Over the years into the pandemic, many employees continue to work remotely. While most workers want to continue working remotely full-time, and remote working will not end with the pandemic, this creates issues for managers: how do you increase employee engagement, develop company culture, evaluate performance when everyone is remote? Even companies that require some employees to return to the office still face these challenges and require virtual team building to properly handle their operational requirements.
Happy hours over video chat are becoming redundant, so managers have tried introducing new ways to connect employees virtually. Fortunately, LEAD.bot, a powerful tool for remote team-building, makes connecting employees a breeze. By implementing a few activities, managers can keep virtual team-building activities fresh, even in a remote work environment.
Why Is Virtual Team Building Important?
Low employee engagement is a serious problem that remote businesses face because employees can become actively disengaged. That leads to low sales engagement, poor organization, and potential injuries. We all know how costly that can be. Even when companies require some employees to return to the office, remote workers can still feel disconnected.
When remote employees don’t perform their tasks well, they don’t engage with other coworkers enough. That lack of engagement leads to a 20% reduction in productivity, according to John Hopkins. On the other hand, when engagement drops, so does loyalty – causing staff to lose productivity and potentially leave for a competitor.
Virtual team building shows new hires that your company is committed to a fun work culture. This can help you retain new talent while increasing engagement with existing employees. Even if you don’t struggle with these issues, virtual team building can help prevent burnout and fatigue, especially for remote workers.
Here are some of our favorite remote team-building activities, including things you can do on Slack or Microsoft Teams:
Our 8 Favorite Virtual Team-Building Events
-
Ask Me Anything (AMA) over Microsoft Teams, Slack or Zoom
What it is: Similar to the popular page on Reddit, Ask Me Anything lets you ask your coworkers or employees anything! This game works great at the beginning of weekly meetings as it provides a remote team-building opportunity.
How to do it: Before the scheduled meeting, have one team member in the meeting come up with a question. At the beginning of the meeting, the question chooser then presents the question to the group. Each team member then takes a turn answering the question, fostering engagement and connection.
-
Virtual Tea Tasting via Microsoft Team, Slack or Zoom
What it is: Have you ever wondered what makes some teas so special? You and your teammates can find out with a tea-tasting class — all virtual, of course. Materials are sent to your employees ahead of time, so everyone should be ready on the day of the event.
How to do it: You’ll join a virtual video call with a tea expert who will walk you through everything you need to know. During the call, you’ll be required to brew your own tea, so be sure to have hot water handy. Engaging in this virtual team building activity helps create a shared experience and conversation among remote team members.
-
Sugar Cookie Decorating Kits for Remote Teams
What it is: What’s a great way to do some remote team building while enjoying a tasty treat? Cookie making, of course! There are plenty of kits that provide everything you need to make cookies from scratch (even if you aren’t an expert baker).
How to do it: You can either find kits online or let employees know what to purchase for the event (offer to refund them for the supplies). From there, bake the cookies, get out the decorative materials, and get creative with your treats. Conversation happens pretty naturally during these types of events, fostering camaraderie among remote team members.
-
Remote Bingo to Boost Team Engagement
What it is: Great for new employees or workers that don’t interact often enough, remote bingo works like regular bingo, but every space is related to remote working. Have you ever forgotten to unmute yourself while presenting? Have you met any of your coworkers in person? These are just some of the potential spaces for bingo. Remote bingo is a fun and engaging way to connect remote teams, even when some employees are required to return to the office.
How to do it: Do some research within your company and online to think of interesting prompts for bingo. Then, send out the bingo card to the employees. The first person to completely fill out their bingo card wins, so this event can last for over a full day. This activity is great for keeping employees engaged beyond a single meeting and encourages interaction among remote team members.
-
Share An Item At Your Desk during Virtual Team Building
What it is: Just as the name describes, employees share an item at their desks. Show and tell has been a classic for years, but employees rarely get a chance to open up about things important to them. This remote activity works particularly well for new employees or employees matched through LEAD.bot, even when using collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams.
How to do it: This quick 10-15 minute activity lets employees choose something at their desks to share and talk about. Be sure to let employees know that you’ll do this activity beforehand – you never know when an employee decides to clean their desk! Through Microsoft Teams or other platforms, employees can take turns presenting their items and engage in conversations about their personal interests, fostering connections among the remote team.
