As we’ve shared before, virtual experiences are here to stay for a variety of reasons: benefits in cost, convenience, experience design, message amplification and sustainability, just to name a few.
Corporate environments are evolving to accommodate an increasingly remote workforce and we’re seeing a significant demand for virtual employee engagement events. More and more organizations are committing to employees working remotely for the long haul, a shift that’s considered to be both a corporate perk and a competitive advantage on the hiring front. While this workforce evolution is largely considered a win for employees, it creates a new version of a long-standing need for corporate culture building and team bonding. Team SEQ has been inspired to continue raising the bar by combining effective virtual solutions to unique online interactions that foster brand awareness, cultivate important relationships and encourage meaningful engagement.
Virtual Employee Engagement Works… and Matters!
You know that your products and services are only as strong as your team dynamics. When each and every team member feels known, connected and valued, they are not only more likely to enjoy the work they do, studies also show they remain with a company longer. And because your team is your brand, a positive reflection of your internal company culture contributes to the larger positive brand image.
Branding Throughout Employee Engagement Also Matters!
Creating your own company culture is also important to your brand. If team members attribute their positive employee experience with your company culture, it generates even more brand value for them. That’s why it’s important that your remote employee engagement activities incorporate your brand essence throughout, even if they are meant to be “just fun.” ;)
Tips for Creating Dynamic Employee Engagement Events
Are you wondering how to encourage employee engagement when your teams are in different rooms, states or even countries? Team SEQ knows a thing or two about truly effective (and fun) virtual employee engagement activities that boost your brand and employee morale, and we’re ready to share our secrets!
- Virtual breakout sessions should be interactive AND engaging.
Interactive and engaging are not synonymous. In order for interactive activities to be effective in team-building, they need to spark enough interest to be truly engaging. People are more likely to participate in group activities if they are not just another face in the crowd. Breakout sessions should consist of smaller groups so everyone is seen and has the opportunity to be heard. Some fun ideas we’ve used for breakouts are workshops for learning new things, like coffee workshops and Improv workshops. Group entertainment is a good way to relax participants or even bring out their inner child, such as integrating digital caricaturists and magicians. And games like “Two Truths and a Lie” or Pictionary, can help participants get to know each other’s personalities in a more relaxed, less professional role.
- In the spirit of two-way dialogue, bring employees and their personal interests into the conversation. Relationships are based on relating to others, and finding common ground is one of the greatest ways to connect. By encouraging employees to share about themselves or their hobbies, pets, families, and interests, co-workers are able to identify with others and appreciate their interests outside of the work environment. We’re seeing this often facilitated through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Shared Interest Groups, but it doesn’t stop there. During one employee engagement event, we got creative and had willing participants send in their own version of home videos for a spinoff of America’s Funniest Home Videos! The staff had the opportunity to see snippets of one another’s lives, leading to a deeper sense of connection among the teams.
- Use chat/feed integration to encourage real-time, and very visual engagement. We’re pros at making the most of chat features for virtual events. Encourage attendees to engage through strategic chat prompts (or plants), Q&A with incentives, and trivia that sparks friendly competition among teams. Almost like whispering to your friends in class, chats encourage relationship building through thought- and idea-sharing opportunities in addition to being super fun and funny.
- Virtual photo booths exist – use them! Photo booths are great for capturing memories, creating keepsakes and providing instant social media sharing opportunities, and they exist online! In some cases, with even more options for personalization and brand integration. We’ve embedded photo booths in many virtual platforms to share snapshots among the team and through social channels. Bonus points for branded photos to boost brand awareness since the team will surely be sharing these fun memories on their personal and professional social platforms!
- Invite celebrities to your virtual event. Thanks to the convenience of attending virtual events without travel, celebrities, musicians, and other headline acts are easier (and usually cheaper) to engage for remote events. Include a celebrity cameo, musical performance or entertainment through resources like Cameo, Celebrity Video Messaging, Greetzly and Summit Comedy, for just a few examples.
Facilitating connection and building community through events has always been important for corporate culture, but never more so than now — especially for those companies who have transitioned to a fully remote workforce. While virtual employee engagement will never replace in-person, it doesn’t mean it can’t still be creative, compelling and effective!
Let Sequence bring your next virtual employee engagement experience to life! Schedule a 30-minute consultation with our team of event experts today. We can’t wait to connect.