Most job seekers want to work for a company that values and inspires them. If your business doesn’t meet that description, you might need a change in your company culture if you want to recruit top candidates. 

Learning how to create a positive and healthy company culture can help you attract and maintain talent. Here’s a review of how you can benefit from a corporate culture change to attract talent, and the role that a corporate event can play in making positive adjustments.

Why Company Culture Matters for Recruiting

For many companies, hiring is a significant struggle these days. The current U.S. unemployment rate is at a historically low level. In this environment, workers feel empowered to leave their jobs for greener pastures. According to a recent Gallup survey, half of all workers in the United States are open to leaving their current positions. The number one category of reasons they give for wanting to leave? Shortcomings in their current employer’s “engagement and culture” can include things like insufficient opportunities for development and advancement, unreasonable job expectations, and a lack of recognition for their contributions and achievements. 

Today’s employers cannot count on filling positions with qualified candidates simply by offering competitive wages and benefits, although that is still a prerequisite. To attract and retain talent, they need to ensure their businesses are desirable places to work. And for some, that means taking a hard look at their company culture and making positive changes.  

Steps Toward Positive Culture Change

It’s not realistic to expect a company’s culture to transform overnight. For most businesses, change is a process that includes listening, deliberating, and making tangible efforts to show a commitment to transforming company culture to attract and retain talent. A corporate event venue can facilitate those efforts, and some steps towards changing your company culture that can lead to benefits include:

Listening Sessions

Gathering employees in a safe, neutral setting where they can share their thoughts on company culture can be a productive step toward making a change. It’s easier for workers to air their criticisms when not surrounded by the trappings of workplace hierarchy. Holding a company meeting and listening session at a corporate event venue, away from the demands and structure of an office or job facility, can lower barriers and facilitate frank, honest conversations about what needs to change to attract talent and keep current employees on board.

Leadership Retreats

The same goes for meetings among company leaders to discuss which changes to implement and how to accomplish them. You’ll want to get your leadership team together to discuss which ideas from the listening sessions are worth pursuing and to devise workable action items for changing company culture for the better. Holding that gathering at an off-site venue gives executives and managers the chance to focus on those questions without distractions and to collaborate creatively on solutions.

Corporate Events

Holding an event for current or prospective employees can be an effective way to demonstrate your commitment to a more positive company culture. Get-togethers at purpose-built event venues offer a perfect environment for socializing, team-building, and collaboration. A top-quality venue can provide a range of amenities and activities accessible to your entire workforce. This generates meaningful opportunities for group and one-on-one interactions that reinforce and demonstrate your company’s high-quality culture as a place to work.

Partner With Frogbridge Events to Make Positive Changes to Your Company’s Culture

Corporate culture matters more than ever to your prospective and current employees. Attracting talent takes more than offering competitive pay and benefits. Recruiting the best candidates takes a commitment to building and maintaining a strong, supportive company culture. A premier corporate event venue can help you take proactive steps to hear what your workforce wants, plan effective strategies, and demonstrate meaningful change. 

Frogbridge Events in Millstone Township, New Jersey, is that kind of venue. Our 86-acre company event facility offers amenities perfect for holding any type of corporate gathering, from an all-hands listening session to a leadership retreat to a company-wide day off. Contact our experienced planners online or call (609) 208-9475 to start making positive changes in your company culture.

Stereotypically places of poor lighting, cramped desks, and minimal privacy, today’s workplace is now shifting into a more creative and flexible environment. Workers are demanding better treatment, working conditions, and atmospheres that are conducive to productivity.

While spending time outside might seem counterproductive, doing so can be well worth the wellness and productivity boost that’s gained through outdoor activities. It can also assist with better employee-employer relationships. An “International Journal of Environmental Health Research” report shows that just 20 minutes in a park can result in huge well-being enhancements. Workers that spend their lunch hour outdoors, can easily achieve a short midday walk and still leave enough time to enjoy a nourishing lunch.

How Does Outdoor Time Improve Productivity?

According to Harvard Business Review, happier workplaces are more productive workplaces, and going outdoors offers the opportunity to create this happiness. There’s a strong association between time spent outdoors and productivity too — many studies have found being exposed to nature strengthens people’s memory and sharpens their attention.

Some ways that spending time outdoors can boost productivity include:

1. Provides Stress Relief

When teams have opportunities to get outdoors and connect in nature, it can be a strong antidote to the type of prolonged stress that’s seen more and more in the workplace. With company nature retreats, teams can unplug both literally and metaphorically from types of day-to-day routines that often encourage unsustainable behaviors and decrease productivity.

