The DCMN team retreat is one of the most exciting parts of our company culture. For the past three years, we’ve brought the whole company together (including the people who work remotely) for a team trip overseas. It’s a totally unique experience for our staff and a big part of what makes working at DCMN so much fun!
The first year, we took a team of 30 people to Barcelona. The year after, we took a team double the size to Marrakech. Now we’ve just returned from our most recent trip to Tuscany with a team of 120(!) people. It was an amazing retreat for sure. Not only did we bring together our team members from all over the world, we also had a fun, productive, and relaxing time. Yes, it’s totally possible to accomplish both!
What do we do on our company retreats? Well, for this year’s trip to Italy we stayed four nights in a castle in the Tuscan countryside. We went hiking, rafting, wine tasting and had a lovely day trip to Florence. There was some serious business in there, too: we had some company presentations and some working time. But mostly, the focus was on getting to know each other, team building activities – and eating lots and lots of pasta.
Of course, organizing a company retreat ain’t easy and it requires some serious planning skills to bring together 120 people from all over the world (thank you office managers extraordinaire Michelle & Malte!) but it is definitely worth all the organizational headaches. Here are our 5 main reasons to go on a company retreat:
1. It’s great for team spirit
We are growing fast and new people are joining every month. Some of them join our team in Berlin, others start in one of our international hubs. With a team of 120 people – spread as far apart at Paris and Gurgaon – it can be hard sometimes for everyone to get to know each other, and for HR and management to make sure that new people feel part of the team straight away. Hanging out in a relaxed retreat setting creates space for that. There’s no stress over day-to-day tasks, you can put a name to faces, get to know each other in real life, and learn about what makes each other tick.
When you spend time at a company retreat, people participate in team activities that they can talk about when the normal work life resumes. This allows them to really get to know each other better and develop friendships based on shared experiences. All in all, it’s a great bonding experience.
2. It gets people out of their office bubble
When planning the retreat, we always make sure that the focus is on off-time, not work. Sure, there needs to be some time dedicated to work (clients don’t join us on the retreat) but it’s very important to have unstructured time at the retreat. It allows you to step back from the business and get a new perspective, learn from team members in other departments, and head back to the office feeling totally refreshed.
3. It attracts new talents
We are growing fast and therefore we are always on the lookout for talented people to join our team. The chance to invite potential new employees to our company retreat is a great recruiting tool and gives them a taste of our company culture. It also decreases the amount of time needed to help our newest employee feel part of the team.
4. It keeps existing employees engaged with the company
Working in a fast-paced industry like ours means you need a little break from time to time, which is one of the reasons we organise this retreat. The relaxed schedule of the retreat takes the pressure off employees and often leads to amazing brainstorming sessions and ideas. When back in the office, that closer connection allows new projects to run more smoothly.
5. It’s just a lot of fun!
Enough said 🙂
Want to be part of the next DCMN retreat? We are looking for talented people in tech, marketing, sales and other positions! Check out all current openings here.
