Bridging distance and engaging your remote team: Here’s how to make virtual team-building activities that truly work
As more and more companies are aiming to go beyond their home grounds, onboard virtual teams is the way forward for many organizations searching for skilled remote talent sitting across oceans.
Remote work is becoming more commonplace, although some employers still prefer to keep things local, hiring close to where their businesses are based. In 2023, we asked 219 employers across industries in Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam for their views and hiring sentiment. We also tracked China-based companies who are expanding their business and talent base to Southeast Asia.
It shows, 71% of employers in China are increasingly tapping into talent pools beyond their borders, like those in Southeast Asia, to help them diversify their hiring sources and reduce reliance on their home market, especially given the intense competition for talent within China.
As more organizations embrace cross-border team setups, it’s clear that they can’t ignore the challenges of keeping their teams engaged. While remote employees often enjoy the greater independence and flexibility of their jobs, Gallup’s 2018 data reveals that two-thirds of the U.S. workforce struggles with engagement.
Engaged employees are defined as those who feel involved, enthusiastic, and committed to their work and workplace, often because they believe in the transparency of their company and colleagues. However, there’s a significant gap: while 55% of business owners think they’re “very transparent,” only 18% of their employees agree.
When employees don’t have clarity and context, they feel out of the loop, which leads to disengagement. This can be so pronounced that employees might not even voice their opinions. A study by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, co-authors of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, found that 84% of remote workers delayed addressing workplace concerns for a few days, and 47% admitted they didn’t bring up issues for more than a week. These can hurt productivity and team’s morale in the long run.
But the good news is: employers can still build connections, even when separated by miles, for example, through virtual team-building activities. How can employers arrange activities that truly work?
Before we dive into the ‘how,’ let’s first understand why some virtual team-building efforts may have fallen short. By identifying these pitfalls, we can better design initiatives that truly engage and connect your remote team.
Effective team building hinges on two key elements. First, a change of scenery can make activities feel like a refreshing break rather than just another work task. Second, showing genuine care for employees’ wellbeing — making it clear that their engagement and happiness are top priorities.
Providing personalized attention on a group video call can be challenging, but it’s not impossible to make employees feel valued. Even if team-building video chats happen in the same setting as regular meetings, there are creative ways to make these activities feel fresh and engaging.
It’s essential to make your team-building activities don’t feel like work for the employees. While it can be tough to replicate in-person experiences virtually, with the right approach, we can still create fun and engaging activities that bring the team together effectively.
Kieron Bowen, sales director at Eventurous, a team-building and corporate-events company based in the UK, highlights that physical team-building activities, like GPS treasure hunts and soap-box derbies, naturally bond teams through shared challenges and competition. These activities, whether structured like psychometric testing or more organic, encourage teamwork and foster stronger connections.
Since the pandemic, Eventurous has adapted to virtual events, such as virtual escape rooms, which involve live-hosted background stories and time-bound puzzles. While these virtual activities provide engaging experiences, they often fall short in creating the same level of bonding as physical activities.
Research supports that shared physical challenges, like eating raw chillies or doing wall squats, can boost team solidarity and creativity. Although these experiences might seem daunting, they offer opportunities for teams to bond over mutual challenges and even occasional mishaps.
According to Gallup research, “Virtual team-building activities lead to a 41% lower absenteeism rate and a 21% increase in profitability.” While some virtual team-building efforts may fall short because employees still see them as ‘work’ or due to the lack of physical interaction, we now understand that with the right approach, they still can be highly effective. The key is to make your team feel cared for and valued.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach and it can vary depending on your team situation, here are some ideas to help you build effective virtual team-building activities!
Try setting up some laid-back hangout sessions where your team can chat about their hobbies, swap stories, and really get to know one another — think of it like a virtual coffee break. This can help everyone feel more connected and show that you care about them as people, not just as employees.
You could also asking everyone to share a fun fact about themselves. It’s a simple, fun way to break the ice and discover interests that go beyond work, strengthening bonds and boosting team spirit.
Why not organize some fun sessions where team members can teach each other a skill? It could be anything from a professional skill to a cooking technique or even a craft. This is a great way to break up the usual work routine and let everyone appreciate the diverse talents within the team.
Think about setting up these events regularly, maybe every month or every couple of weeks. Everyone can take turns leading a session on something they’re passionate about, whether it’s an advanced Excel trick or their favorite yoga poses. Having these regular events gives everyone something to look forward to.
Encourage everyone to really show off what they know during these sessions. Maybe one of your team members could walk everyone through a live cooking lesson, or another could share some tips on calligraphy right over a video call. It’s a great way to make these gatherings more interactive and fun, giving everyone a chance to see each other’s talents in real time.
And after each session, take some time to gather feedback from the team. Find out what they loved and what could be improved. This way, you can keep refining these sessions to match everyone’s interests and make sure they’re always enjoyable and worthwhile.
Start with language learning sessions where team members can learn basic phrases in different languages or explore cultural traditions. It’s a fun way to build bridges across cultures and make communication smoother.
Next, run cross-cultural communication training to teach effective communication across different backgrounds. By understanding each other’s perspectives, you’ll help build trust and teamwork, no matter where your team members are based.
Navigating HR management across Southeast Asia brings its own set of challenges, from diverse regulations to cultural differences. At Glints TalentHub, we’re not just about providing Employer of Record (EOR) and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services, we’re about enhancing your team’s engagement and cohesion. With our expert support in managing the entire employment lifecycle, we ensure your HR practices are not only compliant across regions like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, but also conducive to building a vibrant, connected workforce.
Discover how our tailored services can transform your HR strategies. Connect with us for a no-obligation consultation and take the first step towards more engaged and cohesive team management today!
