A diverse, cohesive, and dedicated team is the key to success. Whether you plan remote team retreats to reward your team or to build camaraderie and trust, these get-togethers can be very beneficial for virtual employees.
Take a moment to think why someone would want to work for your company. Great insurance and benefits? Room for growth? A virtual workplace with a strong company culture? Great pay? Ideally, you’d say yes to all of the above, and you’d have a heap of applications from the best of the best rolling in daily.
Why not take it up a notch? Hosting annual or biennial remote team retreats will make your company more attractive, as well as create a stronger and more cohesive team.
Building a remote team allows you to combine talent and diversity worldwide, and studies show that diverse teams are more profitable and productive.
What Is a Remote Team Retreat?
Remote team retreats are organized company get-togethers set up by those in leadership roles, inviting remote workers to come together in person. They allow employees who typically only communicate through computers to develop friendships and bonds, share ideas, and learn new skills.
What Are the Benefits of Hosting Remote Team Retreats?
Remote team retreats have many benefits, including the following:
- They boost team morale and motivation by allowing team members to connect in person, build relationships, and celebrate successes.
- Retreats foster collaboration and teamwork. Instead of asynchronously brainstorming via Slack or Teams, team members can take on projects, rethink strategies, and solve problems in real time.
- They’re an excellent place for learning. Whether you have in-house experts or guest speakers share information, employees can learn new skills and deepen previous knowledge.
- Remote team retreats are exciting. Remote work life can be monotonous. Get your employees out of their everyday setting to help them relax, de-stress, and rejuvenate. They may fall in love with their careers all over again.
- They show employees how much you value them. Think of it as a thank you for everything they do for the company each week.
Potential Disadvantages of Hosting Remote Team Retreats
Cost is probably the first disadvantage that comes to mind and with good reason. With employees spread across continents, finding an affordable meeting ground can be challenging.
Moniker says the average retreat in 2023 costs about $4,000 per person. Try this retreat budget calculator to get a more personalized estimation.
Another possible downside is the loss of time. Employees will need time off to travel to the location, which means less time working. Depending on how many activities you have planned for the retreat, employees’ time spent attending the retreat may negatively affect your day-to-day business.
Finally, someone on the team will need to plan the retreat (unless you hire a professional). This means determining flights, transportation, accommodations, reservations, and more.
Tips For Planning a Remote Team Retreat
Before you begin planning, consider these questions:
- Will all employees be invited, or only employees in certain positions? Or only employees who achieved their quarterly or yearly goals?
- Do employees have the option to attend virtually?
- What will the company pay for, and what will employees be responsible for?
- What’s the goal of this retreat?
Location
With a geographically distributed team, where will the retreat be held? Flight prices will vary significantly for each employee.
Consider the cost of food and accommodations in your chosen location and also which amenities are available. You’ll likely need fast Wi-Fi and access to coworking spaces with private offices.
Budget
How much is the company willing to spend on this retreat? Before deciding what you’ll offer and what your employees will be responsible for, you must choose the date and location, then see what’s left over.
Some companies offer a travel stipend to their employees for optional retreats. For example, if the employee chooses to come to the retreat, the company pitches in $300 towards their flight. When and if you consider this number, assume that everyone will attend.
Activities
Most company retreats focus on education, bonding, and relaxation. Choose appropriate activities for your team and remember to include them in the budget. Don’t forget to leave time for fun casual conversation, sightseeing, and enjoying yourselves!
In the End
If you need more convincing, see how Dropbox significantly increased employee retention with remote team retreats. Doist, the creators behind one of the most intuitive task managers, also plans company retreats that focus on bonding and face-to-face discussions.
Other successful remote companies that use retreats to connect, educate, and reward employees include GitLab, ConvertKit, Loom, 1Password, and Xapo.
