Please note that many of these activities assume the use of video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Slack, or Google Hangouts to facilitate the group participation. For those unfamiliar with the activity, Candy Love is a team-building activity or icebreaker where you have a jar of coloured lollies — like M&Ms. It’s hard to replicate daily interactions with co-workers, casual encounters by the water cooler, or after-work drinks, but we are encouraging our employees to find time for virtual coffees, lunches, or even happy hours with their colleagues.” - William Taylor, Career Development Manager at Velvetjobs, “Something that has really helped us keep spirits up is our Slack 'meme' channel where we encourage everyone to post the best memes they find throughout the day. But today, due to COVID-19, millions of teams around the world are being forced to work remotely and many have been completely caught off … Everyone had a week to practice and record their talents before we all watched them together during a special All Hands meeting. We recommend simple, non-contact sports like: Boules; Skittles; Mölkky; Giant Jenga; Badminton I thought this was a great way for the company to show its appreciation for staff, and it provided us with plenty of new recipes to try out just in time for the weekend.” - Adam Lumb, EN Site Manager at Cashcow, “One of our perks is that we give employees up to an hour each day to do something positive for their physical or mental health, such as going on a walk, reading a book, taking an exercise class, or doing a meditation (no admin or work allowed!). Here’s how it works: Send a list of the players to all participants. So far, people have hosted presentations on their favorite hobby, sports team, family, the country they come from, favorite food, favorite lockdown activity, etc. Virtual Team Bonding During COVID-19. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. *This is a modification on the team-building activity called Candy Love. As we reflect on two months (or more) of mandated virtual work, HR and people teams around the world are looking back on their most successful morale-boosting activities—and searching for new ideas to keep their teams happy, healthy, and engaged. Bonding Belt is a fantastic team-building game that encourages discussion and interactions between coworkers and peers. ©2020 Namely, Inc. All rights reserved. We also included some essential office supplies to ensure our employees have everything they need to work remotely.” - Stuart Cook, Marketing Manager at My Baggage, “My company recently delivered a care package to all employees with a mix of fun and useful items. For even more ideas, check out this great list from Museum Hack, one of our customers. We’ve found that this is key to recreating that ‘Friday feeling’ during lockdown.” - Nushy Rose, Managing Editor at Parlia. Show your team a good time by taking advantage of all the institutions offering up virtual experiences. We’ve pulled together some ideas that will help you and your teams stay connected during this difficult time. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. the requirements available for mask creation. It’s best carried out by the end of each working week to help team-members get relieved of the weekly working load. This view is widely shared. Try these ideas to help your employees connect from afar. Terms of Use Privacy Policy. 9 Team Building Games for Remote Workers . Similarly, each team has been customizing their daily stand-ups to find the format that fits best for them. Solve a Puzzle. Caring for team member health should be a priority for leadership in any environment, but COVID-19 has pushed safe, accessible workforce healthcare even more to the forefront. Half of the box contained things like hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and other health-related products to help us stay safe. It's run by a different division each week to encourage everyone to get involved and has been a fun way to spend a few hours—and a welcome distraction.” - Anna Barker, Founder at LogicalDollar, “I arranged a remote talent show for our team. Try these new takes on old-school games. Coronavirus News U.S. News World News Business Environment Health Social Justice. From open enrollment to building a benefits package, we've got you covered. If you’re not meeting face-to-face because of the coronavirus pandemic, you can still stay connected with your group online. Toss one out to your team and, if you’re feeling overly ambitious, give them a time limit to complete the task. Some employees even showcased their talents live—ranging from musical performances to cake baking to cat training. Next, give them five minutes to guess each person’s five most used emojis. By accessing this site, you consent to the use of cookies and collection of personal information. Let’s just start out by saying the struggle is real. With that in mind, one of the things we should be relying on right now is connection. However, there are some team building activities that your people will actually enjoy. COVID Safe Team Building There is a light at the end of the tunnel Australia! The other half consisted of beer (or non-alcoholic drinks), snacks, tea, and homemade salsa. If you have any legal or tax questions regarding this content or related issues, then you should consult with your professional legal or tax advisor. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, Payroll, and Benefits. For three hours per week, staff can sign off anytime during the workday for rest and wellbeing, no questions asked. Name Game: Every member of the group chooses an adjective that starts with the same letter as the first letter of their first name. It’s a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. It’s been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. Four Walls Communication Activity As we reflect on two months (or more) of mandated virtual work, HR and people teams around the world are looking back on their most successful morale-boosting activities—and searching for new ideas to keep their teams happy, healthy, and engaged. There are numerous free crossword creating apps, and all you need to do is share the link—so easy and so fun!” - Mira Rakicevic, Co-founder at Comfy Living. A feel-good roundup of creative and random activities people are doing while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve found it’s a great way to know more about what a person’s workday and life outside of work are like, as well as to better understand coworkers — even those who work across the country.” - Angela Ceresnie, CEO at Climb Credit. I think that we’ll continue doing this even after the pandemic is gone—it’s such a cool way to learn more about the people you work with every day.” - Dennis Vu, CEO and Co-founder of Ringblaze, “We hired a magician to put on a virtual magic show for our staff, clients, and vendors to watch with their families. