There are pros and cons to running a high-growth business.

On the up side, you’ve had an increase in sales (win!) and are starting to make a name for yourself and your business. You should be proud of that achievement.

At the same time, with fast growth comes accelerated scaling, which means organisational changes, frantic recruitment, lots of new faces and a relatively ‘green’ workforce. It can take time for processes to bed in and to get the cogs turning a well-oiled machine.

Building and maintaining a collaborative team spirit and effective working relationships are all part of this challenge. To do this, you need exciting and affordable ways to reward and motivate your new teams, without emptying the office for days at a time or spending to much cash up front. So, here’s three tips on managing team-building activities in a high-growth business:

Make time for your new staff

When you were operating as a very small start-up, you were used to knowing everyone personally. They may have even been the people you first started your business journey with.

Now, you probably have new faces appearing month on month, and before you know it you’ve forgotten who’s who. It can be tempting at this point to take a step back from your operational staff, and just let everyone ‘get on with it’. This, however, can make you a less approachable boss, whilst failing to foster a cohesive, collaborative team spirit.

Before even considering investing in any higher-value perks, away days or expensive team-building treats for you staff, consider making dedicated time for your new workers. Get to know your team, regularly ask how they are getting on, and check they are enjoying their work. Going further, use your position to encourage a relaxed and cooperative place of work. Your staff will feel valued, nurtured, and enjoy their workplace more.

Consider low cost, high value perks

You don’t need to blow the budget on staff benefits to foster a collaborative team spirit in your business. The best part of some perks, in fact, like getting beers in the fridge for Friday afternoons, or taking everyone for lunch now and then, is the perceived value to your staff compared to true cost. Better still, these little touches bring your staff together, break down barriers, and develop strong workforce morale.

It may not take much from your balance sheet to treat your staff here and there, but you will reap huge benefits in terms of productivity and workforce loyalty.

Find team-building activities that require minimal travel

When you’re running a relatively small, high-growth business, every moment in office counts. Perhaps everyone in your business plays a separate, integral role. In these cases, taking everyone from the office on long away days can slow down operations severely.

The best team-building activities for high-growth businesses provide additional flexibility to let you decide how long or little is spent away from the office. With shorter, one-hour activities like cocktail lessons, classes or escape rooms, you can spend a morning working in the office, then let everyone leave for just a few hours or facilitate an early finish. Escape Hunt, a B2B escape room experience, offer a range of experiences from one hour of gameplay to full day Learning and Development packages – meaning there’s something for every business need. They are located across a number of major cities in the UK, meaning you’re never far from an Escape Hunt venue.

Managing a high-growth business is a time of both excitement and trepidation. You are in the process of major changes that will require both time and energy investment. So, remembering to connect with your staff is essential to drive the innovative, forward-thinking business you’re proud to run.