Team camaraderie – those ever-important feelings of belonging and trust among people who work together – has become more important than ever as the number of hybrid and remote workers rises.
While camaraderie increases innovation, productivity, employee engagement, retention, and profits, it does take time and effort to build. Positive work environments that feature open communication, celebration, and team building activities can help you build and maintain team camaraderie as a part of your workplace culture.
Why is team camaraderie so important? 🙌
Team camaraderie fosters and enhances collaboration. Working together toward a common goal is easier when people respect and trust each other. A sense of respect also makes people more likely to trust others' motivations and decisions, and trust is essential for effective collaboration.
Team camaraderie also positively impacts workplace communication. Effective communication is key to promoting teamwork because it requires listening skills. Practicing effective communication also requires teams to act with emotional intelligence. This reminds co-workers to approach others with empathy and curiosity instead of judgment.
The truth is that camaraderie should not be a secondary goal or something you hope your whole team builds along the way — rather, it should be a high priority in your organization that you actively work toward.
How do you build workplace camaraderie? 🤝
Building workplace camaraderie isn't easy. However, it's doable when you focus on the right principles.
1. Use team building activities and company celebrations
Team building activities allow old and new employees to connect and bond outside of work expectations. Fun and celebration can improve employee morale and engagement, which makes it easier for people to work together. These activities also usually require a lot of trust and open communication. These are essential skills for a collaborative workplace.
2. Build a company culture that prioritizes open communication
Simply put, open communication builds trust. Employees need to be honest and transparent with management and each other. This makes them more likely to trust each other's intentions. In turn, it becomes easier to work together and get things done.
3. Create a positive work environment (that's diverse and inclusive)
No team member likes to work in a negative environment. Ensure management teams encourage employees to remain positive in their communication. It's also important to maintain diversity among the workforce. This ensures that everyone belongs and connects with others as their authentic selves.
What are the advantages of team camaraderie? 🤔
Strong team togetherness has many advantages, both for the company and its employees:
- There are links between positive workplace relationships and employee satisfaction and retention. According to a 2022 Gallup study, those who have a best friend at work are more than twice as satisfied with their workplace and 12% less likely to leave the company
- Having a supportive work environment leads to less stress and burnout. When employees feel a sense of team camaraderie, they may worry less about mistakes. They also have more fun at work and are better at sharing the workload with each other
- Research from Great Place to Work shows that positive workplace cultures where employees feel cared for and supported lead to growth and increased profits
What are the challenges of team camaraderie? 🤕
Building workplace camaraderie also comes with its own set of challenges:
- It can make it difficult for managers and other co-workers to address conflicts within the team. No one wants to be the person who disrupts the positive culture to point out something negative. Additionally, managers may have good relationships with all involved parties and want to avoid appearing to be "choosing sides."
- Employees may shy away from providing constructive feedback to people they like and are friends with. This stops individual employees from improving their performance. It can also hinder the progress of work projects.
- Some employees may feel that managers are showing favoritism to the teammates they have the best relationships with. Managers need to treat everyone the same and apply policies evenly across the board.
- Managers can struggle to build camaraderie when managing remote teams. Many need access to resources to help them create a positive culture for those who cannot be in the same room or building.
Here are 5 team building activities that will help you start building team camaraderie in the workplace 🧩
1. Virtual Escape Rooms
Virtual escape rooms require your team to work together to find clues, solve puzzles, and complete a quest. Everyone breaks up into teams of five, and each team must learn to communicate and use their problem-solving skills to work toward a common goal. It builds a sense of togetherness in a fun, fast-paced environment that employees will surely enjoy.
How to get started 👉 Encourage team members to work together and race against the clock in Virtual Escape Quest!
2. Empathy Water Cooler
Empathy Water Cooler sends random groups into breakout rooms to discuss questions about empathy. In the end, employees will have the opportunity to share eye-opening moments and takeaways. This activity gives your team a safe place to share their feelings and points of view. It also helps them get to know each other and themselves through active listening and reflection.
How to get started 👉 Help your team learn to listen to and support each other with Empathy Water Cooler!
3. Mini Games
Themed mini-games are a fun way for your teammates to collaborate on a set of puzzle games and brain teasers. Teams of five will play to see who can gather the most points while sharing laughter and inspiring healthy competition along the way. Confetti has seasonal and holiday games so that your team can create memories and build skills throughout the year.
How to get started 👉 Give your team a chance to collaborate while creating fun memories with Mini Games!
4. Think Faster
In this activity, an experienced improvisation instructor takes your team through a series of exercises designed to foster quick thinking while building a specific skill. Exercises will vary depending on whether you want your team to focus on collaboration, conflict resolution, flexibility, or creating a positive culture.
How to get started 👉 Help your team learn to think on their feet while building essential workplace skills in Think Faster!
5. Codeword
This classic word-guessing game encourages teammates to give their co-workers one-word clues to help them guess a specific term. The sooner their teammate makes the right guess, the more points the team banks toward the final showdown. Everyone competes to become the word-guessing champion. This activity promotes team bonding and improves communication skills.
How to get started 👉 Use friendly competition to build your team's communication skills in Codeword!
Foster Camaraderie with Confetti! 🎊
Fostering camaraderie has its fair share of challenges, but it's always worth it in the end. Creating a team culture where everyone feels supported helps your employees thrive and can push the company to the next level. You'll be able to create memorable experiences and solidify the necessary skills that will benefit your team for a long time to come.
If you're ready to have some fun while helping your hybrid and virtual teams bond, book a team building experience with Confetti today!
