Why Remote Teams Need Virtual Events

The Challenge of Remote Work

Let’s face it… Remote work is here to stay.

Employees love the flexibility, work-life balance, and lack of commutes.

But there is a downside – the lack of office banter, the lack of cameraderie, all those “water cooler moments” are lost.  And it’s no wonder that many remote workers struggle, feeling disconnected and unengaged. Without those daily interactions of an office, collaboration begins to feel forced, and team cohesion becomes weak.

Added to that if you have a team in the office and a group working from home you create a “them and us” framework which creates a disjointed and disgruntled team.

The Cost of Disconnection

When employees feel disconnected, companies start seeing a higher turnover in their staff.  Recruitment costs have been estimated at £12,000 per new hire (when you factor in training as well).  So having a team with a higher turnover, lower morale, and reduced productivity is ultimately costing your business money.

Hiring and onboarding new employees is expensive and time-consuming – so why not invest in keeping your current team engaged instead?

A Simple Solution: Virtual Events

80% of employees feel more engaged and connected when participating in team-building events with the rest of their team.  But a one off event isn’t going to solve the problem, you need a full schedule of events throughout the year to prevent that “dip” in engagement.  This means you need something that’s on budget and maximises on staff engagement.

The answer then, isn’t to force travel or bring people back to the office. The answer is to create a schedule of virtual events to compliment your “In person” offering.  Virtaul events are an easy, cost-effective way to strengthen relationships, encourage teamwork, and boost morale and can involve both the in office and virtual office team.

Benefits of Virtual Events

• Cost-Effective: No travel or venue costs – instead the team just hops on the virtual call at the right time.  Creating a really focussed engagement period.
• Inclusive: Everyone can participate, no matter where they are.  The virtual nature means the organisers create the teams, encouraging people together who might naturally have remained apart in a traditional face to face setting.  With a Virtual event no one is picking seats or just sitting with friends or having “cynical asides”.
• Fun & Interactive: From virtual escape rooms to team challenges, there are a wide array to choose from.  As they’re cheaper, you can widen the variety and find something to suit everyone over the course of the year.

Encourage Engagement.

You don’t need a massive budget or months of planning.  You can start small, what’s most important is to start now.

If you’re ready to boost engagement and bring your team together, let’s chat about creating an unforgettable virtual murder mystery or escape game event.

Book a call with one of our event planners today!