{"id":5819,"date":"2015-02-20T07:00:17","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T15:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/corevalues.com\/?p=5819"},"modified":"2015-02-20T07:00:17","modified_gmt":"2015-02-20T15:00:17","slug":"promote-a-culture-of-belonging-through-corporate-team-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corevalues.com\/dev\/2015\/02\/20\/promote-a-culture-of-belonging-through-corporate-team-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Promote a Culture of Belonging through Corporate Team Building"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"blue-handshake-puzzle\"<\/a>The results of the Globoforce\u00a0<\/a> 2014 UK and Ireland Workforce Mood Tracker survey are in, and the survey found that organizations that encourage a sense of belonging\u00a0<\/a> and workplace friendships among employees enjoy higher employee retention rates and engagement. Through corporate team building tactics, leaders can foster these relationships among their employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s survey shows that organizations would benefit greatly from celebrating their employees\u2019 dedication to the company, as well as the strong bonds people form while at work,\u201d said Derek Irvine, vice president of customer consulting and strategy at Globoforce. \u201cWhile many may claim that they do not have friends at work, perhaps if they were given the opportunity to see the impact they have made on their colleagues, their opinion would differ.\u201d<\/p>\n

The survey of 1,200 employees from the UK and Ireland found that 24 percent of the employees who said they had friends at work intend to stay with their current organizations, whereas only 16 percent of the respondents without friends in the organization intend to stay.<\/p>\n

The survey also found that 86 percent of the respondents would be more willing to work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized and appreciated. While 61 percent said they felt appreciated at work, 43 percent reported that they do not feel appreciated at work.<\/p>\n

Leaders can promote a culture of belonging<\/a> through employee team building and by encouraging employees to be themselves while at work. Through team building and the following tips, leaders can encourage genuine friendships among employees.<\/p>\n

Encourage employees to share their personal stories. <\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The best way to create a culture of sharing is through leaders setting the tone, says Help Your Employees Be Themselves at Work<\/a>. Most employees typically hide certain aspects of themselves while at work, so leaders should encourage their employees to share these aspects with others by starting the dialogue.\u00a0 The tendency to mask these aspects is hard-wired into human DNA. From the dawn of time, social inclusion was important to survival.\u00a0 So leaders must be willing to walk the talk and leverage sharing in a way that builds better relationships and higher levels of trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n