Virtual Team Building: Activities and Best Practices
Organized activities and practices designed to build rapport, trust, and social connection among remote team members who don't regularly interact in person.
Virtual team building refers to intentional activities and practices that help remote workers connect socially and build relationships despite physical distance. While traditional offices offer spontaneous watercooler conversations and lunch outings, remote teams need deliberate approaches to foster camaraderie. This includes structured activities like virtual games or trivia, informal practices like random coffee chats, and dedicated social channels. When done well, virtual team building combats isolation, strengthens team bonds, and creates a sense of belonging. However, effectiveness varies widely—forced participation or excessive activities can backfire, while organic, opt-in approaches tend to work better.
virtual-team-building
Virtual team building encompasses the strategies, activities, and practices that remote organizations use to create social connections and build team cohesion among distributed employees. Unlike in-person team building that relies on physical proximity, virtual team building leverages digital tools and creative approaches to recreate informal interactions, celebrate together, and develop trust across time zones and locations.
- Quality over quantity: One meaningful monthly activity beats weekly forced participation that employees dread and avoid
- Opt-in works best: Mandatory “fun” often backfires; voluntary activities attract genuinely interested participants and create better energy
- Async matters too: Not everything needs to be synchronous; Slack channels, shared playlists, and async games accommodate different schedules
- Budget for it: Companies spending $50-100 per employee quarterly on team building see measurably higher engagement scores
- Integration is key: The most effective team building happens naturally within workflows, not as separate “special events”
Types of Virtual Team Building
Virtual team building spans a wide spectrum, from highly structured events to organic daily practices:
Structured Virtual Events include scheduled activities like online trivia competitions, virtual escape rooms, online cooking or cocktail classes, and remote game tournaments. These work best when they’re occasional (monthly or quarterly), professionally facilitated, and scheduled during work hours so participation doesn’t feel like an obligation.
Virtual Offsites and Retreats involve dedicated time, often a half or full day, focused on strategic planning combined with social connection. Many remote companies also invest in periodic in-person gatherings (1-2 times yearly) which, while technically not “virtual,” are essential complements to virtual team building.
Informal Social Practices tend to be the most sustainable. This includes dedicated Slack channels for hobbies, pets, or random topics; random coffee chat pairings using tools like Donut; virtual coworking sessions where people work silently together on video; and show-and-tell sessions where team members share projects or interests.
Recognition and Celebration encompasses virtual birthday or anniversary celebrations, peer recognition programs, and team wins channels where successes are celebrated publicly. These create positive associations and reinforce team identity.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
The reality is that virtual team building is tricky, and many companies get it wrong. Here’s what tends to work:
What works: Activities that are truly optional, happen during work hours, are relatively brief (30-60 minutes), provide real value or entertainment, and accommodate different personalities and preferences. Small group interactions (3-5 people) typically generate better connections than large all-hands events. Integration with work context—like celebrating project launches or having creative brainstorms in game format—feels more natural than isolated “fun time.”
What doesn’t work: Mandatory participation in activities outside work hours, excessive frequency that feels performative, activities requiring significant prep work from employees, forced vulnerability exercises, and anything that assumes everyone drinks alcohol or shares particular interests. Virtual team building that feels like corporate theater rather than genuine connection tends to create cynicism rather than cohesion.
The honest truth: Some people simply won’t engage no matter how well-designed the activity is, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t 100% participation; it’s creating enough opportunities that everyone can find something that resonates. The most successful remote companies build team culture through consistent, integrated practices rather than occasional big events.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time should we dedicate to virtual team building?
Most successful remote companies allocate 2-4 hours monthly per employee for team building activities, with the understanding that not everyone will participate in everything. This might be one 60-minute all-hands activity, plus ongoing informal channels and opt-in smaller gatherings. More important than total time is consistency—regular, predictable opportunities work better than sporadic intense efforts.
Should virtual team building activities be during work hours?
Yes, absolutely. Scheduling team building during work hours sends the message that connection is a legitimate part of work, not an extra burden. It also addresses equity issues—employees with caregiving responsibilities or those in different time zones shouldn't have to choose between participation and personal time. If an activity is valuable enough for the company, it should happen within the workday.
What's the ROI of investing in virtual team building?
While hard to measure precisely, companies with intentional virtual team building report 20-30% lower turnover among remote employees and higher engagement scores. The real value shows up in intangibles: faster conflict resolution because people know each other, more creative collaboration because psychological safety exists, and stronger retention because employees feel connected to teammates. The cost of replacing a remote employee typically far exceeds annual team building investment.
How do you make virtual team building feel authentic and not forced?
Authenticity comes from giving employees agency and choice. Instead of mandating specific activities, offer a menu of options at different time slots. Better yet, let teams self-organize with a budget and light guidance. The most authentic team building often emerges from work itself—celebrating launches together, doing creative problem-solving sessions, or having topic-specific learning sessions where people share expertise. When social connection is woven into work rather than separated from it, it feels more genuine.