We have all experienced various team building activities over the years, from trust exercises to weekend retreats. However, with so many things happening online nowadays, many businesses are changing to virtual team building activities instead. These virtual events can help you to build relationships, boost employee morale and improve communication. Below are some of the best virtual team building activities you should consider introducing to your business.
This website offers a virtual form of Office Olympics with spirited challenges, team games, and various other games. Some examples of the activities on offer include trivia, scavenger hunts, and listening challenges. Online Office Games are competitive, energetic, and a great way to encourage team engagement. Activities are hosted through Zoom, making it easy for all employees to join from any device.
Often conference calls can become a little repetitive and let’s be honest, boring. Virtual Team Building Bingo is the solution to improving engagement during conference calls. Simply send out Bingo cards before the call, and award prizes as employees finish a row or X. This is a fun, and nostalgic game that almost everyone will enjoy.
Opening a conference call with a round of icebreaker questions can engage employees from the start. Plan for 30 seconds per question, per employee. Consider using a virtual icebreaker generator to choose the questions and create variety.
This is a fun challenge for most businesses, especially those that have international employees on their teams. Even many American workers find this a challenge. Simply set a timer, and encourage employees to list as many states as they can. This can also be extended into a country challenge with the same premise.
With a virtual scavenger hunt, participants can play by finding the items near them and showing them on screen. For the most fun, drop scavenger hunt clues throughout the meeting either in the chat or during the conversation. The first person to complete each challenge or clue gets the point. Or, to encourage team work you could assign groups at the beginning.
The dynamics of this game focus on friendly debate and decision-making. First announce the topic, pancakes vs waffles; which should disappear from existence?
The idea is to have everyone agree one way or the other. Once this is decided, someone may suggest a new contender for the next round. This is an especially good way to involve introverts as everyone must agree.
This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to build rapport and encourage communication between team members. Split employees into small groups, and have each group identify three unique things they have in common. For example, one group may have all taken piano lessons as kids, or perhaps they all dislike the same flavor of chips. To make the game more challenging, you can ban broad categories like movies, food, or books.
This is a great way for employees to learn more about each other. Each participant submits two truths and one lie about themselves. Then, the other employees guess which fact is the lie. You can either track points, or simply enjoy learning about each other.
With employees working from home, health and wellness challenges can help encourage a better work-life balance. Consider hosting a new lifestyle challenge each both and make participation optional. After all, not everyone will want to participate every month. Ideas could include a 6-hour sleep challenge, a water drinking challenge, or an exercise challenge. Create a spreadsheet that allows everyone to track and see their progress.
A virtual escape room can be a fun one for employees to unwind while having fun. These challenges include social elements, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Better yet there is a range of free and paid options available online to try out.
Virtual team building activities are a great way to encourage participation in meetings and boost team morale. Furthermore, they can be a great way to build community and encourage a work-life balance.
