Picture this. March 2020. There I was on my first trip to a little village in the mountains in Mexico. It was idyllic. I had booked an Airbnb for a month. On March 12th there was a strong advisory memo to return to Canada by March 15th. I did.😞
That month personal lives transformed and business models went through tremendous changes. What was once a negotiable option, working from home is now the norm. And with this new norm come challenges. Remote workers are struggling with loneliness, isolation, and lack of communication. What helped me was my connection to virtual events, programs and courses.
We hear a lot about employee engagement now. Although it is not a new concept, it bears a great deal of weight during this Pandemic. Studies led by Predictive Success have shown that there is a strong correlation between employee engagement and profitability, productivity, higher retention, and loyalty.
What exactly is employee engagement? An engaged employee is one who is committed to their organization and is willing to go above and beyond expectations to ensure the success of the company. How do organizations create employee engagement ideas for remote workers? The answer is straightforward. Managers must acknowledge the challenges remote workers have and come up with ideas on how to accomplish virtual employee engagement.
1. Game Playing Events are Ideal Ways to Engage Remote Employees
I love playing games. I literally force my kids to play with me on the weekends. They think I don’t see them rolling their eyes but secretly they love it! It’s fun… Virtual game events are a great tool to maintain remote workers engagement and morale in a fun way.Splitting your staff into teams to interact with their colleagues is a great stress buster and promotes bonding and communication skills.
As well it relieves feelings of isolation. There are many different types of team building games to engage remote workers. Below are many virtual games which are hosted by an energetic host via a streaming platform. For authenticity there is an online buzzer. Let the games begin!
- The 80s and 90s Pop Culture Trivia
- Face Off Trivia
- Virtual Ultimate Trivia
- Ultimate Sports Trivia
- Family Feud
2. Virtual “Catering to Go” as a Work from Home Engagement Idea
I really miss coffee breaks with my colleagues. It is usually the best time for brainstorming and just fun bantering. Your staff are probably missing their coffee and lunch breaks with their colleagues as well. Some of the best motivational programs have developed while enjoying coffee or tea or a meal with their peers. Quite often Zoom calls get out of hand and people are talking over each other. Via a streaming platform, a moderator will guide attendees in conversation. Everyone will enjoy the interaction and exchange of ideas while enjoying the lunch delivered to them.
All meals feature a main, a salad and a desert. Mouthwatering menus are:
3. A Pub Night is a Great Virtual Way to Engage Remote Employees
A visit to your local pub “where everyone knows your name” (name that tune!) is sadly missed by many people. So meet me at my local virtual Pub and have fun chatting with your colleagues, playing a bit of trivia or singing along to the tunes.Just enjoy the Pub taste and drink experience. Bringing the pub to your employees virtually, is an amazing work from home engagement idea. Prior to the pub evening, kits including all the necessary ingredients will be delivered to all the attendees. Be entertained with professional wine and liquor connoisseurs. Kick back, relax, and enjoy the pub atmosphere with these fun activities.
- Virtual Mixology
- Virtual Beer Tasting Experience
- Virtual Flare Bartender
- Virtual Wine & Paring
- Virtual Whiskey Tasting Class
4. A Virtual Casino Night is a Fun Way to Engage Remote Employees
Travel regulations these days are challenging for all of us. Going to Vegas is not going to happen. Awwwww! How I miss the lights and action. However, guess what! We can bring Vegas to you! It actually can happen….virtually! An interactive virtual casino will be brought via live streaming into your staffs’ homes. This entertainment package is a fun way to engage remote employees. Customized themed graphics, and Vegas style backdrops, provide an authentic setting perfect for a wild night at the Casino! Attendees who need to chill after “holding, hiitting, and cheering” can go into breakout rooms and enjoy some Vegas style entertainment. It doesn’t get much better than this! Right? Let’s get this party started!!
5. Throwing a Virtual Party is an Ideal Work from Home Engagement Idea
How long has it been since you have dressed up in your finest? Let’s be honest. Even though we are caught up in endless Zoom meetings and conferences we are usually wearing a decent top and comfy, baggy sweats! Confession! That’s exactly what I am wearing right now!
Invite your remote employees to an elegant virtual employee engagement party where they can dance the night away in their finest, and be entertained with live performances.Encourage your guests to take selfies and share on social media. Through a multimedia streaming platform your attendees will be transported to a sophisticated evening full of fun. Black tie optional! Some fun entertainment ideas for this type of event include.
6. Family Fun Time….A great Way to Engage Remote Employees
Not only are your remote employees feeling the effects of the pandemic, but their families are as well. We are entering year two and many families are together 24/7 which leads to tension and stress. Children are missing sports activities, parties, as well as in person social interaction with their friends.
