Inclusive celebrations for remote and hybrid teams

In today’s remote-friendly work environment, fostering a culture of inclusivity and team cohesion is more critical than ever. This article provides actionable steps for implementing inclusive celebrations catering to remote and hybrid teams.

Cultural Sensitivity: Crafting a Holiday Calendar

With a diverse team spread across different time zones and cultures, a holiday calendar can serve as a universal guide. It not only informs about various global celebrations but also helps to foster a more inclusive environment.

Equitable Gift-Giving

If gifting is part of your holiday traditions, ensure equality between on-site and remote team members. If local employees are treated to a team dinner, consider sending remote team members gift certificates to restaurants in their locale. Another option is to allocate a “spouse’s choice” budget for a dining experience.

Socializing Using Video

Visual interactions enhance the virtual meeting experience. Whether hosting a simple virtual coffee, a full-scale online holiday party or sharing snippets of holiday traditions via video, this medium is a potent tool for authentic connection.

Synchronized Movie Viewing

Although unorthodox, watching a movie together online can be an enjoyable and bonding experience. Utilize screen-sharing features, synchronize movie start times, and facilitate discussion via chat. This can also be an opportunity to introduce some informal creativity, like communal popcorn-making.

Recipe Exchange

Ask team members to share traditional holiday recipes. This is a unique way to appreciate and celebrate cultural diversity within the team.

Virtual Team-building Games

Consider virtual icebreakers or establish a dedicated Slack channel to share holiday photos and recipes. Online card games or virtual treasure hunts can engage team members from various locations.

Have food delivered

Taste each other’s typical holiday dishes by having food delivered to your colleagues house (where possible).

Gift exchange

Secret Santa initiatives work surprisingly well in a virtual setup. Team members, irrespective of location, can send gifts via post or digital delivery services.

Collaborative Playlists

Curate shared music playlists on platforms like Spotify, engaging team members in the song selection process to ensure a diversity of tastes is represented.

Collective Charity Donations

Choose a charitable organization to donate to as a team. This embodies the spirit of giving and fosters a sense of collective purpose.

Annual Gratitude Compilation

Create a cumulative list highlighting team achievements, milestones, and moments of gratitude from the past year. This serves as a reflective bonding exercise that celebrates collective accomplishments.

Experience Over Material: Innovative Gifting

Instead of traditional gifts, consider using platforms like Tinggly to offer experiences. This adds a unique, memorable element to your team celebrations.

Virtual Dance Sessions

If your team shares a love for music, coordinate a virtual dance session. The key is to select universally appealing music. Consider integrating a fun, employee-generated dance GIF montage.

The critical takeaway for those unfamiliar with orchestrating holiday events is to embrace experimentation. Even if the activities don’t proceed as envisioned, the effort to be inclusive and innovative will contribute substantially to team camaraderie, especially among remote members.