Teams will often return from these types of nature retreats feeling rejuvenated and invigorated both as a group and individually. They frequently report that their sense of cohesion, connection, and performance continued once they returned to the workplace. They also report feeling an expanded perspective and a greater sense of clarity, which are both invaluable during uncertain and complex times.

2. Provides Balance

Going outdoors can help you find balance and relief, particularly if you experience stress regularly that easily distracts you from your day-to-day tasks. In fact, research shows that exposure to sunlight strongly influences energy levels and mood, and both variables are frequently correlated with productivity. Similar to how food is the body’s molecular information, sunlight is energetic information that informs our cells and brains to function and be awake while also setting conditions for the body’s metabolism. 

3. Supports Creativity & Attention Span

When it comes to sports, it’s widely recognized that rotating intervals of high intensity with rest and recovery are important to sustain high performance. Now, while the workplace is hardly as physically demanding as the world of athletics, it can still be emotionally and mentally intense, particularly in the present operating environment. As reflected in the Great Resignation trends, high levels of burnout and exhaustion have consequences that continue to repeat worldwide. 

However, it’s not enough for people to only discipline themselves to take time off of work to rest and recover. What’s equally important is what they’re doing during these rest periods. Spending time in nature helps with things like:

• Happiness
• Creativity
• Attention span
• Well-being

This time spent outdoors shouldn’t be seen as a vacation from building essential skills like these, but rather as a foundational resource for the team and individual development.

Boost Productivity With These Company Outdoor Activities

Here are some fun ideas you can try to get the team outdoors and into nature.

1. Company Picnic

Company picnics can foster collaboration, improve morale, and show your team your appreciation. You may have certain individuals in a bigger office environment who have never spent a whole lot of time together. Therefore, inviting them to meet and engage in activities and games on a company picnic can help to foster more collaboration and productivity between departments.

2. Outdoor Company Retreat

Company retreats not only foster better collaboration but also help foster new ideas and innovation by immersing participants in a more relaxed, alternate atmosphere. You can decide on the activities to include in your company retreat and how long you’d like it to be. The goal here is to create effective, thoughtful getaways.

On your company retreat, you can schedule outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, and perhaps something a bit more adventurous, like zip-lining. The exercise along with the fresh air will help your team members energize and make time for them to socialize with their colleagues.

Improve Team Productivity With Frogbridge Events in New Jersey

At Frogbridge Events, we specialize in organizing events and activities that encourage team morale and productivity. No matter what you require in a workplace event, we can likely help. We’ll handle all the nuts and bolts of company outdoor activity or event details no matter what size of team you have.

Whether you’re throwing a company picnic, a nature walk, or a full-blown company retreat, let Frogbridge Events help you. We help you bring the venue, activities, and catering together that you’ll need to make your outdoor company event truly memorable while promoting productivity. Call us at (609) 208-9475 or fill out our contact form to learn more about our venue for group events, parties, company retreats, and other special events in the surrounding areas of New Jersey.

Company retreats are a great way to get people out of the office and into a creative and collaborative space. But if you’re planning a company retreat, it’s also important to make sure that it’s accessible to all members of your team.

With the right planning, you can ensure that your next company retreat is accessible to everyone and that every member of your team can enjoy the experience. Also, if you need further help planning an inclusive retreat, Frogbridge Events is here to assist or answer any questions you may have.

How to Make Your Company Retreat More Accessible

Here are some strategies for making your next company retreat more accessible so that all members of your team can benefit from the experience. 

Know Who You’re Inviting

As you start planning your next company retreat, keep in mind the people that you are inviting. Do you plan to invite the whole company or is it a retreat for just one department? This will dictate the venue size. Also, be mindful of the accommodations that the people you’re inviting need. For instance, if a team member uses a wheelchair, you will want to opt for inclusive activities instead.

You may find out that some staff members that do not need any accommodations at work may have other limitations for activities outside of their usual duties. When sending out emails about the upcoming retreat or invitations, you can also let attendees know who to contact if they need any special accommodations.

Ask for Team Member Input

You can also get team members involved in the planning of the retreat so they can express any concerns or preferences with you before you finalize the schedule. Perhaps you can decide on a group of possible activities and send out a poll to the group to see which ones they would like to participate in at the retreat. This way, you can create a retreat based on what attendees want to do. 

Not all accessibility concerns center around wheelchair ramps and ADA compliance. Some staff members might not be comfortable with loud noises or heights. Without finding this out in advance, you wouldn’t necessarily know this when planning your retreat. Ultimately, you want to plan a retreat team members want to attend. Involving them by soliciting input can improve engagement and make it more accessible.