They are losing interest in online schoolwork and remote workers find that they need to micromanage their children as well as concentrate on their own work. This is where companies can step in and provide engagement activities for remote employees and their families. Through an online streaming platform with an energetic and professional host, many interesting programs can be used for entertaining the entire family. Consider introducing these activities several times a week.
These virtual employee engagement ideas will be appreciated immensely.
- Build-A-Buddy Craft
- Mad Scientist Livestream Show
- Virtual CampFire Experience
- Find Your Inner Superhero
- Family Fun Packs
- The Art of Magic
7. Virtual Award Galas for Engaging Remote Employees
I love getting awards! It makes me feel noticed and important. Annual awards galas and ceremonies are more important now than ever. Remote workers need to be recognized for their hard work and dedication. Even though these award ceremonies must be done virtually, you don’t have to sacrifice the overall enjoyment. When your company is planning a traditional awards gala, there is a great deal of planning involved. Even more so with running a virtual event. There is an upside of a virtual gala….no travel expenses, go green with digital invites, flyers and brochures, and no rental costs for venues.
The entire gala is coordinated via a streaming platform with an entertaining host as well as a coordinator. In order to make the awards gala memorable,it is of the utmost importance to engage and entertain the attendees with some fun content. There are many options for providing entertainment for your remote employees. Let’s roll out the Red Carpet, enjoy a cocktail, and be entertained, while nominees nervously await their turn to accept their award! Some fun ideas for “dressing up” your gala event include:
- Virtual Cocktail Hour with a Professional Flare Bartender
- Virtual Digital Caricaturist
- Virtual Illusion Show
8. Virtual Wellness Programs For Engaging Remote Employees
Organizations are now recognizing the importance of wellness programs for their employees. This year especially, it is almost crucial for the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of your remote workers. By providing them with access to a program that is coordinated via a live streaming platform you are letting your remote staff know that they are valued and appreciated. It will increase morale and these remote employee engagement activities will provide much needed interaction time with their colleagues. Creating these wellness programs which address the mental and physical health of your team will lead to a healthier and more productive staff. Many of these wellness activities can be fun. You can also work in a competitive edge to your wellness programs to further engage your staff. Some fun and healthy ideas below…On your mark, get set, GO!
- Yoga and Meditation Classes
- Reflexology and Aromatherapy
- HIIT Cardio Classes
- Interactive Nutrition Classes
9. Virtual Creative Experiences to Engage Remote Employees
Working remotely has become more permanent or semi-permanent with many businesses for 2021. There are many obstacles that organizations need to overcome to ensure that their remote employees are staying motivated and productive. One great outlet is using creative experiences for remote workers. Being creative has helped me get through the past year. (See my blogs)This is my testimonial for using creativity to engage remote workers. These work from home creative engagement ideas are inspirational and provide a much-needed break from online meetings.
10. Whodunnit Games to Engage Remote Employees
I personally am addicted to murder mysteries. My favourite thing is to guess “whodunnit” before the end of the book or movie! Let’s see how clever your staff is at solving virtual murder mysteries.
Murder Mystery games are made possible virtually with professional actors, technicians, and private hotel rooms (breakout rooms). Murder Mystery games are engagement activities for remote employees that will develop problem-solving skills and promote communication and collaboration with their colleagues. Just the fact that it is fun is a bonus. This is a virtual activity that is guaranteed to bring you a ROI. There are so many virtual murder mystery scenarios it may be difficult to choose one. But you may not have to choose! Consider hosting a murder mystery once a month for your remote workers. Below are some great themes. So folks, see you on the crime scene!
11. Engage Remote Employees with Photography, Livestreaming and Photo Mosaics
One of the most popular uses of mobile phones is taking selfies and sharing them on social media. (Mea Culpa!) How many of us take photos of food that we have cooked? Let’s take this a step further and use this information as a tool for ways to engage remote employees. Through a live streaming platform and a professional photographer there are many photography workshops that are ideal work from home engagement ideas. In addition, Just for fun, have your remote employees take selfies working really hard in their home offices. Oh! Here’s a thought. How about in their PJ’s. Everyone submits their photos via text or hashtag and the photos appear in a live stream creating one large image embedded with your custom message. Video messaging and animation can also be integrated into the live stream. The completed photo mosaic can be printed on a canvas as a memento of time spent working from home. So cool!
12. Virtual Cooking Classes for Engaging Remote Employees
Since March of 2020, the time when the world went topsy turvy the most searched word on Google worldwide was “Recipe”. Wow! Since eating out was no longer an option, people started cooking at home, sharing recipes, and photographing and posting their creations on social media. Food preparation is creative, comforting and improves mental and physical health. Sharing this experience has become a vehicle for engaging remote employees.
