue reading for inspiration!
- Hire Good People
- Invest in Onboarding
- Make Use of Workshops
- Share Feedback & Praise
- Be Inclusive
- Organize Social Events
We have plenty of additional resources and templates for you to check out also so be sure to keep an eye out for those as you read.
1. Be sure to hire the right people
If creating an environment where team spirit is central, you should start with the employment process. When recruiting new team members, be mindful and ask questions that will focus on whether or not a candidate is a team player and will give the right energy to the team. Culture interviews as well as some form of competency evaluation are becoming more common as companies seek to find employees that will be a good fit in terms of skill and culture.
While many may be more than capable of contributing from day one, to attract and retain skilled employees they will likely see their workplace as more than simply work. Thus, actively seeking to improve company culture and hire applicants that will positively contribute to said culture will benefit everyone.
2. Invest in onboarding
Hiring talented people is the first step, onboarding them and helping them settle in is the all-important second step. This isn’t just about helping people learn about your ways of working, or what software you use - it is far more than that. Onboarding is a vital way to help welcome people, ease them into a new environment, instruct them on daily duties, introduce them to their team, and more.
Investing heavily in recruitment should be supplemented by doing the same for the onboarding process. Studies have proven that employees that go through a thorough and well-thought-out onboarding process are more engaged early on, more dedicated, and are far more productive. There are a variety of ways you can improve your onboarding process almost immediately.
3. Utilize workshops
Workshops that look at company core values and talk about team building can be a great way to encourage team spirit. Focus on creating an energetic workshop that will encourage team building and support. Remember, however, that workshops are only as good as the moderator running them and the organization behind them. There are plenty of different workshops out there that you can run no matter what the main goal of the session happens to be.
Workshops that don’t actively promote listening to colleagues and taking their opinions and contributions into account can do more harm than good. The goal should be to build team spirit and to do this, the focus should be on encouraging each and every team member to feel comfortable sharing their views. Finding a way to run a workshop in a transparent and collaborative way will both strengthen team spirit and lay a solid framework for all workshops going forward.
Learn and lunch workshop
4. Share praise and constructive feedback
Make the sharing of praise and feedback an integral part of daily and weekly routines. Use internal email or messaging tools to share praise for achievements and to recognize your colleagues in a public way. Also, encourage team members to share feedback and praise with others. This will help to promote open communication in your team and strengthen bonds and understanding between each other.
Many companies now run 360 feedback meetings, while others prefer to run more regular one-on-one sessions. The benefits of feedback are innumerable; those receiving feedback will feel that they are being directed and allowed to develop without picking up bad habits along the way. Likewise, it can help solidify in them a sense of direction and purpose to hear from their colleagues about their efforts. Conversely, those giving feedback will be gaining leadership skills that will be available in any team.
No matter which you prefer feel free to test out this easy-to-implement template that will help your team to give effective feedback:
Feedback Session
5. Be inclusive
An incredibly important way to encourage team spirit is to make sure that everyone in the workplace feels included. Being actively inclusive in the workplace can be as simple as making sure the language you use is inclusive to make sure that group activities are something that can be enjoyed by everyone. By making everyone feel included, this will encourage team spirit.
An important part of ensuring everyone is included is to survey employees, colleagues, and teammates to see how they feel about your current ways of working. Are there things that need improving? Is there an area you are really excelling in but need to spend more time promoting? Gathering insights from others is a great way to compile a variety of different perspectives but also a way to include everyone in the decision making process.
6. Make an effort to organize social events
On a similar note, any kind of social event can be a good boost for team spirit. Remember that these don’t just have to take place at the end of the year, you can arrange a team bonding session once a quarter or even every other week. Get your team together for a fun Mentimeter quiz or plan an out-of-office event like a murder mystery party that will encourage your colleagues to work as a team in a non-work environment. You don’t necessarily have to be run outside of office hours either. If you want everyone to take part figure out a time that worlds for everyone and gather together for some fun.
If you happen to be looking for inspiration, we have a wide variety of different quiz templates you can download and use instantaneously. Oh and if you are wondering how exactly they work and how you can create your own then have no fear, we have a video that will answer all your questions.
Strong team spirit will lead to a high performing team
Encouraging team spirit can have amazing long-term effects, including better employee retention and well-being. By taking these small steps you will be well on your way to creating a strong team with amazing team spirit. The goal should be to improve your workplace and to improve how the team works together to achieve common goals, helps one another meet individual targets, celebrates victories, and learns from setbacks.
Whether you work in HR or are leading your team, we have resources that can help you to improve engagement in meetings, day-to-day work, and feedback sessions. Feel free to have a look at any of our templates designed for any occasion, as well as our other blog posts for even more inspiration.
Want to know how we help teams and companies become more efficient and inclusive?
Read more nowNotify me about new blog posts
By submitting you accept our terms of use and policies.