Check for Accessible Hotels

If your retreat includes an overnight stay, be sure to ask hotels about their own accessibility accommodations. Most hotels will abide by and comply with ADA standards. However, it is always a smart idea to verify that ADA-compliant rooms will be available to your team, if needed, when you book the stay.

Make the Event More Accessible

Retreats often require temporary structures, such as gazebos and tents. Fortunately, there are ways to make temporary events more accessible. For example, if your company retreat will have staff members from around the globe attending, it is possible that there could be language barriers that could prohibit full participation. You could have an interpreter available at the event to facilitate communication and participation for all team members.

Also, if your event will have temporary structures, it’s important that there are accessibility ramps where needed, along with ample space between chairs, tables, and other items to allow ample room for a wheelchair to pass through. While permanent structures and buildings may have accessibility features such as an elevator and ramps, you may need to ensure that temporary structures do too.

Recruit a Team of Event Planning Experts at Frogbridge Events

Event planning can be a difficult process if you are trying to incorporate new ideas and make adjustments for a broader audience. Fortunately, you can get help from a team of event planning experts who have plenty of experience creating more accessible company retreats. 

At Frogbridge Events, we work with companies to plan their retreats while focusing on their main goals and making each event accessible to their audience. Let us work with you to plan a company retreat that is right for all of your participants. Call us at (609) 208-9475 or use our contact form to discuss your next event.

Remote companies are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to create a more flexible and cost-effective work environment. However, remote companies face unique challenges that many traditional companies don’t have to worry about, such as communication, collaboration, and culture. Corporate retreats can help alleviate these challenges and provide a platform for remote companies to work together and build relationships. 

Corporate retreats can also help remote companies develop shared values, establish clear goals, and create better collaboration between team members. Frogbridge Events can help provide an excellent opportunity for remote companies to come together and create a cohesive team that is ready to tackle any challenge.

How Do Remote Companies Benefit from Corporate Retreats? 

There are multiple ways that remote companies can benefit from a retreat, such as:

Form Stronger Workplace Connections

Work retreats can be a great way to bring your remote employees together and help form a stronger workplace connection. Team retreats give members the opportunity to socialize and have some face time with each other, something that is often lost when working from home. By encouraging employees to come together in person, it can help create an environment for brainstorming ideas and team-building activities.

Build a Healthy Workplace Culture

A work retreat also allows for company culture to be further developed and nurtured. Especially now after the COVID-19 pandemic, where most of us are still stuck in our personal lives at home, retreats offer a much needed change of scenery and the chance to connect with colleagues without having to worry about the pressures of working from home. 

In addition, it’s a great way to reward employees for their hard work and dedication by giving them the chance to escape their day-to-day duties while still being able to stay connected with their teams. Retreats intend to provide employees with an opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries after the stresses of the workweek.

Host Fun Activities to Foster Camaraderie

Corporate retreats typically involve fun activities such as hikes, zip lines, scavenger hunts, and other creative initiatives that bring out everyone’s competitive spirit. The goal is to create a sense of camaraderie among team members as well as build trust with leaders so everyone can work more effectively when they return to their day-to-day roles. 

Encourage Innovation

Attending a company retreat can be a great way for employees to collaborate in person, build relationships, and explore creative solutions to workplace issues. By providing an opportunity for employees to come together and share their knowledge in an informal setting, companies can also benefit from increased innovation and new ideas that may not have been explored otherwise.

Working together in new environments often forces teams out of their comfort zones and encourages them to think outside of the box when it comes to solving problems or coming up with creative solutions. Some positive outcomes of corporate retreats include increased team morale, improved communication, increased productivity, and better problem-solving skills.

Help Remote and Dispersed Teams Bond

Face-to-face retreats are a great way for remote teams to come together and bond. A company retreat is an important first step in creating a strong team dynamic and company culture, especially for startups that are fully remote. By bringing the team together in one physical place, they can discuss their work face-to-face and really get to know each other. This can be especially helpful when working with people in different time zones, as it allows them to build relationships outside of their normal work schedule.

Get the Most Out of Your Corporate Retreats with Frogbridge Events

Going on a retreat to recover, recuperate, and regroup can be a highly effective way of improving relationships within your company. However, the retreat must be planned with patience and care. There are plenty of ways that you could run into issues if you plan the whole thing yourself. Fortunately, you don’t have to do all of your own event planning.

At Frogbridge Events, our goal is to plan events that attendees remember and that also directly align with your company’s goals. We have extensive experience planning a variety of events for corporations. Call us at (609) 208-9475 or use our online contact form to discuss how we can make it easy to plan your next corporate retreat.

