What is Virtual Team Building?
Virtual team building doesn’t need to be boring. By now, everyone is sick and tired of another zoom meeting and virtual happy hour. How much time do we need to sit in front of a computer screen and be bored?
There’s good and bad news. The bad news is that team building is a lot more challenging when everyone is still working remotely. “Trust falls” don’t work over Zoom. (Ouch.) The good news is that we have tons of virtual team-building activities to share with you! (Besides, no one likes trust falls anyway.)
What do the Studies Say?
We’ll admit that 2020 has brought some interesting challenges. A study by Fundera reports that even before Covid-19 forced businesses to adapt to remote work, there were over 5 million U.S. employees working from home at least half the time. It’s also estimated that two-thirds of managers who offer remote work flexibility affirm that employees who work from home are more productive. Similarly, further studies have revealed that teams with an openwork style are 60% more likely to achieve more, faster, and are 80% more likely to report high emotional well-being.
64% of organizations say that the shift to virtual teamwork will likely be a permanent one because of COVID-19. However, they point out, effective communication is key to making it work.
Studies have pointed out that remote workers feel that their work is “invisible”, the issues of navigating new barriers to collaboration, and having less access to their managers, among other things.
Strategically designed virtual team building activities and virtual team challenges provide communication while reinforcing a shared team identity. These activities can also mitigate the engagement-draining challenges of a remote or distributed workforce.
For example…
- When remote workers feel lonely, isolated, or unsupported, a virtual team-building activity can remind them of all the amazing people they have behind them.
- When remote workers feel their excitement slipping, a virtual team-building activity can help them rekindle their passion by exposing them to excited co-workers.
- When remote workers are craving more autonomy, a virtual team-building activity can help them gain trust from their managers and peers.
So what’s the overarching secret to unlocking the benefits of virtual team building?
It’s a commitment—commitment and passion from a strong leadership team.
Experts who’ve studied companies found that “transformational and visionary leadership” can get remote engagement levels up to on-site engagement levels.
Team building can increase communication and morale on any team since it’s a crucial part of an ongoing employee engagement strategy. Team building events are a great way to welcome a new colleague, celebrate surpassing your team goals, or just to get the team together. They let your employees socialize outside of a work environment, develop existing relationships, and get to know teammates they might not interact with regularly, which can improve workplace collaboration and increase team performance.
Whether your team is temporarily or permanently working from home, you don’t have to be together in person to have fun and blow off some steam. Waiting until you are together might be too little too late. Studies show that if employees feel disconnected and isolated from their teams, 27% don’t make it beyond their first year. For those who do decide to stick things out, their productivity can drop by up to 21%.
Here are some of the benefits of virtual team-building activities.
- Helps in building strong relationships amongst the team members.
- Remote team members may often feel lonely. Team building activities virtual help them to combat loneliness by giving them a chance to communicate with teammates.
- Improved Productivity as everyone works collectively as a team.
- Promotes teamwork by ensuring people get a medium where they feel comfortable talking with each other.
- Team activities lead to improved communication within the team.
- Fun virtual team-building activities also help in reducing stress and taking care of employee’s mental health.
So what’s the best solution?
A digital Trivia Game from Strayboots! The best solution to keep your remote employees engaged!
Our digital trivia games will bring your remote employees together with an interactive, game-sharing experience – all without leaving the comfort and safety of their home.
Hosted via Zoom, Webex, or your video conferencing software and one of our event facilitators, our shared activities are the perfect solution to bring your employees together when in isolation, encouraging team bonding, morale, and plenty of laughs for individuals that work remotely.
Here at Strayboots, your company is the center of the universe!
We understand there’s a lot of uncertainty around #COVID19, your events, and the health of your employees. And we know that sometimes, especially during this time, it’s not that easy going out for a team-building activity. That’s why we’ve put together an amazing Competitive Remote Trivia Game for you and your team!
Looking for a way to boost team morale outside of the office? Grab your team and go on a Strayboots virtual experience filled with fun, that’s specific to your company. We can customize almost all aspects of your experience.
Give Strayboots a call or shoot us an email to learn more. It’s time to test your team’s knowledge in an adventurous way!
