The last few years have seen massive shifts in company culture as the popularity of remote working rises. With this, employers might be struggling to find inclusive ways to celebrate the holiday season and their team’s success while some employees are working from home. Company culture is especially important around the holiday season, as it’s the best opportunity to celebrate your team’s hard work over the past year and encourage team bonding. A company culture that encourages team bonding and communication will lead to better collaboration and a more cohesive work environment. This makes it easier for your team to work together and get the job done well, which ultimately leads to an increase in productivity and reduced turnover.
We’ve come up with three ideas for how to celebrate the holidays with your remote team in a cost-effective and fun way…
Virtual team-building games
Office celebrations are meant to be a time for employees and employers to bond together in a fun and relaxed environment. An online substitute for an office party is a Zoom quiz with different teams within the company. The quiz rounds can consist of any topic, from general knowledge to questions involving members of the company. For example, everyone can submit a baby photo, and teams can work together to figure out whose baby photo belongs to their boss!
If quizzes aren’t the thing for your team, why not try a virtual murder mystery party? Book the mystery experts from Escapely.com to craft a seasonal murder mystery for your employees to work together to crack the case. These fun online activities can be carried out from the comfort of your workers’ homes, with a mince pie and glass of mulled wine beside them.
Gingerbread house competition
A little friendly competition is always a fun way to spread holiday cheer among your team. A great way to do this is a gingerbread house competition where the top three creations win a prize. The best part is that even if you don’t win a prize, you’ll get to eat your gingerbread masterpiece!
Many bakeries in the UK sell gingerbread house kits that include all of the supplies needed to let your team’s creative juices flow. Enchanting Bakes, Gingerbread World, and Honeywell Bakes all provide and deliver personalised kits with delicious gingerbread treats.
Seasonal paint and sip
Allow your team to get creative in a relaxing and entertaining way with a virtual paint and sip evening. Whether it’s with a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate, your remote team can bond by chatting while painting a portrait of someone else in the company. Think Secret Santa, but instead each employee receives a randomly selected name of a teammate and has to paint a portrait of them during the virtual party. At the end, everyone can reveal their masterpieces and post them to their muse as a personal and inexpensive gift exchange.
In summary
In the modern work environment, it’s easy for employees to feel isolated and unacknowledged. That’s why it’s important to celebrate company milestones and team members’ successes throughout the year – especially around the holiday season. That way, even if your employees are working from home, they still feel included and appreciated. Our three ways to celebrate the holidays with your remote team while maintaining company culture are sure to be a success!
