When people think about employee team building activities, they often picture trust exercises, workshops or the annual Christmas party. While there’s certainly a place for these, the most impactful activities are often the ones that bring together colleagues who wouldn’t usually cross paths. By creating opportunities for employees to connect outside of their day-to-day roles, businesses can strengthen relationships, encourage collaboration and build a more connected workplace culture.
At Virgin Incentives and Virgin Experience Days, we’ve seen first-hand just how powerful this can be.
Why cross-functional connections matter
In most businesses, it’s natural for people to spend the majority of their time working within their own teams. Marketing speaks to marketing, Finance speaks to Finance, and Operations speaks to Operations. Before long, employees can become familiar with the people they work alongside every day, but know very little about the colleagues sitting just a few desks away.
The challenge is that great businesses don’t thrive because departments work well in isolation, they thrive because people collaborate across the company. When employees have stronger relationships across different teams, they’re often more likely to:
- Communicate openly.
- Share ideas and knowledge.
- Solve problems together.
- Understand the challenges other departments face.
- Feel a greater sense of belonging within the business.
That’s why investing in employee team building activities that encourage cross-functional interaction can have benefits that extend far beyond one enjoyable afternoon.
Taking a different approach
Last year, our very own people team decided to try something a little different.
Rather than planning one large company event, every employee was invited to choose from a selection of experiences from the Virgin Experience Days range. Once everyone had selected their preferred activity, colleagues were grouped together with people from across the business that they may never normally work with.
The aim wasn’t to talk about work. It was simply to spend time together, enjoy a memorable experience and get to know one another on a more personal level. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback, the initiative returned this year.
The experiences available included:
- Steam Train Experience through the Chiltern Hills with Sparkling Cream Tea
- Race Across the World: The Experience in the City of London
- Visit to Kew Gardens with Cream Tea
- Twist Museum visit
- Zero Latency Free Roam Virtual Reality
- Sushi Making Class at the YO! Sushi School
- Two Seater Canoeing & Kayaking
- Lino Block Print Workshop with Fizz.
With such a varied choice, there was something for everyone, regardless of interests or personality.
Why experiences work so well
There’s something unique about sharing a new experience with someone.
Whether you’re trying to master sushi rolling together, paddling down a river in a kayak or laughing your way through optical illusions at Twist Museum, conversations happen naturally. People relax, barriers come down and those awkward introductions quickly disappear.
Unlike traditional networking events, shared experiences create genuine moments that people remember long after the day itself. That’s why we’re huge advocates for experiences being the solution for boosting employee engagement.
Back in the office, those familiar faces are no longer strangers. Instead of emailing someone you’ve never met, you’re chatting with the person who helped you navigate a canoe or shared a cream tea with you at Kew Gardens. Those small moments can make a surprisingly big difference to everyday collaboration.
Breaking down workplace silos
One of the biggest challenges many businesses face is breaking down departmental silos.
When teams operate independently, communication can become slower, misunderstandings can increase and opportunities for innovation are often missed. Cross-functional employee team building activities help bridge those gaps by creating relationships before they’re needed.
When employees already know and trust one another, collaboration feels more natural. Asking for support becomes easier, projects move more smoothly and people gain a better understanding of how different teams contribute to the wider business. It’s a simple investment that can have a lasting impact on workplace culture.
Choosing experiences everyone will enjoy
One reason our initiative has been so successful is the variety available.
Not everyone wants an adrenaline-filled day out, and not everyone enjoys the same hobbies. Offering employees a choice means they can select something that genuinely appeals to them, making participation feel personal rather than obligatory.
Whether it’s exploring London’s hidden secrets, enjoying afternoon tea after a scenic steam train journey, getting creative during a printmaking workshop or stepping into a virtual reality adventure, giving people options helps create a positive experience from the very beginning.
At Virgin Incentives, we believe experiences have the power to bring people together in ways that traditional rewards or events often can’t. By giving employees the opportunity to step away from their desks and connect with colleagues from across the company, businesses can build stronger teams, improve workplace culture and create lasting engagement.
After all, the strongest teams aren’t simply built in meetings, they’re built through shared experiences that people remember long after the day is over. Interested in our incredible employee team building activities? Get in touch with our team below to find out more:
