In the current Higher Education climate, team bonding (especially in the form of ‘fun’) is often the first thing to be struck off the balance sheet. When university marketing and recruitment teams are facing stretched budgets, rising enrolment targets, and the relentless pressure of the recruitment cycle, justifying an afternoon of team-building can feel like an impossible task. It is so easy to fall into the trap of tying every penny and every hour to a conversion metric.
When teams are constantly operating at a high level with heavy workloads, relationships become transactional, silos harden, and the creative energy required to drive student recruitment can dip. To maintain the momentum needed to hit those targets, teams don’t just need more data; they need the chance to take a breath.
The high cost of tight budgets
For many Marketing Directors and Heads of Recruitment, the desire to reward their staff is there, but the ‘how’ is becoming increasingly difficult, especially when budgets are reducing year-on-year and you still have essential campaigns to pay out for.
This is exactly why we developed the prize for the annual Vepple Team-Building event. A £3,000 sum that goes directly to team bonding, personal development or simply, fun. Whatever it is your team needs most.
Last year’s winners were the University of Huddersfield, who managed to solve our Murder Mystery and uncover what dastardly deeds Professor Prune had been up to.
Josie Ellis, Head of Marketing, at the University of Huddersfield, explains that the current economic reality makes internal investment in culture a challenge.
“It’s hard to justify ‘fun’ on stretched budgets,” she notes. “The winnings allowed us to focus on fun and team-building, which is just what we all needed. We really welcomed this prize because budgets are tight and it took the pressure off to arrange something ‘work-related’ and allowed us to organise something purely for the team.”
The £3,000 prize didn’t just represent a cash injection; it represented permission. It was an opportunity for the department to step away from MS Teams and reconnect as humans. In an industry where ‘student-first’ is the mantra, we sometimes forget that to look after students effectively, we have to look after the teams supporting them first.
From busy workloads to taking a breath
The University of Huddersfield used its prize money to create a bespoke experience that catered to the diverse needs of the Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment department. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, they used a survey to ensure the day reflected what the staff actually wanted. The result was an afternoon at The Light, featuring lunch and games, but with a thoughtful inclusion of quiet space for those who might find high-energy environments draining.
By organising an area for mindful activities such as origami and jigsaws alongside the more traditional games, Huddersfield ensured that the event was inclusive. This is why team building is so vital. When the pressure of the next Clearing period or Open Day hits, the strength of those cross-departmental relationships becomes a marketing team’s greatest asset.
“Our teams deal with busy workloads and perform at a high level,” Josie says. “Activities like this give the team a chance to ‘take a breath’, talk to people across the department that they may not usually get to speak with, and (re)cement those relationships. These things make a difference when the pressure is on.”
Why your team should be on the starting line this year
As always, our annual team-building event is back (this year, we’re doing a Diamond Heist!) and it is designed to be more than just a competition; it is a collaborative experience that inspires teams to get together, even if it is just once a year. We could make this just for our customers, and we considered it, really! But the fact is, we wanted to make sure everyone in the sector had a chance to take a beat. From suppliers, to consultants, huge multi-campus institutions to specialist Arts universities. Everyone is welcome, and it’s totally free!
If your university team is currently feeling the weight of the sector’s challenges, now is the time to register. The chance to win £3,000 provides a rare opportunity to splash out on your staff without dipping into your primary recruitment budget. It allows you to build the kind of high-performing, resilient team that can navigate the complexities of the modern HE landscape with confidence.
The University of Huddersfield is already planning their entry for this year. “We’ve always had great feedback about the Vepple Team-Building event, and we’d like to give others in our team the opportunity to get involved,” Josie concludes.
Is your team ready to take a breath?
If you are rethinking how to keep your recruitment team motivated and connected during a challenging year, you aren’t alone. Registration for this year’s Vepple Team-Building Diamond Heist is now open. We’ll be gathering in Leeds on 9th July, the afternoon before The Heist Awards, for a day of competition, connection and the chance to win that £3,000 prize.