A corporate retreat can bring many benefits to an organization, from building a robust and cohesive culture to improving overall performance. However, one of the potential challenges to having an effective corporate retreat is alienation. Alienation happens when employees feel isolated from the activities at the retreat and their colleagues. This disconnection causes a feeling of meaninglessness and distances your employees from the objective of the retreat.

Alienation can significantly affect a corporate retreat, making it less effective. Therefore, employers must take various steps to prevent this from happening. Frogbridge Events can help you figure out ways you can avoid alienating anyone during a corporate retreat, along with anything else you need during the planning process.

How Can You Prevent Alienating Anyone During a Retreat? 

Employees often feel alienated when they are not free to approach their bosses. Rather than acting as if you’re above the workforce, approach your employees and engage in one-on-one conversations with them. You should maintain open communication, consider their feelings, and regularly check in with everybody. 

Remember also to find ways to address any concerns that might arise during the retreat. Building closer relationships with your employees will create an atmosphere of safety and trust. There are also many other ways to make sure you don’t alienate your employees at a retreat.

Involve Everyone in Making Decisions

Corporate retreats are opportunities to bring your employees together so that they can have a great time. Therefore, you should make them feel like they own the event. Keeping them in the dark and making decisions without their input creates alienation. Consider everyone’s suggestions when making crucial retreat decisions, which will help make your employees feel included.

Encourage Team-Building Activities

Without team-building activities during a corporate retreat, your employees may feel bored, disinterested, and isolated. Team bonding activities allow workers to interact with each other and foster good working relationships. Therefore, you should incorporate time for engaging activities such as team-building games.

You should also allow free time so your teams can converse naturally. Remember to keep introverts in mind when designing group activities to avoid alienating them. Prioritizing meaningful interactions ensures everyone participates in the company’s activities.

Respond to Each Employee’s Contributions

Employees feel isolated when their contributions are not acknowledged. Work retreats give the staff a chance to build confidence. Therefore, making them feel powerless could significantly affect them. They may have great ideas that could spice up the retreat, but since they cannot implement them, they may feel separate and not part of the team.

Appreciate every person’s contributions and encourage them to take on new responsibilities like planning part of the retreat’s activities. This will boost their self-esteem, crank up creativity, and make them feel part of this life-changing experience.

Respect Their Boundaries

Acknowledge that you have different employees with different personalities. Forcing your workers to do things they don’t want to during a retreat pushes them further away and creates a sense of fear. Refrain from making sarcastic statements, as they undermine trust. Respecting your employee’s boundaries will prevent them from feeling isolated and undermined.

People who are afraid are less likely to revel in the retreat experience, which undermines the purpose of the retreat. Encourage employees to respect and embrace each other so that everyone is comfortable and open to a new adventure.

Avoid Playing Favorites

Playing favorites with a section of your employees will make the others feel left out. Give all your employees equal opportunities, and avoid giving special attention or treatment to specific employees during a corporate retreat. Instead, appreciate and encourage everyone to have a good time.

Paying equal attention to all your members will encourage them to actively engage in company activities. Everyone will feel more comfortable around one another when none of their colleagues are treated much better.

Make Sure the Venue is Welcoming

Another critical factor in having an all-inclusive corporate retreat is choosing the right venue. You should select a venue with fun activities and amenities to cater to your varying employee needs. Frogbridge Events and our venue is welcoming to any and all companies wanting to have a retreat for their employees, and we can help with any planning questions you may have as well. 

Let Our Professional Event Planners at Frogbridge Events Help You Plan an Enjoyable Retreat

If not well-planned and managed, a corporate retreat may frustrate your employees and make them feel alienated. That’s why when planning your next retreat, it’s best to hire skilled event planners at Frogbridge Events who understand the ins and outs of running events.

With many years of experience, our corporate event planners can manage all aspects of your company outing. We can help you create a one-of-a-kind retreat with fun options for all your employees. Call us today at (609) 208-9475 or contact us online to learn how our experts can help you make your retreat an enjoyable one for everyone.

A corporate retreat is a getaway that brings together people from different departments, locations, and backgrounds. The goal is to foster collaboration, innovation, and new ideas by immersing participants in an alternate, more relaxed environment. A corporate retreat can be anything from a few team-building activities over the lunch hour to an extended stay in a remote location with limited cell service, no internet access, and no distractions. 

This means it’s up to you to determine how long you want your retreat to be and what activities you include. Here are some general guidelines for planning and executing a corporate retreat and specific ways to adapt traditional concepts to your unique needs.

