Pandemic has disrupted the corporate world and brought major transformations in how we work. It is no surprise that post pandemic some organizations have switched to either fully remote or hybrid modes of work. Geographic constrains are no longer a hindrance to hiring and team sizes have also grown significantly. Remote work has been hailed as the solution to employee stress, productivity, and a myriad of other problems. However, after a few months into remote work, executives and organizations have become vocal about the pitfalls of remote work. Employees have reported feeling disconnected with their organization, isolated, lonely, and lacked trust in their employers. Remote teams were also found to have low morale and motivation. Interference with personal lives, emotional turmoil due to health concerns, and reduced interpersonal interactions with teams were found to be the major causes of poor employee mental health in remote work. When employees worked out of offices, these concerns still existed but regular interactions and team building activities boosted employee productivity.
Similar to how remote work has evolved during the pandemic, team building has evolved into a virtual activity too. It is not necessarily a new phenomenon as virtual team building has existed pre-pandemic. But the adoption of virtual team building has skyrocketed during the pandemic. It is a misconception that remote teams do not require team building activities. The need for Team building is more crucial in a virtual work environment than an office setup. Online team building games can help teams connect, collaborate, and communicate better in remote environments. These activities can forge relationships among team members regardless of team size and distance. Virtual team building can also play a vital role in new hire onboarding. Apart from these there are a myriad of reasons why online team building games have become popular. A few of the reasons are outlined below:
Improves employee mental health
Employees who work remotely are more at risk of feeling isolated, discontent and stressed than those working from offices. For remote employees there is also less work life balance which often leads to burn out. Juggling family responsibilities while working can also be overwhelming for some remote employees. Therefore, they may not be keen on interacting with their team members on a personal level or forging a bond. Organizing virtual team building activities such as ice breakers regularly can improve the mental health of remote workers greatly and help them in building relationships with their teams.
Boosts productivity and collaboration
Productivity and collaboration decrease when employees are stressed out. Fun virtual team building activities such as escape rooms, puzzles, trivia, mysteries, movie nights, virtual potlucks etc. can bring together your teams to destress and bond together. Research has always suggested that collaboration is higher in teams that bond together personally and productivity is higher in employees who are relaxed. For example, a study by Microsoft Japan has found that giving an extra day off to employees boosted productivity largely although the contrary was expected. Therefore, it is important to destress your teams regularly and make time for fun.
Emphasizes organizational culture
In remote employees it is easy to get disoriented from the organizational culture. As employees no longer interact with the culture in person, there is a risk of employees misaligning themselves with the culture. Culture binds an organization together and leads employees towards a common goal. Teams crumble when they are not aligned with the culture of an organization. Therefore, it is important to organize virtual team building activities that align and emphasize your organizational culture. Some examples are memory walls, photo sharing, ice breakers, truth or dare etc. Activities that are organized with a motto to strengthen your culture need to be conducted frequently to demonstrate your commitment to your employees.
Facilitates open communication
Communication among remote teams can suffer if open communication is not encouraged. Some executives and management often ignore a healthy two-way dialogue and adopt a top down communication strategy. This can severely damage relationships among team members too. Virtual team building activities such as scavenger hunts, story-telling, feedback sessions, trivia nights can encourage open dialogue among team members.
Enhances creativity and innovation
Creativity and Innovation can only be fostered in a nurturing environment. When employees are demotivated, stressed, or unengaged, creativity cannot flourish. Virtual activities like drawing, thinking hats, personality tests, etc. can spark your team’s creativity.
Retains talent
Lastly, when work is less stressful, motivating and fun, you can retain the brightest talent. A high employee turnover is not only expensive but also draining for your organization. Organizing team building activities will emphasize your commitment to employee well-being. Therefore, it is not an investment in employees, it is rather an investment into your organization.
It is often a misconception that virtual team building activities are not as engaging as regular ones. If planned and executed well, they are more intriguing, engaging, and relaxing than physical ones. They are also cost effective for organizations.