The Importance of Virtual Team Building for Remote Teams

Creating human-to-human interactions amongst your remote team members is what virtual team building is all about. It helps form relationships to improve team cohesion, enhance communication, and boost productivity. The best way to bring remote teams together is to make them feel seen and heard. The real-world challenges faced by remote workers are feeling invisible at work, overcoming barriers to organic cooperation, and having minimal access to coworkers and managers.

The most evident common thread running through many of these problems is being physically segregated from our coworkers. Working from home can be isolating and the loss of an office environment has resulted in the loss of built-in possibilities to create social bonds and build trust among coworkers. This leads to disengagement, which contributes to poor job performance. Remote workers communicate more efficiently and distribute tasks and responsibilities throughout the team more easily if they know each other on a personal level.

Virtual Team Building Activities

Many people continue to work from home as Singapore still grapples with COVID-19. So, it is more important than ever to keep your teams unified. Virtual team building efforts can include a variety of activities designed to help teams connect so they feel part of a community.

Two key factors need to be in place to create an engaging virtual workplace: access to the appropriate technology and clear digital connectivity.

1. Informal Catchups

It’s more difficult to read and relate to others when you’re not in the same room with them — vital emotional context might be missed or misconstrued, and relationships with coworkers can deteriorate. You may feel bad about any conversation that isn’t directly related to business because communication can appear stiff and transactional.

• Schedule 10 minutes before or after each meeting for the team to have a casual (personal) chat.
• Organize regular one-on-ones between managers and employees and include a personal element were family and goals can be discussed.
• Have weekly or bi-monthly virtual breaks (for lunches or coffee) so the team can relax and talk.

2. Provide Informal Non-work-related Spaces

Instant messenger platforms are great for work communications, but they can also provide channels for teams to share news, discuss personal interests, and swap recipes, book lists, and playlists. WhatsApp groups, Slack channels, Microsoft Teams, Discord, or Telegram are just a few apps that can be used.

You’re showing that it’s crucial to engage with each other as humans, not simply colleagues, by purposefully providing specific spaces for non-work talk.

3. Virtual Team Training

One of the most effective strategies to develop team relationships is to train with peers. With a myriad of video conferencing solutions, taking this online is simple.

• Companies that provide training and development programs can use video conferencing tools like screen sharing, non-intrusive chat, and breakout rooms to hold distinct team discussions online.
• Bring in a speaker or guest expert to host a virtual lunch or do a 30-minute presentation that includes Q&A so the team can participate in active discussion as a group.
• Each remote worker can teach different and unique skills, ranging from job-related functions or even other recreational skills such as cooking.

4. Host Virtual Tours of Home Offices

This is a great way for employees to show their working space and discuss any improvements or distractions and get ideas from colleagues. Employees can set up a livestream for a walk-through tour while sharing anecdotes about their daily lives, which gives teams more insight into each person’s environment.

5. Virtual Competitions

Healthy competition and interesting activities, given with a dash of comedy, are a winning combination for nurturing relationships, working on problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. Companies can create tournaments out of sports, board games, cognitive teasers, thought experiments. Examples include:

• Virtual fitness challenge is enjoyed by most people and an exercise goals can be tracked using a phone or fitness watch.
• Games like Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Charades, and employee-made quizzes are simple, harmless fun and make great opportunities to learn more about your remote colleagues and spark new conversations.
• Photography competitions are a simple and entertaining way for employees to express themselves, and these competitions can be themed around almost anything.

Facilitate Your Workplace Mobility

KRIS Document Management System (DMS) is designed to increase collaboration between teams from any location. The efficiency of a company’s record management solution depends on the streamlined processes of gathering, storing, and organizing information. Teams can readily and securely obtain and edit the files they need through a user-friendly web portal. Our digital document platform also integrates third-party applications to connect your data and people through smooth, uninterrupted workflows.