Keeping employees engaged isn’t easy during a pandemic. Maintaining company culture and team spirit is an ongoing challenge and many people are experiencing Zoom burnout. The good news is, even when restricted to video calls or weekly meetings, there are still ways to connect with your virtual team by making personal connections. The following are some simple and inclusive ways to do virtual team building when in-person events and activities are still off the table:
- Non-work related weekly meetings for half an hour where you can have an open discussion about people’s daily lives. It’s best to keep this light, so stick to talking about TV shows, books, pets and children, and future plans. Encourage employees to share their recommendations and self-care tips!
- Team challenge of your choosing that can motivate people to get involved and compete. Offering a small prize (gift card, free lunch, extra PTO day) will further encourage people to be part of the game, which can be anything you want! Try a photography contest, a Best Work Desk contest, or a trivia game.
- Playing online games for an hour or so once a month can be a game-changer! You can find free online games for teams like Scategories or Boggle, or you can purchase a party pack from Jackbox TV for more interactive and in-depth games that everyone will love.
- Create an after-work hours resource for team members to gather and meet. Some examples might be Book Club or Movie Club, where members pick one book or movie to watch a month and then get together to virtually discuss it together.
- Volunteer for charity together. The Advanced Hires office recently did a blood drive and it was a great way to give back and also feel like we were a part of our internal community and team again. Food drives, book drives, and blood drives are all still viable options during this time.
These are easy ways to increase communication and team bonding within your company. Have you found any other virtual events that worked well for your group? Let us know!