Virtual Team Building for Employees

What is Virtual Team Building?

All experienced team leaders care about the relationships between their employees and they know the importance of supporting a positive, playful environment that promotes better productivity in the workplace. With the rapid increase of remote work becoming the ‘norm’, however, it has become more of a challenge for good interpersonal relationships among employees.

Let’s say that you’ve already got the basics of online communication covered – everyone uses a tool like Discord in case a voice or video call needs to be made for meeting purposes, you keep everyone updated on your progress and transfer files to and fro with a tool like Zoho. The problem is that there is little to no communication or fun involved here. Virtual team building refers to the practice of using your online resources to foster closer relationships between your employees, thereby increasing morale and overall work performance.

Why is Virtual Team Building Important?

Loneliness is one of the pitfalls of working remotely, even to people who are very introverted. This can lead to disengagement and an eventual decline in overall performance on the job. It makes sense, then, that connecting with team members, even online, would make a big difference in day to day life. Not to mention it would help employees form stronger bonds with each other and build trust.

According to Atlassian, who has several thousand employees spread across five continents, 94% of workers agree that mutual respect and connection are an essential part of efficient teamwork, and 19% said it’s the number one factor in their personal well-being within the work environment.

5 Team Building Activities

Virtual Team Coffee Meeting

Not only is it an opportunity to keep everyone updated on your operations and tasks, but this simple activity can also serve as a team-builder when approached as a fun and open discussion about daily life working from home, bonding over a good ol’ cup of joe.

Encourage participation by all team members, or even schedule it as a first-thing-in-the-morning meeting as a preface to the day’s events.

Virtual Team Water Cooler

Water Cooler discussions cover anything that doesn’t relate to work. Topics can be any lighthearted fun that team members feel like discussing, such as their favourite streaming show, current events, exchanging and comparing home office setups, and memes. In no time, friendships will blossom.

Water coolers are also a way for employees to understand each other’s humour, what makes them tick and how they think in general, which will dramatically increase the level of communication. We suggest having a separate group on your online chatting platform dedicated to these conversations.

Virtual Team Gym Sesh

Don’t have the time to go to the gym? Why not introduce a company workout session before or after work every day – or however often you want – that everyone can participate in with a video call.

Nothing gets you as hyped for the day as a collaborative cardio session, or a nice release of tension with a team yoga session. It doesn’t need to belong and it doesn’t need to be high intensity, but it’s sure to foster some good spirits!

Team Personality Quizzes

Personality quizzes are a great way of getting to know your coworkers, managers and subordinates, how to build relationships with them or even how to resolve professional conflict in the most efficient way.

DiSC training is not your typical personality quiz. It’s an immersive program that some companies use as a human resources tool. It groups an individual into one of four profiles that illuminate their strengths, challenges, and motivations. Dominance focuses on the ability to work fast, take action and solve problems. Influence focuses on the ability to have fun and get along well with others. Steadiness focuses on an individual’s patience, persistence and ability to listen. Finally, Conscientiousness focuses on an employee’s need for structure and rules.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is another program that helps people understand themselves better so that they can apply themselves better in the workplace. The four-digit ‘code’ you get with the result of your quiz aids in navigating conflict, efficient communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. This acts as a brilliant practical workshop for everyone to learn how to work better together.

Real-Time Messy Desk Exchange

When in the comfort of your own home, constellations of coffee rings on the desk or a day-old cereal bowl becomes far less of a concern. Having a dedicated day for sharing your own desk even in its most abysmal state can be a fun bonding experience, allowing ‘LOL’s and facepalming emojis to fly hard and fast.

Alternatively, a designated employee can call an impromptu desk photo contest, where each member of the team sends a photo of their desk exactly at that moment in the state it’s in, and the person with the tidiest desk can be the next person to call the contest.

It’s paramount to have tools at your fingertips that help with intra-company-relations for the purpose of maintaining morale and creating a more connected production chain. After all, a companies best assets are most often the people inside it.

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