One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. A dynamic host facilitates this 90 minute virtual team building event with a trusty virtual sidekick. First, create a Slack channel for the games. Not just practical job skills, but behavioral and cultural skills as well. While the other appreciation ideas might be feasible for particular projects and day-to-day work, employees will look for something more permanent in the long run. Quarantine spirit week consisted of a unique theme for each day: skater Sunday, monochromatic Monday, tie-dye Tuesday, wig Wednesday, 13 going on Thursday and casual Friday. E-Learning is the preferred modern way to upskill and learn while having the convenience of choosing the when and where. If your office normally does Secret Santa or Yankee Swap gift exchanges, you can keep it going this year too. Participants can either perform alone, or collaborate with colleagues on a group act. Simmonds was blown away by . Why not expend the effort necessary to retain the staff that you have already painfully recruited and hired? It doesnt have to be cocktail focused. Spirit weeks are a time-honored tradition, in elementary, middle, and high schools alike. Many teams are waking up to a new reality of working remotely. Since healthier employees are more productive, happy, and energetic, the company will benefit from this form of appreciation. More than a manager, an employee's peers are more likely to know about their good qualities. Due to the physical demands and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been difficult for many of us to stay physically active. Inject Fun and Humor. You can also offer a myriad of health benefits. 2022 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Here come's the most impactful one in our list of employee appreciation ideas. 9. A viral photo with suggestions for "Homeschool Spirit Week" has been circling social media. Record and report COVID-19 infections and deaths: Under mandatory OSHA rules in 29 CFR part 1904, employers are required to record work-related cases of COVID-19 illness on OSHA's Form 300 logs if the following requirements are met: (1) the case is a confirmed case of COVID-19; (2) the case is work-related (as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5); and . The other half consisted of beer (or non-alcoholic drinks), snacks, tea, and homemade salsa. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Weve had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. Heres a way to see people in-person from the safety of your cars: Our company has had a couple of drive-through events set up in the parking lot of the main company campus. Metal Pen and Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer. This will make them feel like a part of your business and not just a mere employee. First, either mail employees tea and fancy snacks, or ask attendees to bring their own refreshments and reimburse them for the expense. In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. Namely's powerful HR Software is built for mid-sized companies designed to be used by everyone, every day. Some teams are secretly supervillains who try to sabotage other teams, and players must also identify these sinister alter-egos to ensure evil does not prevail. Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, This is a BETA experience. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: One-Word Check-ins. PopCap, the company behind legendary Facebook games like Bejeweled, offers some fantastic break rooms for its 400 odd employees. High 53F. Reading a book on the sofa is a cozy way to get in the Christmas spirit. Maintain a positive work/life balance and encourage your team to do the same It's easy to work longer hours and take fewer breaks when working from home. We also had a really strict limit for spending, like $20. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses. Photos by Getty Images Plus. Illustration by Supriya Kalidas. Employees should be free to decide where they want to work and when they want to work whenever possible. For many of us, sheltering at home and staying healthy to help " flatten the curve " of the coronavirus spread may be the most important way we can help others right now. Participate in the Boost Educators Challenge Encourage each student's family to challenge the rest of your school's families to give their teacher (s) a shout out or thank you over the school's social channels. Virtual spirit weeks are weeklong events that consist of a series of fun and interactive online activities. 31. 32. Here are list of themes to use for online spirit weeks. Also, remember to turn your phone off. When you incorporate social media into your online spirit week scheduling, you make it easier for colleagues to find and friend each other. Some "lush" couches. You can celebrate the spirit of a challenge in your Spirit Week by hosting a Versus Day. Websites like Elfster or DrawNames will organize the whole process for you, letting you set a gift budget and providing space for participants to share their wish lists: I worked in a fully remote environment last holiday season, and this had been a tradition for several years, though it was entirely opt-in. This amazing app pairs the blind and visually impaired with volunteers via a video call in order to assist with everyday tasks (think reading a recipe on the back of a box or selecting a . Letting employees decorate their workspaces plays an active role in building relationships within the company. We do a Champagne toast at our holiday party every year, and theres some rumors about mini bottles being shipped out for a Zoom toast, but Im not sure! For example, new employees should receive a buddy to learn the ropes. