6 Virtual Team Building Activities To Keep Large Remote Teams Connected
When you work on a large team, it can be difficult to find ways of keeping everyone engaged and connected. But when your team is mostly remote, this task can appear to become even more daunting. The biggest problem large remote teams face is a growing sense of isolation from each other which leads to a feeling of disconnectedness that can eventually lead to a decline in communication and teamwork.
In today's environment where more and more teams are going either fully remote or adopting a hybrid model, there's been a reported rise in feelings of isolation among employees. A study by Mental Health UK found that 20% of respondents reported feeling lonely at work on a typical workday. This is an issue that any good manager of a large remote team would be wise to address as quickly as possible before it starts to impact the team.
Benefits Of Having An Engaged And Connected Remote Team
While there are challenges that come along with team building for large remote teams, it is very much possible to build a strong team culture and connection. The benefits of having a connected team are enormous. Connected teams are more positive and productive, they communicate better, and are more likely to stick together in difficult times.
When team members feel like they're part of a community and are connected to their team and workplace, they are more likely to go above and beyond for their team. They feel a sense of loyalty and are less likely to leave, which reduces turnover and saves the company time and money.
Moreover, studies have shown that happy employees lead to happy customers. Employees that feel connected and engaged are happier and more likely to prioritize a customer's needs and do everything they can to satisfy them. It is simply good business for employees to be happier at work.
Virtual Team Building Activities For Large Remote Teams
So, how can you build team morale and keep your large remote team connected? The most effective place to start is with a great virtual team building activity that the entire team will enjoy and brings them closer together. Team building activities are a great way to bring dispersed remote teams together, no matter how far out across the globe they are spread out. It fosters a sense of camaraderie and connection.
The key to having a successful virtual team building event for large remote teams is to find activities that can not only accommodate large groups of people at once, but can do so while allowing all of them to equally participate and have fun. There are plenty of great team building options out there, but here are 6 of the best for large remote teams:
1. Online Game Nights
A great option to get your large team socializing and connecting with each is to set up a competitive online game night. These are friendly competitions that pit smaller groups within a team against each other, in games such as Family Feud, and Jeopardy. Game nights such as Online Office Olympics are fun and engaging events that bring out the competitive nature in people, but also make them work together. These types of events work really well for large teams because they can accommodate everybody at once in a virtual setting, but the games are played in smaller teams so everybody has a meaningful role to play in how their team does.
2. Virtual Trivia Night
Trivia nights have a long and well-worn tradition in workplace team building. Similar to game nights, trivia nights are well suited for large remote teams because they accommodate large groups of people but still keep everybody engaged. There are lots of ways to host a virtual trivia team building event such as this Trivia Night Smackdown, but the best option for large teams is to break out into smaller groups and compete against each other. What's great about trivia is that it can be tailored to fit the interests of your team. For example, if you have a team full of history buffs, you can do a trivia night focused on historical facts, or if it's a seasonal activity then you can have a themed event like Halloween trivia. No matter which way you go, trivia is a great option to get team members talking to each other and bonding over shared interests, while perhaps picking up some new and interesting facts along the way.
3. Virtual Happy Hour
A happy hour is a team building classic for a reason. It's a great way to unwind after work, have some drinks, and get to know your team members in a more relaxed setting. Virtual happy hours work the same as they do in person except that they can be done anywhere your team members are located. To conduct a virtual happy hour all you need is a video conferencing tool like Zoom, and each team member then joins from their location with their drink of choice. Virtual happy hour is a great team building activity to do regularly, like once a week or once a month, because it helps team members stay connected and build relationships with each other. You can spice up this event by combining it with other team building activities like trivia or game night.
4. Online Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are games where team members have to find specific items or solve clues to find the location of the next item. Virtual scavenger hunts are a great team-building activity for large remote teams because they are done entirely online, and get people working together and using their creativity. There are lots of different types of virtual scavenger hunts for different settings, but one of the most popular is a team building scavenger hunt. This is played by breaking teams into smaller groups, with each one given a specific list of items to find. The group that finds the most items in the allotted time wins. Scavenger hunts can be tailored to fit the interests of your team and are a great way to keep teams connected by getting them to work together, communicate, and use their problem-solving skills. Check out this article if you want to know how to set up the perfect scavenger hunt event for your team.
5. Virtual Paint Night
Paint night as a team building activity is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. It's a great way to get team members to relax, have some fun, and be creative together. Virtual paint nights are particularly well suited for large remote teams because each team member gets to paint at their own pace while still being able to bond and socialize with the team. To conduct a virtual paint night, you'll need to set up a video conferencing tool like Zoom, and then make sure that each team member has art supplies, which can either be shipped to them in advance, or they can use their own. Once everybody is logged in and ready to go, start the event by having team members choose a painting to work on together. You can find lots of great paintings for inspiration online, or team members can bring their own. Once everybody has chosen their painting, team members are then able to start painting and working together. For most teams where art skills vary widely, it is best to either have a live online instructor, or for the group to follow a YouTube instruction video. Virtual paint night is a great team building activity that not only gets team members to relax and be creative together but also allows them to build relationships and see different sides of each other. Check out this article if you want to learn how to host the perfect virtual paint night party for your team.
6. Social Media Challenges
Social media challenges are a great team building activity for large remote teams because they can be done entirely online, are usually quick and easy to set up, and can be tailored to fit the interests of your team. There are lots of different types of social media challenges, but some popular ones include the 30-day photo challenge, where team members take one photo a day for 30 days and post them on social media for the entire group to see and comment on. Another great one is to have the team complete different tasks each day and post about them on social media, These can be things like learning a new skill, doing a work-related task they don't normally do, forming new connections with specific people, or volunteering online. These kinds of social media challenges are a great way to get team members communicating with each other, get creative, and build relationships with each other. Plus, they're a lot of fun!
Conclusion
Team building activities are essential for large remote teams to keep co-workers engaged and connected. There are lots of great team building activities that can be done entirely online, and that are tailored to fit the interests of your team. We've shown you 6 of the best such as scavenger hunts, paint night, and social media challenges, which are just a few team building activities that are perfect for large remote teams. So get out there and start team building! Your team will thank you for it.
If you have a large remote team and want to make sure that all your team building events are successful and exciting, then check out Ryptic Team Building. We offer a wide variety of team building events that focus on fun and engagement. We can help you select the right activities for your team and get them all scheduled in advance, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy yourselves!