Virtual happy hours made for a great replacement to in-person gatherings when remote work first began last spring.
But that was 10 months ago, and for some, Zoom happy hours have gone stale.
Companies have had to think innovatively when it comes to team-building activities that keep colleagues eager to participate.
BookBub, for instance, introduced movie nights.
“To find a way for people to spend time together without the pressure of having your camera turned on, we’ve found that movie nights with a shared screen are a great way to keep in touch,” said BookBub Head of People Operations Virginia Crosa.
Meanwhile, Catalant Technologies has launched competitions with prizes that include manager TikTok videos, leaders dressed in costumes and steak dinners.
“Our team thrives from individual and team-based competitions,” said Business Development Manager Frank Grady. “It’s great to see how creative the company has gotten despite the external circumstances.”
Crosa and Grady highlighted how else they’ve evolved culture-building activities to better meet their teams’ remote needs.
The Catalant Technologies team has gotten creative to keep people engaged and connected across the project management platform company. Business Development Manager Frank Grady said activities have included virtual game nights, socially distant outdoor gatherings and a new TV series inspired by fan favorites like “MTV Cribs” and Food Network’s “Chopped.”
What’s the most notable change you’ve seen in your company culture since transitioning to remote work?
The remote environment has made it difficult to gain exposure with people across functions that you wouldn’t typically work with. We have managed to combat the remote challenges with new ways to keep the team excited to be a part of the company every day. We now host virtual game nights, happy hours, book clubs and socially distant outdoor gatherings. We even created “Catalant TV” or “CT-TV,” which hosts TV shows that bring people together in a remote environment. Examples include “CT-Cribs,” “CT-Chopped,” “SPIF-Center” and many more. It’s great to continue working alongside such creative people that are dedicated to continuing our cultural values.
GRADY’S ADVICE
When it comes to culture-building rituals, what’s one old ritual that you’ve kept or adapted? What’s a new one since going remote?
Our team thrives from individual and team-based competitions. Even in a remote environment, we’re able to operate with a fiercely competitive mindset, creating opportunities for employees to push one another and earn recognition across the organization for adding value. Our company creates competitions that incentivize the behaviors and actions that align with our vision and cultural values. Despite being remote, we continue to provide results and recognition during team-wide meetings, company announcements and Slack channels.
Since going remote, we’ve had to think outside of the box when it comes to incentivizing our employees and rewarding those who continue to strive for growth. We’ve created multiple programs that offer unique rewards, such as managers creating TikTok videos, leaders dressing up in funny outfits, steak dinners, mentorship programs aligning with professional development, and many others. It’s great to see how creative the company has gotten despite the external circumstances.
“We’ve strived to be a place where employees can feel comfortable bringing their real, full selves to the office — meaning that even when you’re not at your best, you still belong,” said Virginia Crosa, head of people operations at the book discovery and recommendation platform BookBub. In a remote environment, that means not batting an eye at a dog, a child or unattended laundry in the background of a meeting.
What’s the most notable change you’ve seen in your company culture since transitioning to remote work?
Since we’ve gone remote, our emphasis on bringing your full self to work even when you’re not at your best has amplified. With all of us working from our homes, and with how challenging this year has been for many, it’s almost impossible to hide the messiness of real life: Kids wandering through the background, unfolded laundry piling up on the sofa, dogs barking, the dishwasher running. It’s been really important to our culture for employees to know that that’s OK. As we’ve spent longer in this season of remote work, it seems our teams have indeed grown all the more comfortable with seeing — and welcoming — their teammates’ unfiltered selves.
CROSA’S ADVICE:
When it comes to culture-building rituals, what’s one old ritual that you’ve kept or adapted. What’s a new one since going remote?
When we were working in-person in our Kendall Square office, we ran a weekly event called “lunch roulette,” which is when a randomized group of employees would match up and go to lunch together on BookBub’s dime. It was a fun opportunity for BookBubbers who don’t work together regularly to spend quality time together. Once we went remote, we felt it was still important to give employees an opportunity to casually mix across teams. Instead of sending groups out to restaurants, we now grab groups of employees and assign them hilarious virtual activities to do together during a video call!
A new ritual we’ve started is themed movie nights. Sometimes after a long day of meetings, even if you want to connect with your friends, you may not want to join one more video call. To find a way for people to spend time together without the pressure of having your camera turned on, we’ve found that movie nights with a shared screen are a great way to keep in touch. Our company will vote on a movie, and then gather to spend an evening watching a familiar favorite or new feature while cracking jokes with one another.
