Over the past few years, we have been plunged into a working life of makeshift desks, online meetings and working alone. Managers and their teams had to adapt quickly to conducting business online and have become pretty good at it. Those who moved quickly were congratulated on their efficiency in maintaining momentum however, the legacy of this faced paced turnaround has left many individuals feeling isolated from their workmates.
Global teams perhaps had more advantages as they were already set up to work together without distance being a hindrance, although they were still used to hopping on a plane to meet up for more important meetings and events.
Now more than three years on, the businesses that we have worked with and spoken to have found that hybrid working has been so effective that they will be keeping that model, but they need to find ways to engage their employees better and ensure their wellbeing.
Supporting the wellness of employees is important to ensure their wellbeing is not affected by working remotely. This is particularly useful for global teams where many employees work remotely. Not only does considering the mental wellbeing of employees improve work culture, but research shows it can increase employees’ productivity by 12%.
It is the role of employers, employees and businesses to create a positive working environment and build communities across global sites. Global teams have limited social interaction so organising virtual team activities is a great way to ensure everyone stays connected.
How to get remote workers moving more.
Companies need to find a common activity and purpose to connect global teams, which can be successfully achieved by combining team fitness challenges with giving back.
When working remotely, one of the key issues is ensuring that people are moving regularly and taking breaks from their desks throughout the day. They can become sedentary without the need to travel to the office or walk to the canteen and they also crucially miss out on the water cooler moments. Not taking a lunch break and working late become the norm and this is something that Wellbeing Managers need to be addressing for their employee’s mental health and motivation.
Using the WellGiving platform, managers across global sites can set team challenges where any activity counts such as practising yoga in the morning, getting outside for a walk at lunchtime or going for a run after work, which is then logged towards their active minutes. This greatly encourages employees to get competitive and moving daily whilst boosting their mental health.
As a bonus, companies can combine a team exercise challenge with giving back to a charity or several charities in different countries, of their choice raising much-needed funds.
Challenge teams can be easily mixed across global sites rather than setting a team from each location. The ability to use a dedicated platform where teams can share updates, follow progress and share photos of their activities aids in colleagues building relationships and connecting regardless of job title, position or location within the company.
If you would like to find out more about how WellGiving is connecting Global teams through movement and giving back – book a demo today.
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