The importance of remote team building and social activities

As a manager, it is important to start by setting a clear structure and rules that are easy and rewarding for your employees to follow. One way can be to book social activities such as a virtual coffee break on a set day of the week, shared digital workshops and lunches, and other mandatory virtual gatherings relevant to your business. Another good tip is to have a channel for internal communication. Start a group chat where you can "socialise digitally" with your colleagues and employees. This creates a community and becomes a space for small talk and casual conversation, like you would have done bumping into someone in the hallway or standing around waiting for the kettle to boil in the office.

Create a structure for digital video conferencing so that everyone can participate on equal terms and feel seen and heard. By having scheduled check-ins like starting the day together as a team, you get a better view of your employees' well-being while building community.

Book collaborations and set a work schedule with fixed working hours so that everyone is available during the most important hours of the working day. For example, having lunch at the same time also means that you can have digital lunches together as a social activity, and that you know when people have a break and are not available for work.

Doing physical activity is also important and can be something that gets neglected working from home. Book 10-minute breaks and organise mini wellbeing sessions where everyone connects and follows simple exercises of stretching and movement, where you can pep talk each other, laugh and relax. End the work week with something fun like a Friday quiz to create engagement and team building!