Remote Team Building Activities

So here we are, about one year in to most (or all) office buildings working from home. Working remotely certainly has its benefits – skipping the morning commute and evening rush hour traffic, saving gas, not having to pack your lunch and wearing sweatpants all day (to name a few). Yet, it also has many drawbacks. One of which comes in the form of loneliness. Office staff is generally used to passing by one another in the hall, having chats at the water fountain and in the lunchroom, sitting next to one another in cubicles and many other small moments that simply come down to socializing.

Without a change in environment (staying home to work, exercise, eat, relax etc. all in the same place) or opportunities for human interaction, productivity can often suffer. The brain begins to move into auto pilot after a certain amount of monotony. As a result, remote workers will begin to start their days with “ground hog day” syndrome – invoking feelings of “this again…”. This is a relatively new issue for business owners but one that should not be ignored. So, the question is, how do you keep your employees engaged with their work remotely? What strategy can be used to minimize the monotonous feeling they may be experiencing and keep their productivity, as well as overall engagement, up?

Humans are both social and playful creatures. When given the opportunity to fulfill these inherent desires, we usually come out happier and more connected. This is where remote team building activities come into play (literally). Whether these are organized during lunch time breaks, after work happy hour or small 10-minute breaks throughout an employee’s shift – it is sure to facilitate a more joyful and engaging working environment. We recommend a combination of all three! Having an open discussion board, a chatroom or an email chain where employees and managers alike can post ideas and times for group games/activities will give all staff the opportunity to pick and choose the socializing they would like to participate in. Perhaps this can even extend to pre-work exercise classes, meditation or coffee chats. The sky is the limit but the goal is team building and social interaction to break up the boring home routine that comes with remote work.

Below are some ideas for remote team building activities but know that the list is honestly endless! Creativity is key here.

Games

JackBoxGames.com
        This would require a purchase of game packs from the company JackBox. They are compatible with zoom and can be played using employee’s computer screen and cell phone. These are fun online games and range in length. They can make a great lunch time activity for a small group of employees and an after work happy hour.

Online Tournaments
        Employees can play 1v1 games such as chess, pool, battleship, checkers etc. Create a tournament bracket and circulate it for sign-ups.

Quiz About Each Other
        A manager can put out a questionnaire to gather interesting facts about employees and put together a quiz. This can be a fun and interactive way for employees to get to know each other.

Zoom Games
        Many simple games can be played over zoom groups. Pictionary, charades and bunco – just to name a few. Sign-up sheets can circulate to fill up for lunch time games (which may need to be ongoing for several lunch days in a row or may finish in one, depending on the size of the group and length of the game).

Activities

Fitness
        Maybe there is someone on your team that wants to lead a dance class, a yoga class or a fitness class. This is a great opportunity to bring people together in the hours before work or after work. Again, a sign-up sheet and group discussion over what employees would be interested in would be helpful. For certain personality types, this fitness group could turn into friendly competition and a way to support each other with their fitness goals.

Costume Parties
        Sounds a little like elementary school but what’s wrong with that? Perhaps a dress up day is just what your company needs to lift spirits and add a little humor. Maybe it’s crazy hair day, pajama day, 70s day – or whatever you come up with. Have employees dress up and have a lunch time costume competition. Winner gets a prize!

Coffee Chats
        Groups could start off their window before clocking in with a little social coffee chat. They can read inspiring things to one another or just gossip about their lives. Some people will be more interested in the simplicity of these chat options over games or activities. It will allow them to start work at the beginning of their shift, already having the experience of social interaction.

Again, these are just a FEW ideas to get you started. The possibilities here are endless but the goal is to bring your team together, combat the loneliness of remote working and increase the happiness and productivity of at-home staff. Have fun!!