6. Virtual Coffee for Microsoft Teams and Slack Users
What it is: Remember when you would get coffee with employees and coworkers? Well, you can now enjoy virtual coffee together! This activity is especially beneficial for new hires, team members, and employees who rarely or never interact with one another.
How to do it: LEAD.bot offers a seamless integration with Microsoft Teams and Slack to connect employees for virtual coffee sessions. By facilitating these virtual meetups, LEAD.bot fosters a sense of camaraderie and helps develop a fun company culture even in remote settings. Whether it’s a casual chat or a structured discussion, LEAD.bot takes care of all the arrangements. To learn more about LEAD.bot and its features, you can visit their website.
In fact, LEAD.bot can also match a group of people instead of just one-on-one connections, allowing for larger team-building activities, including the ones mentioned above. With LEAD.bot, you can install the integration within 3 minutes by following three easy steps, making it a convenient solution for enhancing remote team-building experiences.
By leveraging tools like LEAD.bot and integrating them with platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, companies can create a dynamic and engaging virtual environment. Virtual team-building activities like trivia and virtual coffee not only foster connections among employees but also contribute to a positive and inclusive company culture, regardless of the physical location of the team members.
Setting up LEAD in Slack: Frequently Asked Questions | LEAD
Setting up LEAD in Microsoft Teams: Frequently Asked Questions – LEAD.bot for Microsoft Teams | LEAD
7. Team Trivia
What it is: From Jeopardy to random trivia websites, team trivia is a favorite among employees at businesses worldwide. You can select a specific type of trivia, including trivia about your business, to test your employees’ wits and knowledge.
How to do it: If your goal is to promote team building, LEAD.bot can be a valuable resource. It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams and Slack, allowing you to match employees and facilitate team-building activities like trivia across different channels. Keep score and offer a small prize to the winner to enhance the competitive spirit and engagement. If trivia proves to be a hit, consider making it a permanent fixture each quarter, contributing to the development of a vibrant company culture.
In conclusion, as remote work continues to be a prevalent and preferred mode of operation, the significance of virtual team building cannot be overstated. While employees may desire to work remotely full-time, companies face challenges in ensuring employee engagement, fostering company culture, and evaluating performance in a distributed work environment.
Fortunately, tools like LEAD.bot have emerged as essential assets for HR and managers seeking to overcome these challenges. By integrating seamlessly with collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack, LEAD.bot simplifies the process of connecting remote employees and organizing engaging team-building activities. This automation saves valuable time for HR and managers, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives and core responsibilities.
LEAD.bot also provides a comprehensive framework for remote team building, offering a diverse range of activities that can be customized to suit each organization’s needs. From virtual tea tastings to trivia games and virtual coffee sessions, LEAD.bot’s repertoire of activities caters to various preferences and fosters a sense of camaraderie among remote teams. By implementing these activities, companies demonstrate their commitment to cultivating a vibrant and enjoyable work culture, enhancing employee engagement, and reducing the risk of burnout and fatigue.
Additionally, LEAD.bot’s data insights and reporting features offer valuable analytics to HR and managers. These insights enable them to evaluate the effectiveness of team-building initiatives, measure employee engagement levels, and make informed decisions for continuous improvement. By leveraging data-driven approaches, HR and managers can refine their strategies, identify areas for growth, and create an environment that supports the career advancement and well-being of remote workers.
In the evolving landscape of remote work, prioritizing virtual team building is essential for companies that value employee satisfaction, productivity, and long-term success. By utilizing tools like LEAD.bot, HR and managers can effectively navigate the challenges of remote work, foster meaningful connections among team members, and develop a robust company culture regardless of physical distance. Embracing these practices not only strengthens employee relationships but also ensures that remote workers and new hires have ample opportunities for career growth, integration, and fulfillment within the organization.
In conclusion, with the support of tools like LEAD.bot, companies can harness the power of virtual team building to unlock the full potential of their remote workforce, drive collaboration, and cultivate a thriving and inclusive work environment in the digital era.
