09/23/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2021 08:46
As we move toward post-COVID-19 workplace, here's a phrase we'll hear about with increasing frequency: Virtual team building.
Even after the coronavirus pandemic eventually wanes, remote work is likely to continue in some form for the foreseeable future. For some industries and occupations, it may remain a permanent feature of the modern workplace. Many companies have seen that remote work can be a win-win for employers and employees alike in achieving increased flexibility without sacrificing productivity. Furthermore, it's popular with employees.
Those who are classified as virtual workers may either:
For employers who have embraced remote work, what will be the benefits and challenges of establishing and maintaining cohesive teams whose members work well together?
What role will virtual team building play in helping to overcome these challenges? Let's take a closer look.
Virtual and dispersed work environments: Pros and cons for work teams
Pros
Cons
Going forward, employers' big challenge will be keeping distributed workers connected and engaged, and maintaining a desirable workplace culture. How do you do that when your people rarely - if ever - see each other in person and may even occupy different time zones?
Virtual team building can help to address this dilemma.
Benefits of virtual team building
Regular team building is especially critical in virtual and dispersed work environments because:
Guidelines for virtual team building
Team building refers to company-planned and hosted activities that encourage employees to bond and, ultimately, work well together and each feel more valued. It's part of the roadmap for creating a cohesive, successful team.
Team-building activities shouldn't be:
Instead, these activities should be:
When implemented with these criteria in mind, team building can introduce levity into the workplace and enable co-workers to get to know each other beyond workplace personas. The idea is that they'll see each other more as complete humans - not just someone who comes to work for eight hours per day or a face that appears occasionally on a computer screen. They'll be seen for their own unique interests, talents and non-work obligations. In other words, the experience can humanize team members.
Traditional, in-person team building typically has taken place at offices during the work day or at company retreats. Although planning and implementing team-building activities in virtual work environments may require some added creativity, these activities can be equally fun, simple and economical. At least in terms of simplicity and low cost, virtual team building can be even more beneficial than the in-person version.
And, thanks to technology, one need not be restricted to cultivating relationships once a quarter or year. In fact, the same technology that helps connect everyone to collaborate can be used to foster professional collegiality.
7 meaningful ideas for continuous virtual team building
1. Leverage technology.
If your company has embraced remote work, your teams likely have already been videoconferencing. This is essential for enabling colleagues to see each other face to face.
Videoconferencing certainly isn't the only technology you can harness to reduce the perception of distance between people. Also consider using:
These additional options promote more frequent, direct communication between individuals, and can help to recreate some of the spontaneous or more relaxed conversations that people would have in the office.
2. Schedule regular virtual meetings.
It's one thing to videoconference at all, and it's another thing to commit to doing it regularly. If you want your teams to feel a real sense of camaraderie and familiarity, scheduling meetings at least once per week is optimal. This includes both:
Allot time in each meeting for small talk and personal discussion, during which employees can talk about what's going on with them either at work - including how they may need support - or outside work.
When scheduling these meetings, be courteous of employees in different time zones. For example, if you're located on the U.S. East Coast and have employees on the West Coast, don't schedule a meeting for 8 a.m. - that's 5 a.m. their time.
To accommodate employees located in areas in which there's a significant time difference, consider scheduling some meetings during your "off times" - within reason - to better align with their schedules. For example, schedule a meeting at 7 a.m. local time so that an employee in Western Europe can participate in the late afternoon, before they stop working for the day.
Perhaps you can even rotate schedules so that, at other times, the distant employee participates in calls during their evening hours and more local employees don't have such an early morning on a regular basis.
3. Take personal quizzes and share the results.
An essential component of teamwork training is understanding where other people are coming from, and how that impacts their working and communication styles.
Why not have your team take a personality quiz, such as the popular DISC assessment, and share their results with each other over a video call? This has the benefit of:
4. Host virtual events.
Who says you can't throw events in a virtual environment? If you videoconference for work, you can also videoconference to socialize and strengthen relationships among colleagues.
Invite your team to gather virtually for lunch or happy hour - whatever is appropriate for their time zone.
During these events, you could ask employees to share a few photos of their favorite memories or major life events over the last year to discuss with the group. Or, you can play some fun games (more details coming up next). Have a bigger budget to play with? Try coffee or chocolate tasting sessions.
5. Play games.
The possibilities here are endless, but the goal is the same: To have fun and share a laugh and friendly competition with colleagues while learning about each other.
Game ideas:
6. Establish virtual mentor-mentee pairings or virtual work buddies.
Mentorship programs can exist in virtual spaces, too. Similarly to how entire teams and managers and direct reports meet regularly, mentors and mentees should also videoconference on a regular basis to check in and give mentees an opportunity to ask questions or obtain coaching.
If a remote employee is new to the organization or has recently changed roles or teams, it can also be helpful for their manager to assign them to a workplace buddy. This person can help to facilitate their transition, answer questions and just serve as a familiar face.
Having either of these relationships can help to enhance a remote employee's connection to a company and increase their engagement.
7. Move employee resource, or affinity, groups online.
Employee resource groups and employee affinity groups can be a great opportunity for remote employees to get involved with an organization and establish connections with people who share their life circumstances, interests or hobbies.
For example, employees who are former veterans or who are interested in supporting veterans in the workplace could videoconference regularly to discuss those issues and share ideas.
Or, employees who enjoy reading or movies could form virtual book and movie clubs. Similarly, employees who are interested in fitness and personal well-being could create virtual groups focused on those topics - and even create virtual challenges.
Perhaps other employees may want to focus on charitable endeavors within their communities, and could focus their virtual meetings on volunteer challenges and fundraising.
Summing it all up
When it comes to creating a cohesive team and a desirable workplace culture, nothing can truly replace face-to-face, in-person interaction. However, the reality of the modern workplace is that remote work is likely here to stay. And it's opened up other, beneficial possibilities for companies, including the opportunity to hire talent outside their geographic area.
Keeping these remote teams, and especially faraway workers in other time zones, connected and engaged is the main challenge for remote work. Virtual team building is essential in addressing this challenge. These activities can be quick, simple, fun and inexpensive, but they should also be meaningful for individuals, teams and the company as a whole. Ideally after a virtual team-building exercise, each employee needs to feel valued, included and understood, and they should also feel a sense of familiarity, understanding and camaraderie with their colleagues.
Have you considered how a professional employer organization (PEO) might help your growing, dispersed company to maximize your talent and team cohesiveness? Download our free e-book: HR outsourcing: An essential guide for middle market businesses.