The pandemic has completely shifted the way in which teams work and the role of the traditional office. Many teams are working remotely, or at least partially. Some companies have begun their return to the office, and many others have plans to do so at some point this year.
What is a Hybrid Team?
This new model of working is being referred to as a hybrid team. A hybrid team includes a blend of virtual and in person work— it could have some workers fully remote, some completely in the office, and others working both at home and in the office. In-person collaboration, team-building activities, and casual office camaraderie have always been important pillars of a company’s culture, and with a hybrid workforce, it’s important to think through ways to keep employees engaged, motivated and connected regardless of where they’re working from.
Team-building activities have always been central to company culture, whether it’s happy hours in the office or team lunches, shared experiences over food are a great way to foster connection among employees. Let’s look at three team-building activities to help improve company culture for hybrid teams.
#1: Team Lunches
One fun way to encourage camaraderie and ensure your company culture lives on for all employees is a lunch buddy program. This is where you pair employees together and encourage them to meet virtually every two weeks. You should try to pair an in-office employee with a remote worker to ensure they’re building a relationship and maintaining a connection. For this program, you could provide employees with a meal perk so they can individually order their meals to enjoy during their lunch.
#2: New Hire Onboarding
Employee onboarding is one of the most important things you can do since it sets the tone for your company culture. Whether you’re onboarding fully remote employees or hybrid workers, it’s important to ensure that everyone feels included and connected to the entire workforce.
Some companies are planning a series of four lunches for all new hires in their first month. The goal is for them to meet and greet their new colleagues, especially team members they will interact with regularly. During these sessions, give the new hire and the co-worker a $20 lunch budget each. They can order a meal either in person or virtually and have the opportunity to get to know one another.
It’s also a good idea to ensure your team members are paired with employees they might not meet in the office. This not only fosters a positive future working relationship, but it allows the new hire to learn critical information and build the relationships they need in order to be successful in their role.
#3: Breakfast Socials
Another great way to improve company culture with hybrid teams is to facilitate monthly virtual breakfast meetings for small groups of your employees.
Consider pairing up groups of both in-office and remote employees to help foster collaboration and have them all dial into a virtual call. These should also be informal discussions, but we do recommend your team members come prepared to discuss one exciting project they’re working on. They can take turns sharing fun ideas, and they may even find they can share key learnings. Set your team up with a budget so they can order their favorite breakfast foods to enjoy over their conversation.
Boosting Company Culture with Meals
A strong company culture for hybrid teams is vital for employee morale and productivity. Companies across the nation are leveraging Grubhub as a simple, flexible and cost-effective corporate ordering solution to help provide meals for hybrid team-building activities, overtime meals, weekly meal perks, and more. Grubhub can help you easily support your employees at home and at the office by allowing your team to order meals from their favorite local restaurants, all while streamlining the billing and expense process for you.
