As companies are adjusting to a prolonged period of remote work, they would also need to grapple with challenges that arise, including the lack of opportunities for colleagues to catch up in an informal setting, and to strengthen team cohesion.
In a bid to find creative solutions to this challenge, some HR practitioners and managers are turning to virtual escape rooms.
In an attempt to understand how an escape room can be played virtually, and whether it helps improve team cohesion and bonding, the DollarsAndSense team tried a virtual escape room for ourselves, and here is what we learnt from the experience.
Escape Rooms Require Extensive Communication And Interaction Among Participants
When going through our escape room, we had to communicate with each other clearly while solving the problems to progress in the game.
As we solved more, we became more of a well-oiled machine and had been even better in communication, solving and ultimately improving our effectiveness in communication as well as being more cohesive as a team.
Also, when we completed the game, there was a sense of pride in us working together as a team to solve the game. This sense of accomplishment made us want to solve more puzzles and knowing how well we worked together increased our morale.
Read Also: Commentary: The Future Of Work Is Already Here. It’s Time We Be Ready
Puzzles Put Teammates In Unfamiliar Situations, Which Helps With Discovering New Things About Each Other
While playing the games, the team would be more used to and more familiar with how the team and individual members communicate with each other. Members integrate better into the team when playing the game, thus having the team be more comfortable with one another.
Work from home conditions may have made it harder for people to connect and interact with each other, but with such team building activities, we would better understand how to work and interact with one another.
Read Also: 5 Ways To Show Appreciation For Your Team Who Are Working Remotely
A Good Diversion From Regular Zoom Meetings And Work Discussions
Working from home can tire out even the most enthusiastic of staff, and work-life balance can be turned upside down if you’re not careful.
However, since we are using our usual video-conferencing platform during office hours to play a game and bond together, the feedback was that it was a welcome change of pace.
From thinking of work 24/7, perhaps sometimes on our own accord, being ‘forced’ to take a break with our colleagues did help ease the feeling of burnout. Towards this end, remote exercise sessions or other kinds of team games are also useful.
Virtual Escape Rooms Approximates The In-Person Experience
In-person team building activities are obviously not possible during this period, due to the coronavirus. However, virtual escape rooms are one activity that are a good alternative to in-person team-building activities.
Widely regarded as an integral part of a company’s HR initiatives, companies can tap on online experiences to still organise these sessions amidst work-from-home conditions.
Virtual Escape rooms can cost to as little as $20 per session, which makes them a cost-effective activity. Also, your team would have the perk of playing from home instead of being crammed into a room.
Of course, the experience would depend greatly on the quality of the puzzles and user interface, and perhaps you lose out slightly on the immersion compared to playing in-person.
Read Also: 3 Signs You Might Be Suffering From Work Burnout – And What To Do About It
New Challenges Require New Solutions
In this new work situation, companies are gradually transitioning towards a situation where people might permanently work from home, or do so much more often. HR and managers would do well to be aware of virtual team building exercises and explore if these are worth introducing to their team.
For us, the virtual escape room experience was a fun one, and it did boost morale and helped with team cohesion – all at a far cheaper price that actual escape rooms.
The virtual escape room experience we had is an early example of virtual team activities, and we can’t wait for more offerings in the future.
Subscribe To The DollarsAndSense Business Pass
Enjoy what you are reading and want more? Join The DollarsAndSense Business Pass and unlock access to valuable tools, exclusive networking opportunities, and tap into the wisdom of industry experts to fuel your business expansion!
