How HR can influence employee teamwork

Employee collaboration is a goal for most businesses, and the benefits and importance of effective teamwork are rarely disputed.

So how can HR demonstrate its own value, by positively influencing employee teamwork? Here’s how.

Get management on board

The decision to organise employees in teams usually can’t be made without the backing of senior managers. In many cases, managers are already enthusiastic. If they aren’t, HR can make a business case for teamwork by citing benefits such as:

• More efficient working

• Greater innovation through collaboration

• Competitiveness and best-practice sharing among teammates

• Stronger employee relationships, leading to higher morale and motivation

• Supporting teamwork through HR strategy

With a mandate to develop successful team-working within your organisation, you might first address the high-level HR strategy that will guide it.

Your approach to the following HR areas can all influence teamwork.

Areas of HR that influence teamwork

Recruitment and retention

There’s a reason top football clubs spend millions on transfers—successful teams are made up of self-motivated employees with excellent communication skills.

Identify the qualities your teams require and design your recruitment drives accordingly.

Learning and development

Specific skills are required to work collaboratively, and to lead a team. More effective team-working can be achieved by developing staff in areas such as project management, communication, and leadership.

Pay and reward

Employee incentive programmes or recognition platforms can promote effective team-working by rewarding team achievement.

Examples might include performance-related team bonuses and rewards such as group social events for top-performing teams.

How HR can guide teams

HR can directly support better team-working by getting involved in how teams are organised.

To be effective, a team must know its overall purpose and current goals. So, define a clear purpose and goals for each team. Involve team members in goal-setting, since they’ll likely feel more engaged with goals they helped create.

Next, measure team performance. As they say what’s measured improves. Establish effective metrics and reporting from team leaders. If team performance is sub-par, you’ll know why and how to fix it. You could even use performance management software.

Finally, reward team excellence. Variable pay and rewards linked to team objectives can help galvanise teams and motivate them to achieve team goals.

Using team-building activities

While team-building activities might seem cliche, they’re still a very popular and effective way to improve interpersonal relations, define team roles, and encourage collaboration and cooperation among your employees.

Types of team-building activity to consider include:

Problem-solving activities

Your team is set a challenge, such as to build a survival shelter from limited resources, and must work together to develop a plan and achieve the goal together.

Goal-setting activities

Team members are asked to plan a project, including defining the outcomes and measures of success, to promote the importance of clear team goals.

Role-based activities

Employees are each given a clearly-defined role within a team-based challenge, to emphasise the importance of focusing on one’s own role in achieving a team goal.

Communication-based activities

Employees are challenged to achieve a team goal through communication, such as designing and delivering a group presentation, to emphasise the importance of interpersonal skills.

Get the right HR strategies and tools for teamwork

HR plays a vital role in fostering teamwork by creating a culture of collaboration, providing essential tools for communication and addressing challenges proactively. With the right strategies and systems in place, HR can transform teams into high performing units that drive business success.

If you’re ready to empower your employees, boost productivity and collaboration. Why not explore how BrightHR can help? Book a demo today and discover how our 24/7 HR advice and award-winning HR tools simplify your people management and create a stronger more connected workplace.