Determine What Your Goals are for the Retreat

When planning a company retreat, first think about your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve as a team? What kind of environment do you want to create? Once you have a clear idea of your goals, you can start planning the retreat. Remember that a company retreat differs from a team retreat or a team member retreat. It should be more unstructured and allow for more employee bonding and connection.

Work or Recreation?

When planning a company retreat, deciding whether the focus will be on work or recreation is essential. Different amounts of time can be allocated depending on the company’s needs. However, both should be considered to create a well-rounded experience for employees.

Figure Out How Much Time You Need

First off, decide on the length of your company retreat. Will it be a day trip or an overnight stay? If you’re planning on having an unstructured retreat, consider making it a weekend so your entire team can get away and bond. If you’re worried about losing productivity, consider having your retreat during a slow season or for remote companies, plan it around a holiday. Prioritize getting everyone on the same page and use the time to brainstorm and plan for the future.

The length of the retreat will depend on several factors, including the size of your company and the amount of time you have available. Consider a retreat that lasts several days if you have a large company. If you have a smaller company, a one-day retreat may be sufficient.

Where Will You Have It?

Your retreat location may dictate how long your retreat needs to be. There are several factors to consider, such as whether the retreat will be held indoors or outdoors and whether it will be local or further away. Other considerations include the size of the group and the budget. Once the location is decided, start thinking about activities that will take place during the retreat.

Factor in Transportation Time and Costs

Company retreats are a fantastic way for teams to bond and get to know each other outside the office. However, one downside is that travel time can take away valuable bonding time. If your company retreat is in a remote location, consider booking transportation in advance so your team can relax and enjoy the ride together.

Contact Us for Help Planning Your Corporate Retreat

Planning a corporate retreat can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Getting the length right is just one part of the whole planning process. Fortunately, you can make it easier to plan corporate events by getting help from an event planner. 

Before you start working on your next corporate retreat, call Frogbridge Events at (609) 316-5901 or contact us here. We specialize in corporate event planning and can help you get everything for your next event right. 

Corporate retreats are an effective way to build teams that are better at communicating and collaborating. However, the quality of corporate events hinges on buy-in from the participants. If your employees are not adequately engaged, they won’t want to participate in your event or get any benefit from it. The key to getting employee buy-in is to base the event on their interests. 

Get Your Employees Interested in Your Company Retreat

Here are a few of the best ways to incorporate your employees’ interests in a company retreat:

Ask Your Employees What They Would Like to Do

The most important part of planning your retreat is to find out what your employees want to do. Depending on how long the retreat is and how many employees you have, you can choose a few different methods to conduct this poll.

The best way to get every employee’s opinion is to conduct an online survey. You can also have an open forum meeting, with an anonymous voting system, or host a virtual town hall event.

Let Them Choose the Activities

Once you know what your employees want to do, you can start to plan the activities. You can choose a variety of activities that appeal to a wide range of interests. Keep the activities relevant to your field or business. 

You can use company-related activities as a way to build camaraderie between departments. When choosing activities, make sure they are appropriate for your audience. 

While it’s important to let your employees share what they want, you also need to manage expectations. If a significant number of employees want to go skydiving but that is not a safe activity for a team of employees, you may want to suggest something else.

Go Somewhere They’ll Enjoy

When choosing a destination for your corporate retreat, the most important thing to consider is the interests of your employees. You should also consider how far a wide range of employees can travel without breaking the bank. 

When deciding where to take your corporate retreat, you can choose a location that meets a wide range of interests. One example is taking your company to a sporting event. Sports events are a great way to foster a competitive spirit between departments, especially if you choose a game that has a mixed departmental team. 

Another option is taking your team to a music festival or artistic event. These types of events are perfect for employees who want to experience something new and see new things.

Base the Trip on Something You Can All Enjoy Together

One of the best ways to incorporate your employees’ interests into a company retreat is to base the trip around a shared passion or interest. You can choose to base your trip on a cause your company supports. Taking your employees to a cause that they feel strongly about is a great way to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie among your team members. 

Another way to base the trip on a shared interest is to base the trip on a shared hobby. If you and your employees share a common hobby, you can use the trip as a way to collaborate and build stronger bonds between team members.

Find the Right Partner for Planning Company Retreats

If your employees are not adequately engaged, they won’t want to participate in your event or get any benefit from it. The key to getting employee buy-in is to base the event on their interests. Now that you know what you need to do to make your next company retreat a success, you can focus on having fun and fostering a sense of teamwork and camaraderie between your employees.

Make your next event a massive success by partnering with Frogbridge Events. We specialize in planning events for companies. Call us at (609) 208-9475 or fill out our contact form to schedule a talk with our event planners.