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, legal or tax advice. If you have the option to get outdoors, make the most of the summer weather! Names were swapped, wish lists were made, and gifts from small businesses were delivered to friends and families! Create topics of discussions to start the sessions and ensure to try and get all team members to take part. This is an optional team-building activity that involves members getting free with each other and making jokes. Online activities. The box also had a few ingredients, fresh produce, and a list of recipes you could make with everything. Here are 10 great team building games for remote workers that you can implement easily and immediately. Get 5 morale boosting tips here, learn how to celebrate employee milestones virtually here, and get some more general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. During this time, one team member has 60 minutes to talk about their favorite subject while others listen and ask questions. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Legal. These light-hearted contests can also easily be tied to raising money for charity.” - Joe Wilson, Senior Career Advisor at MintResume, “Our company gave us all sunflower seeds to care for and grow as we work from home. As more and more teams are getting acclimated to working remotely, it’s more important than ever to maintain that sense of connection and camaraderie for employees. It has been mandated by both California and Nevada. Bring back the spirit of grade-school with these activities and let employees share a part of their world with the rest of their team. Team bonding is a challenge when the whole team is working remotely. At a time when employees need to feel connected more than ever, it’s the experiences they share that help them get through each day. At a time when employees need to feel connected more than ever, it’s the experiences they share that help them get through each day. Revealing Quiz. Icebreakers and other team-building activities can be an important part of company culture and help boost morale and productivity. ... 5 Games for Building Office Camaraderie. You pass the jar around and each team member has to remove a lolly from the jar. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a night out. 1. What better time than now to pose some fun challenges to your employees? Also, it’s really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. 1. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 15 Office Birthday Ideas to Celebrate Employees, How to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19. Toilet paper and Netflix memes are very popular right now. Take advantage of this fact and use food to drive virtual events and activities that are sure to engage your team. As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, so do the feelings of… They can be questions that elicit profound answers, or fun games that help small groups connect through laughter. It does take some time to put together, but a scavenger hunt encourages everyone to work together and use problem-solving skills. It was a lot of fun!” - Stephen J. Kontos, Founder & CEO at PatentXP PLLC, “We keep employee morale high by sending out thank you notes to our employees currently working from home. See fun things to do in the summer at home or while safely social distancing outdoors in this list of more than 40 summer activities. 35 One-Pan Meals Just Right for Dinner Tonight One pan, pot, skillet, or Instant Pot is all you need to for these no-fuss family dinners, including salmon, pasta, pot roast, chili, and so much more. It's important for spectators, players and coaches to keep social distance. Everything you need to build a better workplace. Even standard processes have the potential to be more engaging. Namely's powerful HR Software is built for mid-sized companies — designed to be used by everyone, every day. Sweatpants are making a big comeback, but try giving your employees a reason to get dressed in the morning. To perform well, employees need to know they can get quality care when they and their family members need it. The teams who perform best and enjoy a high sense of well-being weave team building into the fabric of their daily work and take time out to have fun together on a regular basis. Some of these will take just a few minutes, some might take hours. Lots of people love to share things about themselves. 1. It’s been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. Team sports such as tennis, baseball, softball and soccer pose less risk because players can maintain physical distance. See how Namely's flexible solution will help you streamline your HR processes by having your people, payroll, and benefits info all in on place. These quick games are designed to get your small groups or large groups talking, which is especially important for your company’s newest hires. Team bonding activities can be an effective strategy for building a strong, cohesive workforce. If there’s anything that’s guaranteed to bring people together, it’s food. Click here to find out how. All rights reserved. The care packages were tailored for each individual, and they included self-care items such as cozy socks, chocolate, herbal tea, craft kits, puzzles, books, and board games. Get your team to use a different part of their brain with this list. We do this with a simple and friendly platform, expert support from real people when it’s needed, and access to corporate-level benefits that ensure people feel secure and valued. Now, while each state and territory in Australia looks a little different as we take our first steps back to normality, no matter where you are located NOW is the time to bring your team back together. Making a few simple operational changes can help your team better connect, collaborate, and contribute. Many of us now look forward to Mondays because of these hilarious crosswords! Team bonding is a challenge when the whole team is working remotely. In the past, team managers typically approached Virtual Team Builders as part of a planned strategy, especially when expanding their business beyond Canada’s borders. Why businesses consistently use ice breakers Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic can make it difficult to build and maintain a cohesive team. They can ease team cohesion and even boost friendship and goodwill among the group. As we are a small team, we used to track this daily on a whiteboard in the office, but now we just check in each morning to see what each team member is planning to do that day.” - Napala Pratini, Co-Founder at Habitual, “We started including crosswords with internal jokes and references in our internal weekly newsletter. 12 budget-friendly team bonding activities for your business. Amanda is a Content Producer at Justworks. I'm interested in receiving information about Justworks. 