Chaser's virtual team away week

Here at Chaser, we believe that open communication and collaboration is the key to a successful, fully integrated, and happy work environment.

And we’ve got the data to back it up! 

Companies and organizations that communicate effectively are 4.5x more likely to retain the best employees, while 54% of employees say a strong sense of community is what keeps them working for a company.

On the flip side, 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.

What is the Chaser virtual team away week?

To help facilitate open communication and the kind of team building that encourages effective collaboration, we like to devote one week a year to team building activities for a few hours a day.

According to survey data from Keka, 50% of the positive changes in communication patterns within the workplace can be accredited to social interaction outside of the workplace.

Obviously, due to the pandemic, meeting up in person isn’t possible, so this year we’re doing it virtually!

Why do we do it?

There are a number of ways in which team-building exercises, like away weeks, can benefit both the company and its employees, including:

• Staff integration  - One of the primary reasons we arrange our virtual away week is to allow employees the chance to further integrate into the company by getting to know their co-workers, understanding the product and culture, and opening new lines of communication and collaboration.
• Learn more about each other - The more you know about a person, the easier it is to communicate with them. Part of the reason behind our away week is getting to know each other outside of the (virtual) office environment.
• Learn more about the business and the product  - Having a fuller understanding of Chaser’s products makes it easier to communicate their value to the customer and to overcome problems. Understanding the business in greater detail makes staff feel more involved and connected with the day to day running of the company.
• Think outside the box - There are no bad solutions or bad ideas and the focus on open and honest communication during our virtual away week allows staff to put forward ideas and solutions without constraint.
• Create a culture we are proud of - An open and inclusive corporate culture is vital to creating a work environment in which everyone feels comfortable and valued.

What are the key outcomes?

Some of the key outcomes associated with our virtual away week included:

• Keeping remote teams connected - With the vast majority of us working remotely, activities like the virtual away week help to keep our teams connected through these difficult times.
• Collaboration - Collaboration is a vital component in an effective workplace and a combination of team building activities and behavioural self assessment facilitates that. 
• Communications - Exercises like the virtual away week help to build interpersonal relationships and foster staff cohesion in a manner that facilitates open and honest communication. 
• Combating loneliness - The stresses of the pandemic and the removal of the standard workplace environment have impacted us all. Team building exercises are our way of getting back together and helping to overcome the loneliness that can be a part of remote working.
• Improving Chaser through constant evolution - Educating staff on the scope and future of the business and getting open and honest feedback allows us to evolve Chaser in a positive way through crowdsource solutions from all levels of the organization.

What we did

Our virtual away week was broken down into sections, including:

• Monday - Session on marketing ad messaging and design - Monday was our chance to bring everyone together and update them on the future of our advertising campaigns and what the overall company message will be.
• Tuesday - DiSC training - DiSC is a personal assessment tool used to examine how we interact in the workplace and how we can improve those interactions. The name comes from the four main personality profiles described in the DiSC model: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness and (C)onscientiousness.
• Wednesday -  DiSC training: Part 2 - With a widespread of DISC styles across the Chaser team, part 2 focused on how different profiles can collaborate and work together more effectively. 
• Thursday -  Inviting credit controllers to speak about the app - On Thursday, our credit controllers updated our staff on their experience using the Chaser app and provided recommendations for our plans for the future.
• Friday - Games of utter nonsense - Friday was a fun day! The entire Chaser team came together to participate in The Big Online Quiz of Utter Nonsense, a greater chance to unwind and have a little fun with an imaginative, immersive experience.