If you’ve recruited new members of staff or added an entirely new department to your business, it’s important to foster team spirit and forge relationships quickly. Everyone knows that teamwork makes the dream work, so here are some tips to help you bring a new team together.

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Socialize outside of work

At work, it’s likely that you’re busy on a daily basis, and it can be hard to get to know people, especially if you don’t come into direct contact with them on a regular basis. You may have an excellent rapport with somebody over email, but forming proper relationships will help to establish a strong team, which can pull together to get jobs done. If you’ve got a lot of new starters, it’s a really good idea to organize some social events so that people can chat, get to know each other, and feel more relaxed in the company of their new colleagues. Book a table at a restaurant after work one night or see if people are keen to go bowling, play sports or go for a drink.

Team building exercises

There’s a reason why so many employers use training days and team building weekends to get the best out of their employees. Spending time together, tackling challenges as a unit, and helping each other out can enable you to bond and develop relationships that go deeper than just recognizing a colleague as the person who sits across from you at work. You don’t have to test your employee’s mettle on an assault course to encourage teamwork if this kind of activity doesn’t suit your business. There are lots of other options out there, so search for inspiration online and get some ideas from what other firms have done.

Collaborative working

If you’re keen for your new employees to work together on projects, it’s important to make sure that everyone understands their roles and to set clear objectives, which each individual comprehends. Using software that makes group work easy is hugely beneficial, but to reap the rewards, you must ensure that your employees know what to do. If they’re not familiar with a system, enlisting help such as Sharepoint consulting services can be beneficial. If everyone knows how the program works, they can use it efficiently and effectively, and you should end up with a positive result. It’s also really useful to set up your office in a way that makes it easy for people to communicate, get together and throw ideas around. Regular team meetings can also encourage open communication and discussion and ensure that everyone feels like they have an opportunity to speak.

If you’re hired new members of staff, you probably want to make sure they integrate as quickly and seamlessly as possible. It can be difficult coming into an existing team or trying to find your way in a group of new people, so as the boss, it’s wise to take steps to facilitate these processes. Encourage your employees to be sociable, set them up with systems and programs that make collaborative working simple, and get everyone together on a regular basis, both in and out of work.