One of the BEST things about the office is hanging around the water cooler, taking turns shooting paper balls into the trash can during your lunch break, or getting drinks with your buddies after work.
Goofing off with your co-workers is more than just fun. Studies have shown that taking regular breaks improves productivity, reduces stress, and even improves focus and recall.
Of course, we're not talking about all play and no work. We're talking about the balanced need to have social interactions with your co-workers.
But wait, working remotely means social interaction with your workmates goes out the window…right? Not necessarily! There are TONS of virtual team-building activities that you can do while working remotely.
Virtual happy hours are an irreplaceable way to make online meetings more interactive and to make a virtual meeting fun.
Virtual happy hour is an online social event held via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams, etc.
You should care about virtual happy hours because virtual meetings are here to stay.
Successful companies accepted the change and took the time to put the energy and resources into making the most out of this new way of meeting.
What does that mean for you? You should invest in creating a healthy and sustainable work environment for any employees that work remotely.
By focusing on virtual team-building activities, you are creating an environment that fosters:
It's healthy to acknowledge that the work environment can sometimes be stressful. Unwinding is EXTREMELY beneficial to keeping your employees satisfied at work.
Virtual happy hours help your employees see who their fellow co-workers really are. And your participation in these events will help them see you as a real person that's approachable and not just an authority figure.
Happy employees are productive employees. Virtual team-building activities build a positive work environment by making your workers feel refreshed, energized, and ready to get back to work.
Harvard Business Review published a study that found a 33% increase in creativity, a 25% increase in happiness levels, and a 13% rise in productivity in employees who took mandatory scheduled vacations.
Key Takeaway: Virtual happy hours are an attainable, sustainable, and affordable way for ANY business to increase employee productivity.
Plan the Details: Determine the date, time, and duration. Send out invitations that include any specific instructions.
Choose a Theme (optional): It could be a costume party, a celebration of a company milestone, or something else entirely.
Prepare Activities: Develop a loose agenda including icebreaker questions, virtual pub trivia, virtual happy hour bingo, or scavenger hunts.
Encourage Participation and Networking: Be an enthusiastic host. Create opportunities for networking by assigning participants to breakout rooms.
Implement Good Time Management: Maintain a balance between structured activities and open conversation.
Consider Virtual Happy Hour Kits: Send packages that include snacks, decor items, or ingredients for cocktails.
Follow-Up and Feedback: After the happy hour, send a follow-up email to thank participants for attending.
We know that not everyone loves virtual meetings. But you don't have to love them to embrace them. The future success of your business will be linked in part to your ability to adapt to changes.
Virtual meetings are here to stay. Will you make the most out of this reality? Your team doesn't need to feel disconnected even though they are working from different locations.
Are you scratching your head for virtual happy hour ideas? Virtual meetings are our bread and butter. Shoot us a message and we will give you some rock solid ideas that you can implement today.