Each team goes through four major phases. (Five, if you count the reconfiguration.)

Forming: During this stage, it is naturally important to help your team find their structure and rhythm, classic team building exercises can quickly establish a leading figure as well as a first structure within a group. This may shorten the Storming phase as well.

Storming: Here the first conflicts may arise, may it be pushing back against formerly set boundaries or a simple clash of personalities. Helping your team with communication training exercises can make a quick difference.

Norming: Many team members might start hitting their stride and engaging with each other outside of work during the Norming phase or grow complacent within the group. A well thought event might help them ease into contact and prevent the teams regression back into the Storming phase.

Performing: Finally, the team starts performing at its best, but it still can pay off to have the team experience new sides of each member to give them a larger feeling of camaraderie among them; to find a common purpose. It will also show that you care about their well being and increase your employee retention.

Which leads to the second point, Employer Branding. The way you plan and choose your companies team events, or events in general can affect your image in a significant way. Your employees will talk about your company after all and today over 50% of people seeking jobs will try to find reviews written by them online before applying. And while this naturally won’t be the only thing they will write about, it can still be part of your internal and external Employer Branding.

Think about it, how does your company want to be seen? Are you the sporty young company that organizes a woodland rally or a casual paintball tournament. Are you the large company that brings your team together to bring closeness into the big work environment?

You decide what your company stands for and company team events can have the great dual purpose of expressing that. You can even help your employees organize events that align with your company values, as their team event. It might carry your name out even further and might attract new employees that already share your values.

Now that we talked some about the positive effects team events can have on your employees and your Employer Branding, why not take a look at some of the more popular team events and what they can bring to your team.