Working remotely has both good and bad sides. While it enables us to be more comfortable and plan out our day without the commute, there is a sense of alienation and not being a member of the team.
This is why it is essential to organize teambuilding events for remote teams, both virtual events and in-person ones, when time and budget permit.
The Importance of Remote Socializing
As we have already mentioned, with remote work becoming the norm for many, certain drawbacks have surfaced. Most notably, the mental health of many employees has been impacted as teams have been working together while keeping apart. This is in large part due to the quick conversations that happen throughout the workday have largely been eliminated – no chitchat around the water cooler.
In most cases, this is reduced to a few lines in Slack or other similar apps. And if not curated by HR, it might end up being almost exclusively about work, without acknowledging that there is an actual human being on the other side of that conversation.
This is where remote socializing comes into play. The ability to interact with colleagues and attend the same event together is extremely important. People feel like they are a part of a team, they get to experience a virtual entertainment event together and talk about it afterward.
Now there are so many different entertainment options to choose from. We have prepared a list of some that best suit the remote teams and provide the best results.
Top 3 Team Building Activities for Remote Teams
We curated this list to ensure that different activities work for different team members. It is important to take that into consideration. Some members might be extroverts while others are introverts, and it is essential that everyone feels included and seen.
Attending an Online Educational Event
Hiring a renowned speaker from the fields that might interest the remote team the most is a great idea. On one side, they get to see and hear something new and educational. On the other hand, if you organize chatrooms after in which the speaker tunes in they get to talk to each other about what they just heard and learned. This promotes socialization and exchange of opinion, thus increasing the feeling of visibility for all teammates.
Creative Fun & Games
This is yest another great option. Interactive events that combine problem-solving, the creation of new things, and just group effort have multiple benefits. Not only do remote teams get to know their team members better, their skills and strengths but also, they get to interact on a more personal level as a team. Building a sense of teamwork and inclusion outside of work is essential for successful remote teams. These types of online events are aimed a bit more at extroverts, but if combined with the opportunity to contribute silently, like just writing an answer in a chat or helping solve a clue they can be just as fun for the introvert team members.
Just for Laughs
Hiring a comedian is a great online event for remote teams. They get to be distracted from work, relax, have a few laughs, and if you leave a chatroom after the performance even interact with each other and share their opinion and interests. This type of event gives the team a feeling of a work outing, just spending time, having a drink, and sharing a laugh. As long as everyone is attending this can be a great teambuilding option. The best part is that you can organize these a few times a year at a very affordable cost.
These are just some of the online team-building events available. There are a lot more, from concerts to cooking classes. As long as there are a few a year that promotes teamwork and inclusion, your remote team will do just fine. Just keep in mind that whenever finances and logistic permits, a yearly live teambuilding event is something that should not be overlooked.
The mental health and satisfaction of the entire remote team needs to be a priority in order to ensure everything runs smoothly even when people are not sharing an office.
