For many organizations, summer brings the fun.
Company picnics, sports leagues and social excursions allow people to connect and get to know each other outside of the typical constraints of the workplace. That fun, relaxed togetherness can do wonders for morale and teamwork, which ultimately improves everything from productivity to customer service.admin
- September 1, 2021
No doubt, social events in the workplace are powerful motivators—but what if all or most of your employees are off site? Many organizations still have their work-from-anywhere policies in place, and according to a recent global study, 72% of corporate leaders plan to continue to offer hybrid work options. That means increasingly organizations will need to find ways to build connections between on-site and virtual employees.
Summer is almost over—have you brought the fun to your virtual employees yet? If not, you still have time to plan and execute an awesome event. Short on ideas? Check out these popular options.
Host the Office Olympics
Many of your teammates may be missing the company softball or kickball league or just the opportunity to take a walk with their coworkers during lunch.
You can get them moving and participating—and offer them a chance to feed their competitiveness—by hosting your very own Office Olympics that includes a scavenger hunt, charades, Draw-It! competition, improv and more.
Added bonus: Since these events typically aren’t strenuous, employees who can’t participate in sports activities for medical reasons will be able to compete in the Office Olympics, making them truly inclusive.
Schedule a tasting party
Teammates who looked forward to the company cocktail party or after-work happy hours will love this one: Breweries and vineyards are now offering virtual tastings. They will ship your teammates the drinks you will be tasting and then an expert brewer or sommelier will guide you through the tasting or recommend food pairings during a scheduled time.
Note: If your company tends to steer clear of alcohol-related events, this one likely isn’t for you. It may also be worth taking the pulse of the team before you book it. A quick survey to see who is interested is definitely worth your time to avoid offending or excluding anyone.
Test your acting chops
Improv has been a tried-and-true team-building activity because it works. Because of the nature of improv, teammates have to listen carefully, get creative and collaborate, so it can be invaluable when onboarding new employees or reconnecting teammates who have started to drift apart. And it is fun! Employees get to act out scenarios and build off each other, and the result is often hilarious.
Learn more about our improv games, which are led by award-winning improv guru, Rachel Rosenthal.
Watch a movie together
Book clubs, where people read a book and then discuss it, are always a great idea. But for more togetherness, consider a movie club. Companies like Gaze and Hulu Watch Party make it possible for groups of people to tune in at the same time to watch a movie.
As a group, decide which movie you want to watch and schedule it (making sure it is work appropriate!). Then give everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts and discuss afterward. Even better: Send treat boxes, with popcorn, candy and thematic props to teammates beforehand.
This is also an outstanding way to bring in other members of your employees’ families. For example, you could host a kid movie night.
Have a game night
Board games are a little hard to pull off when everyone is scattered across various locations, but you can still plan game nights full of fun—and Fun Team Events can do the heavy lifting for you.
We will host trivia, the match game or bingo (or a combination of the three) for your team. All you need is Zoom—and an extremely high threshold for fun. Book your first event now. For a limited time, you can save $75 off your first event. Learn more.