About RiverArk
RiverArk is a global quality assurance and consulting firm that serves the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. It provides GxP (Good Practice) auditing, quality consulting, and training services to help companies maintain compliance, improve quality systems and prepare for regulatory inspections.
The RiverArk team is based in different locations around the world and come together twice per year with company-wide events that form a vital cornerstone of the company’s employee engagement and retention strategy.
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The challenge
The firm’s away days have historically consisted of business update, followed by a fun activity like quad biking or shooting. The team wanted to move away from this conventional format towards a more fluid, authentic opportunity for team development.
RiverArk wanted to demonstrate its commitment to staff wellbeing and work-life balance, showing team members they’re valued as individuals, not merely resources.
Crucially, the event also needed to be effective in combatting professional isolation and helping colleagues reconnect and rebuild interpersonal relationships outside of a work context.
As auditors spend a considerable amount of time working remotely, at client sites, and in siloed project groups across different departments, they can sometimes go weeks without meaningful face-to-face interaction with their colleagues. Team away days provide essential touchpoints for employees, helping maintain their sense of being part of one unified company rather than a collection of independent contractors.
Tiffany Swift, project administrator at RiverArk, reflected: “We wanted to remind everyone that, behind the audit reports and regulatory citations are colleagues that share professional challenges and company values.
“We also sought to reinvigorate our team’s collaborative problem-solving skills in a low-stakes, enjoyable environment. Pharma auditing requires independent critical thinking and effective team collaboration, and we wanted to sharpen these skills through activities that mirrored these demands.”
The solution
Team Tactics specialist Charlotte suggested combining and tailoring three different activities to meet the brief – Bigger Picture in the morning followed by a combination of Around the World and Rat Trap in the afternoon:
The first activity saw the group of 16 split into smaller teams, each responsible for painting a canvas that would ultimately form a larger image. Each team had to compete for art materials and recreate a section, without knowing what the final image would be. Without showing their part of the image, teams had to communicate effectively with others to ensure each contribution fit together perfectly to form the bigger picture.
According to Tiffany, the activity was an immediate icebreaker that set a positive tone for the entire day: “Bigger Picture felt accessible and non-threatening from the outset and allowed everyone to contribute.
“When the complete picture emerged, there was a genuine sense of collective accomplishment. Unlike competitive activities with winners and losers, everyone succeeded together, reinforcing our collaborative values.
“For a team that spends their professional lives analysing details, the experience of stepping back to see how individual contributions form a bigger picture was both refreshing and metaphorically resonant.”
Around the World in 80 Minutes
Next, RiverArk was taken on a virtual world tour, working in teams to answer questions and complete challenges. Each team competed against the clock to earn as many points as possible.
With some activities requiring factual knowledge, others needing creative problem solving, and some demanding physical coordination, every team member had opportunities to shine, regardless of their individual experiences and skillsets.
As a company, RiverArk encourages respectful challenge and fresh perspectives regardless of seniority, recognising that a junior colleague might spot something a senior member of the team misses simply by bringing different eyes to a problem. Around the World’s collaborative nature helped to reinforce this vital value and gave everyone equal opportunity to input.
Tiffany said: “Our team includes well-travelled and culturally curious individuals. The activity tapped into their interests and knowledge while educating others, making it feel enriching rather than merely entertaining. Unlike general knowledge quizzes that often favour certain cultures, the international focus meant that team members with diverse backgrounds could share unique knowledge and feel valued for their different perspectives.”
The activity also required teams to make quick decisions about which challenges to attempt, how to divide responsibilities, and when to move on from a difficult task, mirroring many of the strategic decisions required during audit planning and execution.
Inspired by the legendary board game ‘Mouse Trap’, ‘It’s a Rat Trap’ takes the same principles of fun and connectivity. Teams are tasked with constructing giant structures which, when joined together, create a mesmerising chain reaction. Clear communication and collaboration are key to ensuring the giant pieces work together and perform the desired outcome.
“This activity was perhaps the most impactful of all,” Tiffany commented. “Pharmaceutical auditors are essentially problem solvers who must understand complex systems, so this activity appealed to the team’s analytical nature and engaged their core competencies in a novel context.
“It also revealed natural leaders and communicators in unexpected places. Some typically quiet team members stepped up as coordinators, while some usually dominant personalities took on different roles, providing valuable insights about diverse leadership styles.”
Results
The away day combined challenges that required genuine collaboration, created a level playing field for all participants, encouraged people to step outside their normal roles, and provided natural opportunities for laughter and shared struggle.
The immediate result was a boost in team spirit and enthusiasm. Tiffany recalled a real buzz in the days following the event, with people sharing photos, referencing funny moments from the activities, and generally communicating more warmly with each other. RiverArk’s internal communication channels, which were usually quite business-focused, had threads full of laughter and genuine camaraderie, and there have been plenty of instances of people reaching out to colleagues they connected with during the event.
Tiffany said: “Our away day brought the team together, provided a reminder of why working at RiverArk is so enjoyable, and created a foundation of stronger relationships and better communication. It’s translated into tangible improvements in how we work together.”
Tiffany recalls that the most significant outcome has been a strengthened sense of belonging and connection, with colleagues saying they feel like they’re part of something cohesive rather than just working alongside others. Colleagues now seem more invested in each other’s success and more willing to support one another when workloads get heavy.
She said: “The response to the event was overwhelmingly positive. Team members said they genuinely valued the experience and felt it was worthwhile, as it helped them feel more connected to their RiverArk colleagues develop skills that were applicable to their daily work.
The success of the event is largely due to the careful consideration, bespoke solution and collaborative approach, Tiffany said:
“From the beginning, Team Tactics took time to really understand our culture, challenges and what we wanted to achieve. They listened carefully, tailored everything to suit our specific team and were genuinely invested in making our day meaningful. Team Tactics clearly see their role as partners in our team development, not just activity providers, and that partnership approach made all the difference.
“All the activities were engaging, well thought out, and genuinely inclusive. Everyone could participate fully regardless of physical ability or personality type.
“The transitions between the different activities were seamless, and the whole day flowed beautifully. The day exceeded our expectations in every way and we’re genuinely grateful for the effort they put in to make it such a success. They helped us achieve genuine team connection, improved communication, and renewed enthusiasm for working together as one team – and that’s exactly what we needed.”
