When working from home it can be hard to maintain the sense of community that we all rely on. We’re here to help!
Below are tips and tricks for maintaining a sense of community and human connection while working remotely, both in the office (with coworkers) and out of the office (with friends and family!).
“In the Office”
1. Leave Room for Chit Chat
- For calls, especially 1:1 leave room at the beginning for just chit chat. As a leader make sure to ask how people are doing. Learn about their lives so you can check in with them and know other things that are going on in their lives outside of work.
2. Virtual Happy Hours
- It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! A great way to boost a sense of community is a virtual happy hour. Set a time and grab your beverage of choice for a fun and relaxed way to get to know your co-workers.
3. Weekly Coffee Chats
- Use Slack apps such as Random Coffees to randomly pair up members of your team to take a coffee break together. This is a simple and easy way to become closer with your co-workers one on one.
4. Water Cooler Zoom Channel
- Need a quick break from the work day? What better way to spend that break than a little socializing? Creating a drop-in Zoom channel dedicated to banter and chit chat is a very natural way to increase your company’s sense of community. Pro tip: announce when you’re looking for some water cooler time to boost attendance in the channel!
5. Daily Stand-Ups
- Start every morning with a quick check-in. Use Slack apps such as DailyBot to read the virtual room and get a sense of how your team is doing and what’s been going on in their lives.
“Out of the Office”
1. TikTok Duets
- It’s no secret that the video sharing app has been taking the world by storm, but what you may not know is that it has become one of the best ways to pass the time and stay connected with friends and family while social distancing. TikTok’s duet feature allows you to make videos alongside other users. It’s almost like you’re dancing and joking around together. Need some inspiration? Check out some of the most famous TikTok duets here.
2. Jackbox Games on Zoom
- Wish you could have family game night? Getting bored of the same old FaceTime calls with friends? Try Jackbox Games on Zoom! Jackbox Games are local multiplayer games perfect to play with others in remote locations. You can play anything from Fibbage to Push the Button. These games are guaranteed to keep you and your friends entertained together. To learn more about how to play their games with your friends, check out this tutorial.
3. Netflix Party
- Missing movie night with your people? Get a group together and create a Netflix Party! Netflix Party is an easy way to watch movies and TV shows with friends and family online. The Chrome extension connects your screens, allowing you to watch together in real time, and includes a chat function to keep up the banter just as you would in person.
4. Live Workout Classes
- Get active with your friends with one of the many live workout classes being offered right now! From yoga and sculpt classes via CorePower Yoga’s YouTube channel to HIIT cardio classes brought to you by Barry’s Bootcamp Instagram live stories, there is no shortage of options. Go live with some friends. It’ll be just like taking a workout class together in person minus the potential embarrassment from being a little out of shape.
5. Zoom Dinner Dates
- Keep it simple. Whip up a meal for one, grab your laptop, and get on Zoom with a significant other, group of friends, or your family. You might find yourself chatting for hours and feeling like you all really are at the dinner table together. What better way to stay connected?
Looking for a community to do all these fun things with?
Come join 3,500 other remote workers in the Workfrom Slack!
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