Answer:  Hold a team-building event.  It’s a great way to boost the morale and spirit of any group.  And (despite the collective groan I can hear echoing through cyberspace) they CAN be fun.  Just follow these seven simple steps to make sure that your event is a success and not a flop:

1. Get out of the office.  If each day looks pretty much the same for your employees, shake things up a bit.  Conduct your event off-site.  A change of scenery will refresh, recharge, and reenergize your staff (and minimize distractions).
2. Generate excitement before the event.  Encourage full buy-in by using internal communication to get everyone interested.  Use e-mails, memos, your website, bulletin boards, etc. to arouse curiosity and generate enthusiasm.
3. Mix it up.  To stimulate interest and involvement throughout the day, divide your program into several sessions including work, play, and socializing.  End the day with a mealtime activity, awards ceremony, or happy hour.  Remember to include activities that are fun and relaxing, as well as frequent breaks, so your staff can recharge.
4. Get up and move around.  Games and outdoor challenges are an excellent way to encourage team cohesiveness.  They will allow your team to burn off some energy while building trust and respect among members.  Try a ropes course, a hike, or other trust-building games.
5. Record your memories.  To make a lasting impression and extend the program’s impact, document your day.  Hire a photographer, make a video, or take pictures yourself.  After the event, hand out pictures or highlight the event in your company newsletter or on your website.
6. Allow time to process and reflect.  Throughout the day, discuss new learning and how it applies to specific jobs as well as the company.  Games and activities will be of better use if you allow your team to reflect on the purpose and meaning behind each.
7. Solicit feedback.  At the end of the day, ask participants to complete a simple survey.  It’s a great way to find out what employees liked (and didn’t like) and garner recommendations for the next event.

Let Us Help You Build a Better Team

At Kinsa, we have the resources and recruiting services to make your team even stronger.  Contact us today to learn more.

Here are some key ways you can use staffing to reduce costs in your organization:

Convert fixed expenses to variable.
Develop a plan to staff your business strategically. Minimize the number of permanent employees on your staff to the level needed to sustain your core volume of work. Proactively plan to bring in extra help when it’s needed.

Bring in expertise on an as-needed basis.
Temporaries can deliver the experience and skills you need without impacting fixed expenses. As an added benefit, temporary “experts” are often less expensive than consultants.

Lower benefits costs.
Limit benefits expense by using temporary employees. Most temporary employees receive only limited benefits which are paid by the temporary staffing service. Companies with extensive benefits programs may not want to offer full benefits to all employees. Using a temporary staffing, payrolling or employee leasing service may make it possible to offer more limited and cost effective benefits programs to these employees.

Eliminate overtime.
Use temporary employees to reduce the amount of overtime worked by your permanent staff.

Reduce training costs.
Reduce training costs and learning curves by bringing in temporary employees who are trained and have experience using the skills you need.

Streamline recruiting.
Use a permanent placement service to eliminate the costs and time involvement associated with advertising, screening resumes, interviewing, testing and reference checking applicants.
 
Lower payroll expenses.
Administration Eliminate the costs associated with processing and administering your company’s payroll and benefits by using a payroll or employee leasing service.

Reduce unemployment claims.
Using a temporary in place of a short-term employee prevents an unemployment claim from affecting the client company.  Legally, payrolled or leased employees work for the company providing the payrolling or employee leasing service. All claims affect the staffing service’s unemployment rating, not yours.

Eliminate operating inefficiencies.
Inefficient functions can be outsourced to services that can perform the work more effectively. The outsourcing service should be able to reduce expenses and improve performance while allowing your company to focus on its core competencies.

Develop a Strategic Staffing Plan for Your Organization
At Kinsa Group, we are specialized recruiters for the Food and Beverage Industry. We help clients evaluate their current workforce and develop a strategic staffing model to help lower overall employment costs and access the skilled talent they need.  Discover more about Kinsa’s staffing and recruiting solutions.