Keeping all of your employees together as a team can be a difficult task. Organizing effective meetings and team-building events often comes as a burden since not every single employee likes these kinds of activities.

Virtual Activities For Your Remote Team

In addition to that, keeping the team spirit high when you run a remote team may be an even more difficult task. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up on virtual activities that can help your remote team stay in touch and on the same page both when it comes to work and personal life.

If you want to know how to scale a business of remote workers, you need to consider their locations and time zones, but also make sure to organize virtual activities. Take a look below and learn more about various virtual activities that could benefit your organization and your remote employees.

Host Virtual Retreats

If you want stronger and better connections between your remote employees and your business, you need to foster a healthy remote culture. This also means creating opportunities for your remote team to take a break.

You can do this by designing an awesome virtual retreat, which is an extended gathering of your employees that takes place through online platforms that allow video conferencing (Skype, Zoom, etc.). A virtual retreat can include fun games and activities, important company updates, and bonding time. The main purpose of these events is to allow team members to disconnect from their usual responsibilities, letting them socialize and have fun.

For instance, many companies have organized virtual retreat happy hours. During the lockdown, they hosted online happy hours where their employees would meet and have a drink together, similar to what they would do back at the cafe near their office.

This is just an idea, but you can host online awards shows, bingo games, and so on. Just make sure that all of your employees like the idea of your virtual retreat. It makes no sense to organize something that not everyone will enjoy.

Design A Virtual Break Room

One of the most significant elements that separate remote teams from in-house teams is the simple talk that happens on the office floor by the water cooler. Fortunately, you can make a version of this in a remote environment too and there are a few options to facilitate this.

One option is team building in a virtual break room. This would be somewhere where your team members can log in and join over their lunch or coffee break, letting them catch up as they would in the office.

However, to make this work, the team leader will need to put in the effort to encourage these sessions. That is the only way to make the virtual ‘spaces’ feel like the real ones when it comes to the chemistry between the participants. Only then will your employees start seeing this as a usual part of their remote working day.

Play A Photo-Of-Your-Life Game With Your Team Members

Your virtual events that are supposed to tighten the bonds between your employees don’t have to be strictly about business.

You can also try to host games online for your remote workers. For example, there is the photo-of-your-life game that is very common among remote teams. This game takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes (depending on the size of your remote team).

The rules are fairly simple. Every remote employee can share a photo of something significant from their life. The photo should be anything that tells a story about the employee. Some employees send photos of their pets or gaming setups, and some send photos of their favorite TV shows or music records.

Once the photo is shared, the employee sending it has to explain the story behind the photo. The goal is to have a fun game that acts as ‘social lube’ to help your employees connect to each other better.

Good News Conversations

It is fair to also say that working remotely is not always so great. Sometimes people start feeling lonely when they work 100% remotely for a long time. And it is exactly then that they need a little bit of non-work-related good news to improve their day.

So, create a ‘good news’ conversation channel. This way, you will give your team members an outlet to share things that have happened to them and made them feel happy.

For instance, a colleague could share that they’ve been able to teach their child how to swim or that someone got a new car or house. This is always nice to hear because updates like these represent important life milestones to most of us.

And if they can boost your mood, they will surely boost the mood of your employees. Share the good news and you will start new conversations, making your employees feel closer as they celebrate successes together.

Final Words

Countless businesses are making the switch to 100% remote. The year behind us proved that this is not only possible but also what most employees prefer.

However, one important part of this story is to keep the workers connected. Do that through the activities you have just read about and you’ll see that your employees are becoming better connected and engaged.

__________________________________________________

Some other articles you might find of interest:

Marketing blogs you must follow as an entrepreneur:

29 Marketing Blogs Every Small Business Must Follow

Are you feeling cramped in your home office space? You might enjoy this article:

Home Office Design Ideas for Small Spaces