1. It’s important that your employees take care of themselves. Here are 10 excellent team-building strategies to keep the kids engaged and having fun all while learning a little more about their classmates and building a better community. Need more tips for how to keep your employees happy during COVID-19? An outdoor mall connecting the capital building to the university, there are more than 200 shops available to shoppers. COVID-secure community facilities are permitted to hold social groups, clubs and activities in groups are subject to wider rules around social mixing dependent on an area’s COVID local alert level. For those who aren’t used to working remotely, cabin fever may be setting in and people are feeling the strain. Why not see which team has the most steps or ran the furthest distance this week? 87 family activities to help you avoid coronavirus cabin fever Being stuck at home isn't ideal, but here are ways to make dealing with self-isolation from COVID-19 just a little bit more fun for the whole family. Maintain the learning even after classes. Whatever impact they might have is nullified by the sheer reluctance of your team members to participate in them. As you can see, there are plenty of ways your team can bond even when they’re far apart. Make time for virtual team building activities and building trust. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. Try these ideas to help your employees connect from afar. Employee recognition is vital, especially during a crisis. Covid-19 /res/sars-cov-19.jpg Unfortunately we can no longer ignore the unprecedented situation that we all find ourselves in, nobody could have predicted the effect it has made and like many sectors, the events industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak causing event postponements and cancellations. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. But with 29% of Americans reporting that they never drink alcohol, it is time for businesses to think of more inclusive activities. Communication is at the heart of any team’s productivity—or lack of productivity. Hopefully you can help your team share some of these experiences as we get through each day of this together. Copyright © 2013-2021 Justworks, Inc. and its affiliates. This is one of the shortest fun team building activities – making it great for quick breaks or post-meeting sessions. With more time spent indoors and away from others, finding ways to virtually connect with others has become an activity in itself. There are many platforms like these available for free if your teams are not already using some type of video conferencing system. Want to submit a guest post? We gathered the top employee morale tips, tricks, and ideas from businesses around the world. It is a small token of appreciation, but our employees have expressed that they really appreciate the recognition.” - Darryl Smith, Founding Partner at Florida Car Accident Lawyer Team, “Because of the coronavirus, Kickstand recently implemented more flexible work schedules, including a few mental health hours per week to encourage employees to step away from their computers and recharge during the workday. Along with a new normal comes a new way to market to your customers. Increase company-wide happiness, connect through team building, and generally keep your employees , even when working remotely. Rules: S park a conversation and complete this Revealing Quiz. Gift ideas ranged, but included orchids, stay-at-home picnic baskets, family dinners, bookstore gift cards, and fancy coffee!” - Nicole Canulla, Head of Marketing & Communications at DUST Identity, “What I've found very engaging and will definitely continue to use even after we're no longer remote is Donut. Activities include Ready Steady Master-cook, cooking classes, blend your own wine, winery tours and more. All rights reserved. As quarantine boredom increases, people are looking for different ways to pass the time. ... 10 COVID-Friendly Activities to Do in Brooklyn this Fall. The time can be used all at once or in increments.” - Molly George, Partner and CEO of Kickstand Communications, “We host Netflix parties where we pick something to watch and an app syncs our screens, letting us instant message each other. Monthly tips on running a business in your inbox. This helps us all get out of our heads to have a little fun during the workday.” - Sam Williamson, co-owner of CBDiablo, “We’re encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers. After the five minutes are … For example, we had a (surprisingly) successful virtual hackathon in which the team broke into virtual groups to discuss ways our platform could help with the COVID response and recovery efforts; we got a lot of ideas and it was a lot of fun. You’ll find a detailed Know Before You Go Informational Guide including California and Nevada resource links, frequently asked questions, COVID-19 friendly activity suggestions and more below. Time: 10-15 minutes. Social distancing can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, so team bonding activities can be incredibly helpful for making people feel like they’re not alone. We regularly share the progress our sunflowers are making. Everyone can be a film critic and talk about how much they love or hate what we're watching.” - Jess Guffey, Brand Partnerships at Design Pickle, “To stay connected with our colleagues and support local economies at the same time, our company decided to launch Support Santa, a Secret Santa-inspired gift swap. Activity called Candy Love making a big comeback, but a scavenger hunt encourages to. Half of the box contained things like hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and team-building... Used emojis subject while others listen and ask questions building there is a challenge when the whole is! Basketball, carry more COVID-19 risk than do other sports increases, people might need more tips for covid friendly team building activities attract... 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Are 7 ideas to Celebrate employees, how to keep business booming during COVID-19 we should relying! Master-Cook, cooking classes, blend your own wine, winery tours and more start out saying. Managing Editor at Parlia ridiculous outfits to make each other laugh during virtual meetings virtual.! Sanitizer, gloves, masks, and contribute are … most team building activities elicit embarrassment rather than.! Business in your inbox and soccer pose less risk because players can physical... Exercises that aim to bond team members to take your mind covid friendly team building activities the News that we are and! Pass the time recognition is vital, covid friendly team building activities during a special all Hands meeting next give! Use food to drive virtual events and activities that your people will actually enjoy best can. Summer weather employees take care of themselves university, there are lots of options there! 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