For the last few years, so many companies have been choosing a remote form of work. Some transferred from the original offices, and some started functioning remotely right away. Actually, working remotely offers many advantages.
It gives you more freedom and flexibility. It’s easier to balance work and your personal life, and many people are more productive when they’re in comfortable surroundings. Plus, it’s way more cost-effective for business owners, as they don’t have to rent an office and deal with all the bills.
This boom in the remote work field resulted in an increase in virtual teams. Even though working from home has tons of benefits, it can also lead to isolation, miscommunication, and conflicts within the team. Therefore, it’s essential to put more emphasis on team building activities to ensure your virtual team is as efficient as possible. In this article, we’ll discuss 7 online team-building activities that you can try with your team.
Top 7 Team building Activities for Remote Workers
Team-building is meaningful for distance workers for a number of reasons. These activities might help employees that work remotely build relationships with their colleagues, which is essential for a sense of connection and belonging. Also, they can help improve communication skills and create a more collaborative and successful team.
Remote workers are often tasked with finding original solutions to various issues. Team building activities can help stimulate creativity and innovation by encouraging participants to think outside the box. Plus, they boost morale and create a feeling of unity among your virtual employees. However, conducting team-building activities for virtual teams is quite different from the ones you can have with people that work in the office.
We want to present you with some ideas you might want to use for your employees.
1. Online Movie or Book Clubs
Organizing a movie or book club for remote workers can be a great way to foster social connections and create a sense of community among team members. To do that, you’ll need to do the following:
- Determine which genres your workers like and what their interests are. For that purpose, you can send out a survey or poll with several options or ask them to provide their own ideas;
- After you figure out what exactly you want to do and who’ll participate, it’s time to define the schedule. Decide on the frequency of meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) and the day and time that works best for everyone;
- Decide which platform you want to use to hold all these meetings. This can be a video conferencing tool, like Zoom or Skype, or a messaging platform, like Slack or Microsoft Teams;
- Create a list of books and movies you’ll discuss in your meetings and inform your team members about it in advance. Maybe, they’ll have some additional suggestions;
- At the time of your meetings, encourage everyone to share their thoughts, ask questions, and engage with each other.
A movie or book club can really help you establish rapport with your team members and create a sense of community. Enjoy the conversations, learn from each other, and have a good time!
2. Virtual Celebrations
Another great way to bond with your workers is having virtual celebrations of different holidays. It can help create a sense of community, even when team members are geographically dispersed. For example, you can organize a Halloween-themed party or a Christmas celebration with a Secret Santa event.
To ensure that everything goes smoothly, plan it out at least a few weeks in advance and determine who wants to participate in those events. Decide on the activities for the celebration and choose a platform where you want to hold it (Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are all popular options). You can include games, quizzes, storytelling, or even a virtual potluck where everyone shares their favorite holiday recipes. Also, you can coordinate the ornaments you will have with your employees and choose a theme you all like.
Remember that not everyone celebrates the same holidays, and be respectful of cultural differences. Think about throwing parties for different holidays and encourage team members to share their traditions.
3. Birthday Celebrations
Also, think about developing a tradition of celebrating your employees’ birthdays online. It will create a warm atmosphere between your workers and will give them the feeling you appreciate them.
- Make sure you have a list of your virtual team members’ birthdays. This could be as simple as asking everyone to fill out a form or spreadsheet with their birthday information;
- Set a date and time to celebrate the team member’s birthday virtually. Make sure you take into consideration any time differences between your employees;
- Encourage everyone to decorate their home office space for the celebration. You can also send a birthday card or small gift to the team member;
- Plan activities that the person will enjoy. This could include a virtual birthday quiz, a game, or a virtual cake-cutting ceremony;
- Take the opportunity to show appreciation for your employees and thank them for their contributions to the team. It’s a nice gesture that will motivate them to work more.
Overall, virtual birthday celebrations can be a fun and meaningful way to spend time with your colleagues.
4. Virtual Lunchtime
Consider conducting regular virtual lunchtimes. Most people enjoy chatting with each other while having lunch, so it can be an effective way to make communication between your colleagues better.
Choose a regular time and frequency for virtual lunchtimes, such as once a week or once a month. This will help ensure that everyone can plan to attend and make time for lunchtime. Encourage team members to participate in the virtual lunchtime by sending out reminders and making it clear that everyone is welcome to join. You can even turn it into a virtual potluck where everyone shares what they are eating or a virtual lunchtime game where everyone plays a game while eating lunch.
Try to create a chill and easy atmosphere, and ensure it’s easygoing and relaxing. Encourage team members to relax and enjoy their lunch while connecting with each other. Also, don’t forget to be respectful of cultural differences and any dietary restrictions.
5. Organize Online Games
Organizing online games for your virtual team is an enjoyable way to encourage their bonding and promote team collaboration. Here are some tips for organizing online games:
- Pick games that are suitable for an online format and can be played by remote team members. Popular options include trivia games, online board games, and virtual escape rooms;
- Determine how many team members will be participating in the game. Some games may be better suited for smaller groups, while others may work well for larger teams;
- Choose a video conferencing platform that works well for your team. Some games may require additional software or apps, so make sure everyone has access to these tools;
- Set clear rules and guidelines for the game, including how to play, how to score, and how long the game will last;
- Schedule the game at a time when everyone can participate. Take into account any time differences between team members;
- Celebrate the winner: Celebrate the winner of the game with a virtual trophy, a shout-out, or a small prize.
6. Sport Activities for Remote Teams
Many team-building activities include sports, so consider organizing something like that in an online format. By doing that, you’ll also promote a healthy lifestyle for your employees.
- Encourage team members to participate in online fitness classes, such as yoga, Pilates, or Zumba. There are many online fitness platforms that offer live or pre-recorded classes that can be accessed from anywhere.
- Organize virtual sports tournaments, such as virtual golf or virtual tennis.
- Encourage team members to participate in step challenges, where team members track their steps and compete against each other. You can use various phone apps for that purpose.
- You can organize online running or cycling races in which team members can take part from anywhere in the world.
- There are many online team-building games that incorporate physical activity, such as virtual scavenger hunts or online escape rooms. These games can be a fun way to promote team bonding while also encouraging physical activity.
By choosing activities that are accessible to all team members, promoting participation, and celebrating achievements, you can help team members feel connected and engaged.
7. Online Dance Parties
The last activity we want to mention today is organizing dance parties online. It’s a great way to simply have fun and relax with your employees.
Create a poll to find out who would like to participate in such an activity and choose a date and time that works well for everyone. Create a playlist of upbeat music that everyone can dance to. Consider asking team members for song suggestions beforehand to make sure everyone enjoys the music. Encourage team members to decorate their space for the dance party. This can help create a festive vibe and make it more fun. Encourage team members to let loose, have fun, and dance like nobody’s watching. Consider incorporating dance challenges or games to keep the energy up.
Summing Up
Without any doubt, virtual team-building activities are essential to make sure your remote team has great communication and bonding. The options listed above are just some examples of the various virtual team-building activities that you can try with your team. Remember to choose ones that are relevant to your team’s interests and goals.
