Team Building Activities for Seasonal Employees

Collaboration and engagement are two key elements of any successful team. Sure, having the right people helps. But, even if your star employees fail to collaborate or be engaged you could be looking at disaster. In fact, a failure to collaborate is attributed as a key element in workplace failures according to 86% of employees.

This problem is even more nuanced when you’re working with seasonal employees. They come and go so quickly in many cases, making it hard for them to connect with permanent employees and vice versa. There is hope, however, in the form of team building activities.

Encouraging Collaboration and Engagement through Activities 

Sure, some of your employees may roll their eyes at the mere mention of team building activities. That being said, team building activities can be a great way to get employees engaged, collaborating, and even entertained. 
There are countless team building activities available, but to get you started, here are some that are sure to entertain you, your seasonal employees, and the rest of your team. 

The Toilet Paper Icebreaker

No matter how old you are, some light potty humor is always effective at breaking down any barriers.
Pass around a roll of toilet paper and have each person take as much as they think they’ll need. Don’t tell them what it’s for, just tell them to take some. There’s no right or wrong answer. 
Once everyone has some toilet paper, tell them to count the number of squares they grabbed. Next, they’ll have to share one fact about themselves for each square taken. Beyond eliciting a ton of laughter, this is a great way for seasonal and experienced employees alike to get to know one another. 

Three Shining Moments

This game is traditionally used by employees that have been at a company for a period, but can be great when used with new and seasonal employees.
For this game, have each person share three work-related achievements that they’re proud of. These can be from previous jobs in the case of seasonal and new hires. This gives everyone on the team a chance to shine, and helps the other employees see the professional value everyone brings to the team. 
It’s especially important when you have seasonal employees working with various departments, as it’s easy for other departments to not understand the value each person brings across the company. 

The Shrinking Vessel

If you’re not in the mood for a question-oriented or thoughtful game, this one’s a great way to break down any kind of awkward barriers. 
Start by taping off an area on the floor. Then, have everyone get inside that area. Next, have two people hold a piece of thread or rope and slowly encircle the group. As the area shrinks the team inside the circle will have to figure out how to maneuver themselves in a way to avoid the rope. 
This game is especially powerful for new hires and seasonal employees, as it immediately gets everyone out of their comfort zones and into a more playful environment. 

Finding Common Ground

It’s easy to forget that, no matter our skill sets and roles, we all have a lot in common. This game serves as a reminder. 
Have your teams break up into groups, preferably groups made up of people that are unfamiliar with one another. Then, give the teams a set amount of time to come up with as many commonalities as possible among themselves. Whichever team has listed out the most commonalities before the time runs out wins.
This game is a great way to remind all employees, seasonal and vets alike, of the many things they share in common. This can do wonders when it comes to encouraging collaboration and communication. 

More Team Building Activities to Boost Collaboration

As previously mentioned, there are more team building activities than one could ever have time to play. You can even create team building activities unique to your company!
To help you get more out of your company, Fundera has created this helpful visual that details team building activities for creating an efficient and engaged team. With these activities and tips you can have your seasonal employees seasoned and engaged in no time!

Authors Bio
Meredith Wood
Editor-in-Chief at Fundera
Meredith Wood is the editor-in-chief at Fundera. She has specialized in financial advice for small business owners for almost a decade, and is sought out frequently for her expertise in small business lending. Meredith’s advice has appeared in the SBA, SCORE, Yahoo!, Amex OPEN Forum, Fox Business, American Banker, Small Business Trends, and more.