Organizations jumped on this idea for virtual online cooking classes to engage remote employees. Cooking kits will be assembled and delivered to participants in advance. Through a live streaming platform where a professional chef will teach remote employees meal preparation in a fun and entertaining manner.
It will be followed with a question-and-answer session. Of course, once the meal has been prepared all participants will take photos of their creation to share with all their remote colleagues on social media. Your staff will have fun learning how to be a chef for a day. Whether it be Italian cuisine or a gourmet brunch this will be a memorable virtual event. So, folks, get your aprons on and start cookin’!
13. A Virtual Circus to Engage Remote Employees
There is no doubt that circus performers make us laugh. This is so important during these difficult times. Circus’ have been around for centuries and have entertained us and made us forget about the stresses in our lives. We can recreate these circus acts for remote employees, virtually. Whether you just want to be entertained or actively involved there is an entertainment option available for your remote workers that revolve around the circus theme. Join in the fun and clown around!
- Virtual Balloon Twisting Workshop
- Virtual Juggling Show and Workshop
- Virtual Variety Show
- Acrobats & Contortionists Shows
14. Coffee Break Program to Engage Remote Employees
Working from home for many remote employees has been a challenge. For many the feeling of isolation and the lack of camaraderie is the biggest complaint. They miss their 10:00 a. m. coffee breaks with their colleagues. During these breaks employees socialize with each other and quite often bounce ideas off each other. Creating an online coffee break is a great work from home engagement idea. Once a week or even more frequently organizations can have gift or goodie boxes delivered to their remote employees. At a specified time, remote employees break away from their work routine and enter breakaway rooms where they can open their gifts and have time to chat with each other. These gifts show your staff that their work is valued. Sweet treats, to specialized hot beverages to healthy snacks will be appreciated by remote workers. All you remote workers out there, kick back and enjoy the special treats while talking to your colleagues…virtually of course!
- Assortment of Tea and Coffee Boxes with Cookies
- Sweet Treats Gift Boxes
- Snack and Gourmet Food boxes
15. Goofy Ideas to Engage Remote Employees
Staff burnout is a serious problem during this epidemic. We need to help remote workers lighten up. This can be accomplished in many ways. With the use of a streaming platform, an animated host and a technician, weird and wonderful ideas can take place to engage remote employees. These crazy event ideas for engaging remote workers helps staff to bond, laugh and just act silly. I would definitely volunteer for the talent show with my Ukulele! Don’t be shy! Let your hair down and participate in a safe and non-threatening environment. Any of the following events will be a hit.
16. Virtual Visits to the Future… Entertaining Remote Employee Engagement Activities
From ancient times people have used many methods of looking into their future. These professional readers and analysts will keep everyone on the edge of their seats. At a traditional event these entertainers are always a hit. By thinking outside of the box we are able to bring this to your next virtual event.Be ready for your staff to be requesting another session as soon as possible. Whether you decide to have just one of our Psychics or five of them as your online remote employee engagement activities you will be amazed at the attendees response. As a believer, I see this virtual event in your future!
17. Holiday Celebrations for Virtual Employee Engagement
Here in Canada we are fortunate enough to have many different holidays to celebrate. Each holiday brings its own essence and criteria. 2020 was a challenge to bring these celebrations to fruition. Through many brainstorming sessions our team was able to come up with some very unique ways to engage remote workers. Via a streaming platform, entertaining hosts and professional entertainers visited remote employees’ homes…virtually. The holidays turned out to be loads of fun. It also reminded us how resilient, resourceful, and creative Canadians are!
As the song says, “Celebrate good times, come on”. 🎶
Virtual Children’s Christmas Party…Visit with Santa and Helpers
Virtual Halloween…Masquerade Party
Virtual Thanksgiving…Catered Traditional Thanksgiving Meal to Remote Workers
Virtual Valentine’s Day…Chocolate Making Class
Virtual St. Patrick’s Day…Pub Visit
Virtual Easter…Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt
Virtual Canada Day…Canadian Trivia Games
To all work from home employees there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With vaccines being distributed, albeit slowly we will all be able to socialize once again. Many of you will return to your offices or some organizations will opt for the work from home mode. Regardless, the world has changed. Employers are now realizing that accommodations must be made to families to cope with this new norm.
Over the next year we will see many organizations restructuring and re-examining the traditional way of working. For businesses, engaging remote employees needs to be a priority. The expense of employee engagement activities pays off in so many ways. Healthy employees create better productivity, higher employee retention and greater loyalty.
So, folks, engagement activities for remote employees are possible with the assistance of your favourite Event Planner. Take the step now and call us. One of our amazing event planners will be pleased to discuss how work from home engagement ideas will take you to the next level of employee satisfaction.
We are waiting for your call or email. Be safe and protect your family and community.
Eventfully yours,
Elayne Isenberg