6 Ways In-person Events Can Help Build Morale for Your Hybrid or Remote Team
Image: Three Blue Ducks Melbourne
With hybrid and remote working becoming the norm, employers are faced with a new problem: keeping morale high across a virtual environment. A positive factor though is a growing trend of in-person company events. These events aim to boost collaboration and communication, and restore team spirit, while still offering the flexibility and work-life balance of the post-pandemic workplace.
In our conversations with venues, we’re seeing a tremendous increase in in-person corporate events of a small scale with a focus on building morale across remote and hybrid teams.
This is something we really didn’t see a lot of pre-Covid, but now that so many companies across the globe have embraced more creative ways of working, they’re looking for equally creative ways to spark community and create a positive workplace culture outside the online space.
So, what makes in-person events so effective?
In-person events provide an opportunity to recognise employees who are going above and beyond
Virtual working environments have given many employers much-needed flexibility, but there’s something special about celebrating your employees in person. It could be a simple ‘thank you for doing such a great job’ or it could be a more elaborate award ceremony. No matter how you decide to show your appreciation, acknowledging the hard work of your team face-to-face, is a huge factor in boosting morale.
You’ll get a better sense of silos that might be happening within your team
Remote working environments can sometimes lead to siloed thinking between business areas. This can encourage resistance to ideas between different teams, creating roadblocks in the flow of information and acceptance of others’ points of view.
By bringing your team together in person, you’ll get a better sense of these silos, and where communication breakdowns could be patched up.
You can build a more open communication culture
Speaking of communication issues, hosting in-person events is a great way to revitalize your business’s communication culture. With a lot of remote work dialogue being text-based using programs like Slack or Teams, coming together IRL allows people to get to know each other a little bit better, whether it’s exchanging personal interests or discussing their enjoyment of a recent project. Where it can be challenging for some people to show their personality in written text, in-person meetings can help to bring out the more reserved members of the team.
You’ll be able to increase leadership visibility
When you’re working remotely, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your leadership team. Employees may view seniors as inaccessible when they don’t regularly interact.
Face-to-face meetups break down these barriers, making it much easier for teams to see their leaders as people with the same worries and problems as them. On top of this, in-person events allow a relaxed environment, giving employees and leaders the chance to interact without the distance that hierarchy sometimes creates.
As a leader, you get a chance to really listen to your team and see them in action
When you’re managing a remote team, juggling day-to-day tasks, as well as big-picture stuff can be challenging. In-person gatherings give you a chance to step back and see your team in action — getting a better sense of who they are as people with their strengths, weaknesses, and teamwork on full display.
It will also give your team a chance to express any thoughts, ideas, or issues they may have, allowing them to feel heard and potentially open your team up to useful new perspectives.
Having an enjoyable experience together is a great way to encourage camaraderie and boost communication across your team
Finally, don’t forget that your employees deserve an event that’s engaging, enjoyable, and most importantly, fun! No matter the scope of your gathering, whether a company retreat or team night out, an enjoyable team event helps your people create positive associations with work and the people around them.
Your in-person event solution
In-person events are a simple and effective way to build team morale outside of your virtual working environment. As a leader, you’ll be able to understand your team and observe them as people instead of simply employees.
These meet-ups also give employees a chance to feel heard, assuring them that you as a leader and company listen to them and value their opinion.
If you’re looking into settings for your in-person event, Venue Crew can help. Our huge selection of venues and vendors allows you to find the perfect match for your in-person event.
