Team Building v.s Team Social - what’s the difference?

Recently when chatting with folks about what we do here at Fable Events, I’ve noticed a common thread. When I tell them about our events and the adventures we run, I am met with the same few statements:

“Oh, well we do have a staff get together around Christmas time.”

“We’ve tried to do staff activities but people just don’t attend.”

“Our teams don’t want to hang out together outside of work”.

It would seem that lots of people think that team building activities are the same as a staff social - and are having poor staff turn-out because of it. Maybe their teams don’t want to spend their money or personal time getting to know their colleagues at a restaurant that’s too far from their home.

It’s become clear to us that some people these days don’t realise that there is a difference between a team social event, and a team building event. This only further shows us that some companies aren’t providing their teams with team building activities geared towards development and boosting morale, but instead rely on inconsistent team socials to try and keep their team engaged.

Now, we’re not saying team socials aren’t a great idea - they can be! Finding an activity that folks want to engage in, giving them space outside the office to spend time together and forge relationships can be really beneficial. It’s especially great when it’s funded by the company, so staff feel free to let loose and relax a little. Team socials thrive in workplaces that have great relationships between colleagues and have a culture that encourages teams to bond and engage with one another.

But, what if your team isn’t there yet?

Let’s say you have brilliant staff who are great at their job, but they’re feeling uninspired. They don’t feel comfortable chatting to their colleagues, and may even feel lonely even in a large office surrounded by others. Maybe you have hybrid workers who don’t regularly see their colleagues in person, and they haven’t had time or space to build a relationship. Perhaps you have lots of teams without much crossover, so hanging out socially can seem daunting and unusual.

Staff who stay in this position for too long often end up leaving, trying to find a workplace that makes them feel happier. Staff retention is at an all time low, and studies show that half of employees would sacrifice a good salary for a job they enjoy. You can throw all the dress-down Fridays you want, but if you don’t foster that great talent you have and make them truly feel like they’re part of a team, you will lose them.

This is where Team Building comes into play. Team building is how you foster those relationships, and give your teams the time and space to engage with one other and form bonds. It’s vital to any company who prides themselves on their staff wellbeing and morale to create these opportunities for your team to flourish and build real connections amongst their coworkers.

So, let’s run through exactly how we see our team building events.The key difference between our team building events and a staff social is that they are treated like staff training and development. It’s not done in your free time, but during your working day. It’s not funded by the employees, but instead by the organisation and is otherwise treated like any other working day. It’s not there solely as a fun activity (though our adventures are incredibly fun), you’re also spending that time improving key skills such as communication, empathy, problem solving and creative thinking.

A recent workplace report by Gallup suggests that the UK has the most dissatisfied workforces in Europe, with employee engagement at an all time low of just 8%, having been in decline for many years. That means 92% of a workforce feels uninterested in their job, and are disconnected to the work they do. You would think that companies would be putting efforts towards building this up, and improving staff engagement and staff retention, but another study found only 30% of UK businesses have employee engagement initiatives.

We have been in the shoes of the employees. We have been those workers who are disillusioned with their work and with their management. We know first hand what that feels like, so can tailor our activities to make sure we are doing the work to help build those relationships between colleagues and develop open channels for communication. Research shows companies who have staff that are engaged in their work can lead to large increases in revenue. If companies invest in team building initiatives, work ethic and engagement can improve up to 10 times. Employees who feel appreciated, understood, and valued are happier at their job and more likely to stay in their position - which translates to a huge cost saving when you consider how expensive it is to hire new talent. Workplace relationships also have a huge impact on whether people stay at jobs, so fostering opportunities for colleagues to connect and form bonds is vital to any business wanting to grow and thrive.

This is especially crucial in 2023, with so many businesses offering both hybrid and fully remote working opportunities. These themselves are great, as they give employees flexibility in their schedule so they can better manage a work life balance. However, it can mean that hybrid and remote workers feel disconnected from their colleagues and less like they’re part of the team. Forcing these workers into an office is not the solution here - but team building can be!

We offer in person, hybrid, and remote team building options to suit you. Get your remote workers engaged and chatting with their colleagues and building those key relationships. Give them the space to not only learn about one another and see each other’s strengths, but also to have fun together and create memories as a group. Each of our experiences create memories and stories for your team, and with every bond formed between them their relationships can strengthen and grow.

So, is there space for both of these within a company? Absolutely! Team socials are great for teams who are already connected with one another, gives them space to relax and decompress, and enhances company culture by offering fun activities for staff to engage in. Team building is there to develop all those other skills that folks need to feel happy and productive - understanding, confidence, challenging expectations, working as a team, celebrating others strengths, and countless more. Team building is a shared experience that your team will keep with them, and will benefit them in the long term. The more team building you can fit into your working schedule, the more benefits you will see.