New insight shows you don’t have to meet colleagues in person to have a fun and effective team-building exercise.
One of the biggest arguments against remote work has been the claim that it stifles collaboration and a sense of community amongst team members.
While it is true that some remote workers can feel isolated, a growing amount of research has begun to pick that argument apart.
Virtual events can help combat some of the negatives of remote work. (Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels)
The latest of such research, a study undertaken by Avva Experience, a corporate event company, found that not only are virtual events gaining popularity, but they’re also having a positive effect for remote and hybrid teams.
Office party! — at home
Avva Experience surveyed 1,000 remote teams and found that, in most cases, virtual events significantly helped to improve team building, morale and even productivity.
Over 80% of the respondents strongly agreed that virtual events improved employee engagement.
Just as many respondents strongly agreed that the events improved employee mental health.
Around 20% of respondents said participating in virtual events with their team made them more productive, and 15% said they were less likely to leave their job.
Even better, virtual team exercises aren’t just good for remote teams — they’re good for the environment, too.
In a separate study, the University of Michigan found that virtual events can help businesses cut their carbon footprint by as much as 94%.
This is in addition to the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) study that suggested businesses can help reduce around 60% of their carbon emissions just by switching to fully remote work.
A major win for remote work woes
Remote workers can struggle with feeling lonely, but not anymore. (Photo by Matilda Wormwood on Pexels)
The results of Avva Experience’s survey are incredible because concerns about communication, team spirit, morale and loneliness were among the biggest challenges for remote workers.
Some remote staff reported feeling undervalued or taken for granted, while others felt they did not have the same access to promotions or career development opportunities as their in-office peers, who may have more or easier access to upper management or even CEOs.
Experts like those at consulting firm The Hackett Group suggested that these symptoms indicate trouble with a company’s overall culture than it does with remote work.
Meanwhile, organisations like Gallup, an analytics and advisory firm, recommended that businesses make more of an effort to engage their remote workforce to address some of these issues.
Now, Avva Experience’s research shows that recommendation indeed holds some merit, once again giving remote work a leg up as an incredible form of working — and giving its opponents one less point to argue about.
Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via RemoteWorker.co.uk.