Virtual Team Building With Three Tips for Spicing Up Zoom Meetings

Virtual Team Building Activities That Work

A year ago who would’ve thought that “zoom fatigue” would be part of our conversation and that we’d be having Zoom marathon days?

Zoom fatigue is real. Research shows that compared to face-to-face, texting and using social media, energy use during a Zoom call is higher. It’s more intense than other modes. People feel like they have to make more emotional effort to appear interested, and in the absence of many non-verbal cues, the intense focus on words and sustained eye contact is exhausting.

It’s time to spice up Zoom meetings and use virtual team building activities that will engage your team and foster connections. Here are three ways:

1. Use boundaries as a recipe for Zoom relief for yourself and for your team. When you’re not so zoomed-out, you’ll enjoy your Zoom meetings more. The key is to set boundaries. If possible, make one day of the week your Zoom day so you can leverage other days to not be on calls and get some work done. Block off times before and after meetings to catch your breath.
2. Mix in humor and video effects. When you’re on video, you tend to spend the most time gazing at your own face. This can be easily avoided by hiding your own face. Others on the call will see you, but you won’t have to stare at yourself during the call. Take it a step further by using backgrounds that Zoom offers. Or make your image into a Memoji or Animoji. They’re a great option to take away the stress and inject a sense of humor into a video call during a pandemic. During a recent virtual team bonding cooking event here at Team Building With Taste, Bobby Flay signed in. No, it wasn’t the real Bobby Flay, but the team member that signed in so creatively added a fun dimension throughout the event.
3. Spice it up by fostering connection and camaraderie through a virtual team building cooking event. Coming together socially – even on Zoom – is critical for mental and emotional health. That’s true year-round and during the holidays that need is even greater. The good news is that you can still create experiences and memories for your organization with a virtual team building cooking event.

Our virtual team building experience lasts about an hour and a half and brings you the best aspects of our Iron Chef team building competitions while teams attend from the safety of their own kitchens. Our chefs guide participants through the recipes, provide the ground rules, start the clock and even throw in a few curveballs.  They’re easy to do, inexpensive, and provide a way for co-workers to enjoy an activity together outside of work.

Team Bonding Experience

While virtual team building might not be the same as experiencing it in-person, there are other benefits. At a time when employees need to feel connected more than ever, this is a team bonding experience they can share virtually. Team members who have attended our virtual cooking challenges tell us they enjoy peering into their co-workers’ kitchens, getting a glimpse into their everyday lives and even meeting some of the family members – both two-legged and four-legged ones! Check out our virtual team building cooking challenge options and get your team scheduled today.

A short clip from one of our recent virtual team bonding cooking events.