Back in ye olden days, before WFH was part of our regular vocabulary, team happy hour events were one of the ultimate ways for coworkers to mingle, unwind, and really get to know one another outside of the office. But now, just as the workforce is undergoing a virtual revolution, so are team happy hours.

Your team happy hour events might have once been your most well-attended team building activities, even when they first moved to a virtual format. Heck, when we were isolated at home, nothing sounded better than enjoying a cocktail (or mocktail) with coworkers over Zoom.

But as the novelty has worn off, have you noticed that attendance at your virtual happy hour event is, well, a little lackluster? Despite team happy hour events still being a great way for everyone to connect, some people may be less enthused than they used to be.

Why is that, and what can you do about it? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

 

Why Team Happy Hour Has Gone The Way of the Dinosaur

If you’re anything like us, team happy hour events usually saw impressive attendance numbers. Especially when compared to less thrilling events such as “lunch and learn.” Wouldn’t everyone prefer to hang out with their favorite drink in hand?

There are a few main reasons why your team happy hours may have started to elicit groans from your people:

  • They’ve become routine: Anything can become a drag when you do it over and over and over again. If you’ve been doing the same virtual team happy hour once a week for the past two years, it makes sense that your team may opt to watch a movie alone in their pajamas instead. This might be the case if there’s not a facilitated activity or discussion.
  • Your team isn’t as close as they used to be: Working remotely for so long has led to teams becoming more distant. Research tells us that because of the pandemic, people are interacting less with their “close networks,” and they have smaller networks overall. 
  • Everyone is burnt out: It’s not just a hunch or a feeling. Research published in the Work Trend Index tells us that everyone is collectively feeling productivity burnout, partially because we’re spending so much time in front of screens, sending emails, and working on never-ending documents. Who wants to spend more time in front of a screen after all of that, even if it’s for a team happy hour event?
  • Virtual is a struggle: Are your virtual happy hour events punctured by awkward silence and people talking over one another? There are many challenges that come with virtual teams in general, and communication and personal connection is definitely on the list. Unless you’ve mastered the art of frictionless Zoom, your virtual team happy hour events might be suffering.
  • Face-to-face is more successful: You probably feel it inherently, but face-to-face interactions and requests are simply more successful. For example, one study found that a face-to-face request is 34 times more successful than an email. So when you’re asking your team to come to a virtual happy hour over email, they’re much more likely to quietly skip it.

 

How to Bring Your Zoom Happy Hours Back to Life

Just like us at 5:00pm on a Friday, your Zoom team happy hour events are in desperate need of a pick-me-up. Here’s how you can revitalize your happy hours, so your people actually mark their calendars and show up:

  • Send out drink kits: Your team deserves a little something special, and to get them excited about your next happy hour, send drink kits right to their front door. Your team will definitely be all smiles when they open the front door and get a present, but they’ll also all be on the same page, and will have fun mixing drinks together.
  • Host a cocktail class: Take everyone’s at-home cocktail skills to the next level with a DIY Cocktail Class by Kabloom (that’s us!). In this virtual team building event, a world-class craft bartender will teach your team how to make a delicious beverage. This class requires no fancy ingredients, and uses fresh produce and no-heat necessary syrup making techniques, so everyone can participate with ease.
  • Make it tasty: Transport your team to a winery or brewery with a tasting event. You can host a virtual wine tasting or virtual beer tasting. Make it a DIY event by sending out bottles and glasses, or bring in an expert who knows their stuff.
  • Plan a friendly competition: Happy hour events are better when there’s something that gets everyone involved, so your team doesn’t just sit back in the shadows. Our virtual pub quiz trivia event is led by an international comic, and your team will be led through an energetic and competitive pub trivia quiz. 
  • Get them singing: In-person happy hour events go hand-in-hand with karaoke. Why not bring all of that joy and energy to your virtual events? Our virtual karaoke club will keep the crowd high-energy and get the party really going. 
  • Introduce some greenery: Who didn’t come out of quarantine with more plants? A virtual terrarium workshop is a great way to get everyone involved during your next virtual happy hour event. Your team will learn how to build a terrarium together, and will come out of the happy hour event with a new piece of desk decor.
  • Watch along: Pop the popcorn and put on the sweats, because you and your team can all kick back and watch a movie together. Netflix has its “Party” feature where everyone watches at the same time. Pick a series instead, and watch an episode together every week.
  • Leave them spell-bound: When’s the last time you went to a truly spellbinding magic show? Our virtual magic show brings on world-class performers who will make your team question what is real, and what is not. In this high-tech blend of card tricks, mentalism and sleight of hand, you’ll experience magic that engages your remote team, and keeps your happy hour lively.
  • Transport your team somewhere else: Whether it’s to a beach or the 80’s, a theme can really add some spice to your virtual happy hour. Ask everyone to break out their finest attire for a black tie event, encourage big hair for an 80’s party, or play dress up with a costume party. Our personal favorite? A virtual vacation event, complete with icebreakers, get-to-know-you games, and collaborative challenges and activities that foster trust. And yes, Hawaiian shirts are encouraged. 

 

With a little bit of nudging, you can get your team back on board with virtual happy hour events, and show them how awesome this team bonding time can really be. So go ahead, spice up that next Zoom call, and give your team the perfect opportunity to really spend some quality time together.

Interested in learning more about how we can help with your next virtual happy hour event? Schedule a demo with our team to see what it’s like working with Kabloom.