4 Ways to Feel Connected to Remote Employees Around the Holidays

We’ve made it to December – a month that is typically filled with catered holiday parties and ugly sweater runways, now will look quite different in 2020. With remote being the new norm, many businesses are unsure how to spread festive vibes to co-workers who are working at home. Rather than canceling all holiday related activities, it’s important to find ways to hold them safely to spread positivity within your business. Learn four ways that technology can help you stay connected to remote employees around the holidays.

Gone are the days for companies to host in-person company-wide gatherings to celebrate the holiday season. Before you cancel these plans altogether, there are many ways you can utilize technology to get in the jolly spirit. Host a themed webinar party so that everyone can still come together and make the most of these difficult times. In order to make the virtual party feel like the real deal, do your best to make it as personal as possible. Use breakout sessions so everyone can connect better, hold an ugly sweater contest for a festive prize, start a winter karaoke competition, etc. There are many ways video conferences can spread holiday cheer. Investing in good audio technology like Polycom headsets, can help ensure every voice is heard and the connection is the same as if everyone was standing in the same room.

2. Promote Giving

’Tis the season of giving. Even though everything feels different than it did in the past, at least this idea should remain the same. Many times, the holiday season brings a great opportunity for companies to hold an annual toy drive or food donation bin in their business lobby. However, just because all employees will be spending the season in their own homes, doesn’t mean those in need should suffer. Technology can offer a simple way to bring everyone together and encourage these same types of donations from the comfort of their own homes. You can still hold winter contests to raise these sorts of donations and send the prize to the winner’s house. To hype up the contestants, try doing a weekly video call to announce who is in the lead. Not only will it help keep everyone motivated, it will also bring everyone together as if you are all under the same roof.

3. Holiday Themed

ChatsWorking in the office during the winter did a great job at boosting employee moods. Between the festive music, bright lights and creative decor, holiday cheer was easily obtained. The reason there is so much joy around the holidays is because it isn’t just one day to celebrate, it’s excitement the lasts the entire month. Holiday themed-chats are a great way to translate this same sense of everyday joy to employees who are each remote. Hosting holiday-trivia, at-home winter decorating contests or favorite holiday recipe swaps, can each offer great ways to replicate holiday cheer as if your employees were together in the office every day. RingCentral’s desktop app or Microsoft 365 are both great chatting platforms that offer seamless ways to communicate with employees so you can spread cheer from wherever you are. Utilizing chat function can be a great way for employees to connect with each other and feel the holiday spirit even when they are far away.

4. Virtual Secret Santa

Not only does giving to those less fortunate make you feel good, but being able to open up a gift yourself during these overwhelming times, can be the stress reliever we all need. Rather than allowing the pandemic to cancel all holiday gift traditions like Secret Santa or White Elephant, utilize technology to its best ability to still hold these festive events. Get creative with your video conferencing tools to hold this event virtually or use Elfster, a free website that allows you to easily achieve this swap remotely. For other ideas on how technology can help hold events that used to be in-person, contact a managed IT service provider. They provide 24/7 care so you can get the technology you need to keep your holiday festivities running smoothly.