Virtual Team Events for Remote Teams - Ideas and Measures

Working from home has become a normal part of everyday work life for many employees. Since the pandemic, a large number of companies have offered hybrid or remote positions to help protect employee safety. But safety isn't the only reason people choose to work remotely.

According to Statista, up to 45% of people worldwide work remotely, 29% work hybrid, and 26% work in the office. The freedom to set your own schedule, work more independently, and stay location-independent is appealing to many employees.

The fact that less time is spent commuting is also seen as a positive by 59% of workers. Other reasons many people favor remote work at a company include factors like flexibility, better work-life balance, and increased focus.

Working from home is now firmly part of everyday work life. Thanks to all the technological developments and tools available, virtual teamwork has become much easier, leading to a smooth workday.

Downsides for companies that work exclusively as a remote team

Despite all the positive aspects that come with remote work, there are of course some downsides too:

• Working from home can feel isolating
• There's less interaction with coworkers, making it harder to get to know each other and exchange ideas
• Problems often can't be resolved as quickly as they can in the office

At the end of the day, a workplace is more than just a place to work. It's where you encounter other people working toward the same goals, which also creates room for exchanging ideas.

The workplace is also a place where shared wins are celebrated, or where people lift each other up when things aren't going so well work-wise. It's precisely these social interactions that turn a group of people into a team.

Solution: virtual team events for remote teams

To make working in the virtual world easier, virtual team events are a great option, suited both for fun outside of regular company activities and for team-building measures. This way, you can easily practice team building online too.

The internet offers a wide range of options for online team event ideas, from online games to musical events and everything in between. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before booking or organizing a virtual team event for your company.

How big is the team, and who should take part?

• Does it make sense to split the team into several groups for the online team event?
• Should the virtual team event be for the whole team, or just for individual departments?

What devices do employees have?

• Does everyone have a working internet connection so the online event can take place?
• Are the devices even functional enough for a virtual team event?

What materials do employees need for the online team event?

• A PC, laptop, or tablet
• The internet-enabled device should have a camera and webcam
• The device should have a microphone and headphones
• Tools like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Discord should be available for communication
• IMPORTANT: The technical requirements must be met for a virtual team event to take place

What's the time frame?

• Should the event take place in the morning or evening?
• Will the event happen during work hours?
• Should the online team event take place on a weekend?

Once these questions are settled, nothing stands in the way of a virtual team event for your remote team. Now it's just a matter of finding good virtual team event ideas.

Benefits of virtual team events for remote teams

A major benefit of online team events is that they can take place regardless of location or weather. To make sure the online team-building measure is a success, it's worth booking a suitable provider in advance. This way, the professional work is taken off your company's hands, so you have less to worry about.

Another benefit of virtual team events is that:

• The event can be organized relatively last-minute
• Reducing travel costs also benefits the environment
• Virtual integration of experts, interview guests, coaches, and keynote speakers is fairly easy to arrange

Often, organizers of virtual team events can also ship product boxes directly to employees' homes, so materials don't need to be purchased separately. Then all that's left is to experience and enjoy the online team event.

Virtual team event ideas

The internet offers a huge range of virtual team event ideas. Sometimes it's hard to find the right activity for your own team. To make the search easier, we've put together a few suggestions that are perfect as virtual team events for remote teams.

Online cooking classes as a virtual team event

An online cooking class or an online baking class is a great way to get to know each other better. You learn about each other's preferences and interests around cooking and food, while enjoying wonderful culinary experiences along the way.

And the best part: afterward, you'll not only know your team better, but may have discovered a new favorite dish too. With this team event idea, you really can't go wrong.

Creative classes as an online team event

Would you rather get creative with your team? Then online creative classes are perfect for that. Your employees can unwind from work stress and take a creative break. For example, you could try:

• Origami folding
• Screen printing
• Macrame
• Painting classes
• and much more.

The selection of creative workshops is huge. Talk with your remote team about which creative digital team event they'd enjoy most.

Online cocktail classes as a digital team event

You can also mix cocktails with your team. At a cocktail class, you'll not only learn a thing or two, but also have a great time with like-minded people. Show off your skills and mix up some delicious drinks!

With your employees, you could also:

• Make your own chocolate at a chocolate webinar
• Join a wine and cheese tasting
• Sample high-quality rum at a rum tasting
• Or try delicious whiskey at our whiskey online tasting

As you can see, there's no shortage of virtual team event ideas for remote teams. But the most important thing to keep in mind is always: your employees' wellbeing.

Virtual team events for stronger cohesion

Online team events are a great way to strengthen the cohesion of a remote team. You get to know your coworkers from a different screen perspective too, which makes getting acquainted and collaborating much easier.

Here at konfetti, we can speak from personal experience. We're also a remote team, employing people from all around the world.

We can assure you that despite the distance, our work efficiency isn't affected - in part because we regularly play online games together, schedule virtual coffee dates, and enjoy wrapping up Friday evenings together with a nice after-work drink. At that point, it almost feels like being in the office - just a bit more comfortable.