Best Virtual Activities That Promote Employee Engagement

Today's employees want more than simply a good pay and benefits package. Aside from an opportunity to develop and grow, people want to be part of an organization with a healthy culture. Employee engagement is critical for all organizations because it helps establish a better work culture, minimize staff turnover, and positively impact company profits.

With a majority of employees working from home during and post-pandemic, many may feel lonely, disconnected from their peers, anxious about layoffs, and concerned about their physical and mental health. These challenges can make it difficult to engage remote workers.

However, remote employee engagement does not have to be complicated. Understanding what your employees need and want and identifying the best virtual alternatives can help you provide a close to ideal employee experience.

This post will explore some fun and effective ways your company can improve employee engagement and boost remote work productivity.

1. Create a Virtual Employee Recognition Program

People need to know that they and their efforts matter to the company—even when working remotely. Your remote workforce is more prone to become detached and disengaged if they are not recognized for their contributions.

To prevent this, run an employee recognition program to appreciate and celebrate employees who made a difference. Also, make it a habit to start virtual meetings with a few “shout-outs.” At every meeting, take a few minutes to recognize some individuals for their recent success or a team accomplishment.

Creative employee recognition ideas also add some fun to a remote work environment. Establish informal awards like “cleanest home office” or “most punctual Zoom attendee” to foster a culture of connection and fun.

2. Celebrate Employee Milestones

Celebrating employee milestones like work anniversaries, promotions, and birthdays is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement. Even with remote teams spread across the globe, these special events allow you to show your employees how much you value them.

You may mark these occasions by creating a simple post congratulating the team member. Be specific about how long they have been with the organization and other relevant information. Brainstorm on some virtual event content ideas, and add variety and visual creativity to your post to keep your employees engaged. You can also include gifts like certificates, personalized tokens, or a free dinner to commemorate these milestones.

3. Hold Themed Dress-Up Days

When days of remote work start becoming monotonous, with one day blending into the next, themed days are an excellent form of diversion. Themed dress-up events can add a fun component to otherwise long and mundane days.

You can host online costume contests by simply designating a theme for each day, then choosing the best-dressed employees in each category. Some popular themes are superheroes, villains, zombies, 80s rockstars, and famous dead people.

Employees may vote using the poll feature in your video conference platform. Alternatively, you can create a social media gallery or a cloud-based photo album and encourage coworkers to vote their favorite. You can even take a screenshot of your entire team dressed up, include it in your monthly newsletter, or use it as a custom background for everyone to enjoy.

4. Run a Virtual Talent Show

Virtual talent shows serve as both entertainment and team-building exercises. Remote team members may watch a show and learn more about their coworkers' unique talents and abilities, ranging from musical performances to stand-up comedy. This is a terrific way to inject fun into your work meetings while empowering your employees to demonstrate their skills.

Encourage your workforce to sign up for slots—performing as a solo act or collaborating with teammates as a group. Limit each act to five minutes, and assign an emcee to guide the program flow. Be sure to take plenty of screenshots throughout the event.

5. Play Online Escape Rooms

Virtual escape rooms are online versions of themed, adrenaline-pumping, puzzle-solving games. They are generally loaded with clues, riddles, math challenges, or other mind-bending obstacles. Remote teammates can work together to solve puzzles and brain teasers. Some of these challenges require players to act out scenarios and use props during Zoom calls, while others are as simple as a series of riddles on Google Forms.

All online escape rooms encourage collaboration and critical thinking in a fun and engaging manner. These engagement games require employees to use their brains, interact with one another, and work together to escape before time runs out.

6. Launch a Wellness Challenge

Working from home may be a big help or a great hindrance to developing healthy habits. For instance, if you have the option to start working from bed in the morning, your team may be inclined to do so. Many remote employees also forget to eat regularly, drink enough water, take a screen break, and exercise properly.

You can help your remote employees build healthier habits with a monthly wellness challenge. To start, choose an accessible fitness or wellness goal like “walk 3,000 steps each day” and create a spreadsheet to track progress. Your employees can install a free walking app and chart daily steps. The employee who walks the most number of steps at the end of the month wins.

Remind your employees that they are mostly competing against themselves, and they should be proud of taking even the tiniest steps in the right direction.

7. Hold a Houseplant Competition

Growing houseplants is a fun contest that employees may do from the comfort of their own homes. Let your remote employees choose any plant and grow it from a seed. Some of the best options are carrots, potatoes, radishes, herbs, and lilies.

You can rate their plants in several areas, including height, health, and appearance. You may also use online testing tools to create trivia quizzes to test their plant knowledge. Create leaderboards for your employees to keep track of their standing.

A houseplant competition is fun and engaging and gives your employees something positive and calming to do in their free time.

Final Thoughts

As many teams work from home and individuals self-isolate, employee disengagement can become an even greater issue. However, thanks to advances in technology, there are countless employee engagement activities your organization can carry out virtually to boost employee satisfaction, commitment, and productivity.

It is important to note that you do not need to engage in costly, time-consuming, or complex virtual team-building activities. Even taking five minutes at the start of a video conference to appreciate your employees can make a tremendous difference.