Despite some organizations requiring a return to in-office work, many have decided to maintain a remote or hybrid work schedule. For those employees, it can be difficult to build comradery with their fellow team members due to not being physically in the office all, or part, of the time. Fortunately, there are a few ways managers and companies can approach team building in a virtual space. Here are some activities you can do to build and maintain a good relationship with your team.

Game Nights

A great way to have fun with your team while getting to know each other is through a game night. Game nights are an easy activity to do virtually as well. Games like charades, and Pictionary can be done remotely and foster collaboration. Gaming platforms like Jackbox allow you to create games and offer an array of pre-loaded options like Quiplash, Murder Mystery, and drawing games. Trivia nights are another option that can be themed, and employees can group into smaller teams.

Virtual Events

For a while, most company parties were held remotely. Teams can still use this idea to host virtual events like birthday parties, holiday parties, cooking classes, coffee tastings, and more. These events still require planning and an agenda for the participants. There are many organizations that offer themed virtual events specifically for work functions.

Exercise Classes

Taking a break from sitting at a desk to move around is beneficial for both physical and mental health. By booking an online workout class, or following a video on YouTube, employees can have some fun and stay on track with their fitness goals.

Team Dinners

Dinners, and team lunches, can also be done virtually. Prior to recent years, most team building was managed outside work hours, especially through dinners out. Managers can take that same idea and set up virtual dinners where everyone brings their own meal and discuss topics that are non-work related. These can also be combined with trivia and game nights.

DIY Projects

People love showing off skills, especially skills outside of the workplace. You can host an arts and crafts event or ask employees to pull ideas on fun projects and then meet to share what everyone created. DIY activities allow for creativity and employees can learn new skills and get to know each other better in the process.

Virtual Book Clubs or Podcasts

Book clubs are a popular way to share a passion while also learning and developing critical thinking skills. If your team is more into podcasts than books, you can ask everyone to pick a podcast episode they like and ask everyone to listen, then meet to share thoughts and insights.

Most organizations are utilizing some type of communication platform, whether it’s Slack, Teams, Google, or Zoom. Many remote activities can be done through these systems, but there are many others built specifically for virtual activities. Some include:

• Donut for Slack
• Trivia (which can integrate directly with Slack or Microsoft Teams)
• Jackbox
• Gather

No matter what you choose, team building is essential. It increases collaboration, improves relationships, fosters a stronger workplace culture, and allows employees to have fun outside of their regular work schedule. If you are looking for ideas for virtual team building, VensureHR and our team of HR professionals can assist. We’ll help you determine the right solution for you and offer expert guidance for managing remote teams and cultivating engagement. Schedule a call with us to learn more.

References

People Managing People- The 15 Best Remote Team Building Activities In 2023Perkbox- 20 of the Best Team Building Activities for Remote Teams