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). Humans have an inherent need to get appreciated for their work. Few people are as knee-deep in our work-related anxieties and sticky office politics as Alison Green, who has been fielding workplace questions for a decade now on her website Ask a Manager. Commemorating a work anniversary is a robust employee engagement, development, and retention tool and a way to recognize and show your appreciation to a valued employee. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. Encourage team members to do the same. Your team can decorate their jack-o'-lanterns during break, lunch, or while you hold a team meeting. One is a gingerbread house session where theyll send you the kit, walk you through assembly, and then you can decorate with the provided candy and icing or your own. She had such a creative way for putting a holiday spin on our corporate branding, and theyre going to be a big hit! Engage in active family play time. Adults need 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking for health benefits. Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. Ensure time is spent checking in on the teams main priorities - any urgent issues that need to be addressed? Take a bubble bath (bonus: Add a glass of. Not my cup of tea but a lot of people seemed to like it! For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com. Heightened communication is necessary, not only to keep your remote team productively focused, but because the sudden move from the workplace to a home space can take an emotional toll on people when they no longer have the social contact with work friends and colleagues. Everybody got to sign up for whichever they liked best: Online beer tasting (they ship the beer to your house, and then you taste it on Zoom with an expert telling you what youre tasting). Slack game tournaments are great ideas for virtual spirit weeks. Then there will be a contest with prizes for best house, most creative house, house that looks like the before pic on a HGTV show, etc. Everyone can be a film critic and talk about how much they love or hate what we're watching. - Jess Guffey, Brand Partnerships at Design Pickle, To stay connected with our colleagues and support local economies at the same time, our company decided to launch Support Santa, a Secret Santa-inspired gift swap. You found our list of unique virtual spirit week ideas. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. Employees who want to learn about new tools, techniques, or topics but have less time on their hands will consider it a fabulous opportunity. Not to mention there's the option of booking an entertainer - choices include singer Jimmy Barnes and comedy duo Hamish and Andy - to spice up a webcam-based party. Take off your coat. Then, send invites to the team. The Internet might be intermittent in these spots, so you can also give teammates the option of joining via phone audio instead of mobile video app. You signed up for your preferred one beforehand and received a list of ingredients, then once the drinks were made, people came back to the big room and there were a couple of facilitated games and stuff (like trivia). Part of the fun of spirit week is pretending, and murder mysteries cast participants in the roles of cunning detectives. $10 at Amazon. For more ways to excite remote teams, check out our list of free virtual team building activities for work, this list of virtual offsite ideas, and this one with Zoom meeting ideas. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. The cups were all the same so no one could tell what you were drinking unless you commented on it. Next, check our our list of ideas to celebrate Pride at work, online fun Friday ideas, and intern orientation activities. Subjects should be fun and non-work related. Simply gear each days activities around a particular topic. To set the mood, you can encourage attendees to dress up and don fancy virtual backgrounds. 2020 Namely, Inc. All rights reserved. When employees feel that their work is valued, their satisfaction and productivity rise. A great employee appreciation idea that gives day-to-day benefits is providing assigned parking spaces. I think that well continue doing this even after the pandemic is goneits such a cool way to learn more about the people you work with every day. - Dennis Vu, CEO and Co-founder of Ringblaze, We hired a magician to put on a virtual magic show for our staff, clients, and vendors to watch with their families. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. It is working together that will get us through this time. For example, book-binding, instrument-building, ravioli-making, or makeup lessons with a drag queen. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. Want to give someone the gift that keeps on giving? 6. To make your company memorable in a sea of forgettable mugs. If you work in an industry where teamwork is crucial, sudden orders to . Materialistic perks are fine. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. A few more things that made it special: The best part about it was everyone participating posting a small list of likes and dislikeswe all got to know each other better through reading those lists and connect over shared interest. Video game consoles. But to make them feel valued is what employees think is the most important. Things to consider when you and your employees travel 4. "Everyone meet promptly at 5:30 p.m., and line up your cars by the parking lot next to my house," instructed the texts sent out by Amanda Perez, staff member and University of Miami School of Communication graduate student, and her mother, Wendy Perez. Virtual talent shows double as entertainment and team bonding. This peer-to-peer employee recognition idea is about encouraging everyone from the organization to recognize good work. So far, people have hosted presentations on their favorite hobby, sports team, family, the country they come from, favorite food, favorite lockdown activity, etc. Priorities. These activities broaden employees global and cultural horizons while also delighting the teams travel lovers. I hope the concrete strategies and steps I share below will help you to bring some added calm, focus and renewed energy to your team. Coming together this way will help bring your employees closer to you and boost the employee-employer relationship. I write about how to improve team and leadership performance. Make it meaningful for the employee so that they cherish it and put in their extra effort. Believe it or not, such small stuff really sees a positively impacted company culture. Show Your Appreciation. Some leaders consistently interact with those they most easily connect with but may not as readily think of others. