Well, it’s that time again, folks. After a brief stint of uninterrupted live events, my friends and colleagues are wondering if it’s time for corporate events to go virtual once more. Though there’s no definitive “yes or no” answer as to whether or not your team will be able to meet in-person come fall or winter, one thing is for certain: Your team is majorly overdue for connection.
The past 18 months have been nothing short of a whirlwind. From a record-breaking pandemic to stay-at-home orders and a slew of recent natural disasters across the U.S., chances are, the morning Slack channel or email chain hasn’t been the most positive as of late. And with so many team members facing these issues alone or confined to their homes, social interaction is beyond necessary.
Fortunately, social interaction does not have to mean in-person. As a virtual emcee, I’ve facilitated dozens of virtual team-building events that have broken teammates out of their recent pandemic routine and encouraged connection between peers and colleagues. Take a look at why your company might be overdue for a virtual team-building event, and why the time is now to book one.
Don’t Hesitate to Give Your Team What They Need
As a professional emcee, I’m in constant communication with corporate companies from around the country. While many were able to safely gather in-person over these past few weeks, recent concerns over the Delta variant have some event planners concerned that their upcoming events will need to be canceled or pushed back to at least Q2 of 2022.
I’m here to tell you this: The time is now for a team-building event. Not four months from now or six months from — now. Though we might have thought we saw the last of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that we’re going to be in this together for a little while longer. Do not hesitate to give your team what they need, especially when there’s a way to do so safely.
Burnout: A Very Real Problem in Today’s Workforce
Burnout is real, and it’s happening at an excessive rate in companies across the country. So much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially dubbed burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” in the International Classification of Diseases! WHO refers to burnout as a syndrome derived from “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
To many of today’s workforce, the characterizations of burnout might seem eerily familiar:
- Feeling physically and mentally exhausted or depleted
- Placing a mental distance between yourself and your job, or feeling negative about your role
- Feeling like you no perform as well at your job
Burnout can even manifest outside of the workplace, simply from juggling household tasks, personal responsibilities, and the impacts of a global pandemic all at once. After all, we’re only human — and the stress of recent months can make anyone segue into burnout! Between the inherent loneliness and repetition of the past few months, burnout is at a “frighteningly” high level.
A massive 52% of workers are experiencing burnout in 2021, a climb from the 43% who said the same in a pre-COVID survey. Another 80% believe the pandemic has impacted workplace burnout, and 67% claim burnout has worsened during the pandemic. Today, those who struggle with balancing work and home are 4.4x more likely to show signs of occupational burnout.
How Major Corporations Are Tackling Burnout
Burnout has reared its ugly head big time — and with so much of daily life still in some sense of disarray (and many employees still working from home, alone), it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Though many view remote work as an opportunity to reduce burnout risk factors, the combination of remote work and limited social interaction has proved difficult.
Even today’s biggest corporations have begun making moves to tackle burnout among their organizations. Bumble, the global dating app company, completely shut down operations for a week to give employees a chance to fully disconnect and recharge. The initiative was such a hit that Bumble announced they’ll be providing two full weeks of company-wide reset time and unlimited vacation time each year!
Other software-based platforms, like LinkedIn and Momentive (formally SurveyMonkey), also followed suit with week-long shutdowns for employees. Even a major conglomerate like Nike gave head office employees the week totally off simply to prioritize their mental health. But couldn’t there be another way for employees to wind down and recharge, without shutting down…?
Yes, and they’re called virtual team-building events!
How Virtual Team-Building Can Benefit Pandemic Teams
So, what is a virtual team-building event, anyway? Put simply, a virtual team-building event is a set of activities completed via digital software to foster connectivity and engagement among employees on a dispersed team. It’s an opportunity to come together, laugh, and create powerful emotional connections that forge strong bonds in your organization.
Beyond enabling engagement on a remote or dispersed team, a virtual team-building event is also an opportunity for employees to take a break from the past 18 months. Virtual team-building is a fantastic way to boost morale while working from home — and best of all, these virtual workshops can be opened up to families as well, so employees do not need to stress the ever-present work-life balance.
As a virtual emcee, there are tons of other reasons why I love to host virtual team-building events. For one, it’s amazing to watch an entire organization visually destress right before your eyes! But even more importantly, virtual events are easy, self-contained activities that don’t pose a risk to any employees or their family members, to keep everyone involved safe.
An Unforgettable Virtual Event with a Virtual Emcee Extraordinaire
I cannot overstate the importance of connection now more than ever. Chances are, tons of employees in your organization are silently struggling under the weight of a global pandemic, especially one that doesn’t seem to be going away any time in the next few months. For the sake of your employees’ health and happiness, act now to plan a virtual team-building event.
I pride myself in making it as simple as possible for your organization to throw the most amazing virtual team-building event, with me as your virtual emcee spearheading the show, guiding attendees through fun activities like learning to juggle, and fostering inspiring conversation. Even better, I handle all of the logistics for you!
As your virtual emcee extraordinaire, I’ll manage everything about your virtual team-building event, including:
- Building personalized graphics to brand your company event and share on social media,
- Creating a promotional video pushout to ramp up excitement for your event,
- Generating a custom link to your virtual team-building event via Zoom, Google Teams, GoToMeeting, or whichever platform you prefer,
- Hosting and entertaining for the event from start to finish!
Did I mention that I also work with my own virtual event production company to prepare for and execute virtual team-building events? You won’t have to worry about glitchy audio, funky visuals, or any inaccuracies while working with me, because everything is professionally planned from the moment we connect.
The Time is Now to Gather Again — Even Virtually
You read that right, folks— the time is now to gather again! Yes, even virtually! Virtual team-building events are what teams across the country are craving after months on end of stress, uncertainty, and isolation. Your team misses interacting with one another, sharing laughter, and embarking on new experiences. It’s time to allow them to do so once more.
Virtual team-building events are self-contained, safe, and honestly… a whole lot cheaper than trying to gather all of your employees at a ropes course or yoga retreat! Plus, they’re a risk-free event for any employee who is immunocompromised or has an immunocompromised loved one at home. Take a look at some of the recent highlights from my 200+ virtual emcee shows and team-building workshops from the past few months to see what I mean.
If you’re interested in scheduling a virtual team-building event with me, Jeff Civillico, as your virtual emcee, contact me today. Spots are filling up fast for the next few months, so schedule your event as soon as possible! I guarantee that you, your team, and the collective mental health of your company will all benefit from a dedicated virtual team-building event.
