All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
The workplace can be a challenging environment: an amalgam of tight deadlines and dull routines. Sometimes, even companies that pay salaries above industry standards see a high turnover rate among their employees. This is because a high salary by itself cannot meet a worker’s personal needs for fulfillment. If you put a premium on your workforce, you 
could consider conducting fun team building events as a reward for valuable employees.
When graduates are polled to see which company they would want to work for, Google would probably land on top. Aside from being one of the most important and most innovative companies today, it is known for fostering a work environment that encourages fun, innovation and creativity.
Google Senior Vice President for People Operations Laszlo Bock says that providing a good working environment is a great way to attract bright people to a company as well as a way to retain them. Companies listed in Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For report high employee satisfaction which translates to greater productivity.
Salary, even a good salary, cannot compensate for all the needs a worker has. Beyond the salary, workers need to feel that they are part of the team and that their efforts are rewarded. They also have a need to be seen as an integral part of the organisation and not simply as a disposable cog in a big machine.
Of course, you do not have to spend the same amount that Google has in building a positive work environment. The first 
thing managers need to do is to simply find out what their workers want; after all, good communication is the foundation of any good relationship. If you want to mix things up, if you want to show your team that they are valued and foster innovation, creativity and team spirit, you can never go wrong with a fun team building activity.
There are several compelling reasons to invest in a team event. First, an activity outside the office is a welcome respite. Second, it enables your team members to get to know each other better outside the context of work. Every person is recognised for his or her unique personality and not for the kind of work he or she does. Finally, by going through the same experience, they will develop confidence in themselves and in their team members which translates into a more cohesive workforce ready to meet the challenges in the workplace. The next time you think of increasing job satisfaction in the workplace, consider a teambuilding event.