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. A crisis like this can either break ateamdown and widen any cracks in its foundation, or it canresult in the emergence of true greatness. Some teachers may have to adapt courses from daily 45-minute periods to 90-minute blocks every other day; others will need to figure out how to plan small-group work so that it lines up with. Pike13 Spirit Week highlights: Instead, health promotion ensures that your staff actually want and like to be at work. Food has a way of being a catalyst to bring people together. 1. If theyd just put an extra $100 in my paycheck and said we cant have a party this year so get yourself a nice treat, Id have appreciated that too. COVID-19 is expected to last for many months, with a potential resurgence in the fall. And of course folks could also just log off if they wanted to, with no pressure to spend the rest of the day working. Trivia can be a good way to help teams relax, inspire conversation and build relationships. How to be a good coworker and leader during this crisis. Ive gotten a lot of reports of teams doing remote crafting sessions togetheroften around seasonal themes, like gingerbread houses: Our office is planning two optional events. Celebrating employee birthdays never gets old. Real world elements make virtual exercises more engaging and interactive. Gain practical tools and strategies to lead your remote team to high performance with mycomplimentary webinar and check out my new e-course: Lead High Performing Remote Teams That Thrive Through COVID and Beyond. By hosting your fundraisers online, you can reach new supporters both near and far from your school without needing to leave your desk. Decatur, IL (62521) Today. 29. You might be worried about keeping yourself safe from coronavirus. Also, its really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. This activity involves solving puzzles and finding clues to "escape" a themed room. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. Call in a local food truck specializing in the cuisine and make it mandatory for people to take a break and eat a taco. It was a huge hit, and we're already scheduled another! - Ryan Law, Content Strategist at Animalz, We sent care packages to our employees homes to help them adjust to remote work. Its expensive to recruit a new worker. Thus, make it easier for team members to congratulate each other on a job well done. Look at yourself in the mirror. Do it privately-ish. Working from home can be challenging. Remote teams can dress up for remote meetings, even if their outfits wont be on display all day. I am a big believer in team norms which support the team in self managing behaviors, practices and performance. But when you thank them for their efforts, it can be a heart-melting moment to inspire respect for you and the business. One of the best ideas for spirit care packages is to pack supplementary materials for the weeks activities. This year, theyre sending a food related gift to our homes and giving us the afternoon off. Be thoughtful with your messages of appreciation. Simply gear each day's activities around a particular topic. We have these events called campfires that take place twice a week. Offering them a handsome salary is one aspect. Every company has got one of these employees. Many a time, showing some employee appreciation may seem hard. Elaine is a true partner in every sense of the word and would be a huge asset to any company. When showtime arrives, gather on a Zoom call. You can take the first step in promoting the importance of health. The intensive schedule prevents routine responsibilities from interrupting the fun, and permits employees to focus on recharging and team bonding. Meetings and frequent check-ins both with the whole team and individual team members need to sit at the top of your to-do list. Simply designate a theme for each day or meeting, then choose the best dressed for each category. The knowledge that there is a whole day dedicated to employee appreciation should let you know its significance. Host fun team games to play with your team members. They are great team members. 1. Here are a few examples. Coffee and Chocolate Tastings It doesn't have to be cocktail focused. Companies all over the world are making their operations remote for the first time to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Not to fear: There are plenty of Halloween-inspired crafts to go around. Successful fundraising during a recession is two-pronged: Focus hard on donor engagement and retention, and These events typically occur through a series of video meetings, group chats, and collaborative online activities. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. The consulting group McKinsey & Co. surveyed 1,000 employers , and 90 percent reported that the pandemic was affecting the behavioral health of their employees. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work.
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