Employee Happiness
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15. November 2023
Social Events in a Remote Company
HOW TO BUILD A STRUCTURE FOR SOCIAL EVENTS IN A REMOTE COMPANY
Remote work offers numerous benefits, such as flexibility and increased access to talent, but it can also be challenging in terms of fostering social connections, trust, and communication among team members. Building a structure for social events in a remote company is essential to promote team bonding, boost morale, and maintain a positive and sustainable company culture. Let’s explore some practical tips on how to build an effective structure for social events in a remote company.
1. Establish a Regular Schedule
Setting a regular schedule for social events can help create a sense of routine among team members. Consider scheduling regular social events, such as virtual happy hours, team lunches, or coffee breaks, at consistent intervals, whether once a week, once a month, or per your team’s preferences.
Make sure to communicate the schedule in advance, and encourage all team members to participate. Creating a social channel on Slack is ideal for regular communication and provides space for team interaction.
2. Offer a Variety of Formats
There are many ways to create a social event, so be creative and diversify your offerings. Virtual happy hours, online games, and informal chat sessions are just a few examples of activities that can foster team bonding and create a relaxed atmosphere for remote and distributed teams to interact.
You can host events that cater to different interests, such as trivia games, murder mysteries, and escape room sessions, to accommodate a variety of preferences, encourage team member participation, and make sure everyone is having fun.
3. Provide Opportunities for Informal Interaction
One of the challenges for remote and distributed teams is the lack of spontaneous interaction. To cultivate a sense of camaraderie, create opportunities for informal exchange among team members.
For example, set up a virtual water cooler channel, informal chat groups, or randomly generated regular small-talk meetings where team members can share non-work-related topics, interests, and hobbies, which allows more spontaneous conversations and fosters personal connections between team members.
4. Encourage Employee-Driven Events
While it’s essential for the company to provide a structure for social events, it’s equally important to encourage employees to participate in planning and organizing events. Encourage team members to come up with ideas for social events. Provide resources and support to help them put their ideas into action.
This not only promotes employee engagement but also allows you to create a variety of events that cater to different interests and preferences.
5. Foster Inclusivity
For remote and distributed teams, it’s crucial to ensure that social events are inclusive and accessible to all team members, regardless of location or time zone. Consider different time slots for events to accommodate team members in different time zones, and use inclusive language in event invitations and communications.
Also, be mindful of cultural differences and ensure that events are respectful and inclusive of all team members’ backgrounds and beliefs.
6. Seek Feedback and Iterate
Building a structure for social events for remote and distributed teams is an ongoing process, and it’s essential to seek input from team members and iterate on your approach. Regularly ask for feedback through surveys, polls, or informal conversations to understand what forms of events are most popular or enjoyable for your team and use that feedback to refine your event offerings.
Be open to trying new ideas and adjusting your approach based on team members’ preferences and needs.
7. Virtual Office and Platforms
Virtual office tools provide remote and distributed teams with a digital workspace to create an environment for collaboration, communication, and teamwork. These tools offer features such as chat, video conferencing, and document collaboration which can help remote and distributed teams stay connected, organized, and productive in a virtual work setting.
Using tools that allow team members to recognize and appreciate each other’s contributions, such as recognition platforms or virtual appreciation boards, can help boost team morale and strengthen social bonds by celebrating team members’ achievements and contributions.
We’ll provide an in-depth overview of these tools in our next blog post. Stay tuned!
There are many effective ways to help your remote and distributed teams to feel more connected. We’re happy to help you to find out what suits your team to build a positive remote culture.
Mira Polat
Employee Happiness Expert | Cultivating positive remote work culture
Identifying issues and implementing solutions to optimize well-being and create a happier work environment for remote and distributed teams.
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