Why remote team building is important
Team building is important whether your employees work from the office or home. It’s not a new concept and companies have been using different team building techniques for decades due to its many benefits. However, things need to change a little now with more people working from home.
In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of team building and also share some online team building tips:
It Improves Productivity
Team building results in unity among departments and individuals, making people work together and for the same goal. About 97 percent of employees believe that poor alignment can affect projects in a very negative way. By putting people in teams and making them work together, you can improve productivity and get better results.
Working in teams allows employees to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly.
Helps Reduce Work Stress
Work stress is a common problem. It occurs due to a variety of reasons including hostile work environments and pressure. Team building activities can make things right by improving communication and allowing employees to open up.
Humans are social animals and we strive for connections. Working from home, especially in the current environment, can be very taxing and make people feel lonely. Remote workers also often report a bad work-life balance. It is the top issue for nearly 38 percent of remote workers. Team working can solve the problem by easing things and giving employees a chance to socialize.
Employees who work in teams tend to be happier and more satisfied given that they’re in the right team.
About 96.3 percent of employees agree that team building improves relationships. It doesn’t only encourage employees to know each other and socialize but also to communicate and share their problems.
Can Help Increase Loyalty
Employees enjoy working in environments where team building is encouraged. About 75 percent of workers rate teamwork as very important and 54 percent agree that a strong sense of community kept them at a company longer than was in their best interest.
Since high turnover is a huge problem, which wastes both time and money, managers should pay special attention to virtual team building exercises to ensure they can retain more employees.
Excellent for Your Balance Sheet
About 86 percent of managers believe that poor teamwork is a major reason why projects fail. Failed projects can be very costly and cause businesses to suffer heavy losses. Team building can reduce the risk and improve the bottomline.
A conflict in a team of six can cost businesses up to $255,000 . Team building impacts engagement, which is directly linked to profitability. Companies with engaged employees make more money than companies with unengaged workers.
Online Team Building Exercises Worth Trying
Here are a few online team building strategies you can try:
Encourage employees to use tools like Zoom and Skype to have online meetings. Getting to see each other can help build connections and improve communication. You can make meetings more fun by having lunch together during lunch hours, holding an online ceremony, etc.
However, remember that people work in different environments and some might not like the idea of Zoom lunch meetings or 5 PM drinks. Consider giving people the option to decline an invite.
Make the Right Team
Put a team that’s more likely to work well. Look for employees with a knack for leadership and socializing and assign them the task to build teams. Give importance to all members and ask for their inputs. This will make employees feel inclusive. You can use online polling to make teams feel more important.
In addition to this, consider assigning a leader to lead the team. The person you choose must be willing and capable of doing the job. The leader can play the role of a moderator during chat sessions, games, etc.
Gamify When You Can
We learn well through play, so consider adding elements of gameplay to an activity. It can be anything: scoring, competing, etc.
Hold competitions and fun segments like sharing childhood stories, trivia, etc.
Find Hidden Talents
Encourage employees to share hidden talents such as singing, painting, dancing, etc. You can even try providers like Clay Creations Studio to send clay to your employees and ask them to be creative.
We hope these online team building tips will help you get your desired results. Browse our online team building platform for some more tips.