10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Team Retreats

Here are the most commonly asked questions about planning a team retreat. 

1. How to plan a successful company retreat?

• This is the most asked question about team retreats. A successful retreat depends on the team and current objectives: is it to bring remote employees together? Are you kicking off a new project? How many days can you realistically dedicate to this? 

2. Where should we host a company retreat?

• When you're looking for which location, you should consider 1) cost to bring your team to one destination. Where is everyone flying from? 2) Timezones. How can you cause the least disruption to your current work week, and employee's home lives? 
• Check out Outsite's destinations for team retreats in Portugal, Spain, France, the U.S, Mexico and Morocco for ideas

3. What are the benefits of a company retreat?

• It's important to know why you are doing this in order to see the benefit. 
• Make very clear goals: why are you doing this? Is it to improve team cohesion? Are you starting a new project? 
• Benefits of team retreats include improving employee satisfaction through engagement, teamwork, communication and as a result, innovation. 

4. What activities should be included in a company retreat?

• You need to ensure your retreat is engaging, and productive. You're all travelling to a new place together - plan activities to enjoy that destination, whether it's 4x4s, surfing, escape rooms, or a cooking class. 
• On the flip side, make some team goals for the retreat. What should you have accomplished by the time everyone is coming home? 

5. How much does a company retreat cost?

• This is very variable, depending on what you're looking for. 
• Check out Outsite's destinations and quotes to see how much team retreats cost in Portugal, France, Mexico or further afield. Pro tip: If you're looking for a cheap destination for a team retreat, Portugal and Mexico should be top of your list

6. How to create an agenda for a company retreat?

• There are plenty of templates online if you need help planning the structure for the retreat. 
• Remember to factor in time for meals, transfers/travel, and some downtime if you're planning a 5 day retreat. 
• Check out Notion's team retreat examples

7. What are the goals of a company retreat?

• Common goals for company retreats include Quarterly Planning, End of Year Reviews/Planning, Improving Employee Engagement, Product Launches or Project Planning.

8. How long should a company retreat be?

• Team retreats are typically 2-5 days in length. 

9. How to ensure inclusivity and engagement during a company retreat?

• When planning activities, make sure everyone is able to participate. This may mean extreme activities are not appropriate, or you may need to divide the group into smaller teams to make sure everyone is engaged. 

10. How to measure the success of a company retreat?

• It's up to the retreat leader to review the goals of the retreat, and what was achieved.
• You can measure this by how employees felt after the retreat via a survey, or whether or not goals were achieved (project planning, for example). 

Thinking about your next retreat? Browse destinations for team retreats now.