Zoom Happy Hour: How to Host the Best Virtual Event for Your Team
Office culture has been forever changed thanks to the pandemic. While many workers have eased into a new work environment within their homes, what’s missing from the new model is the conviviality of getting together with co-workers and work friends for after-hours bonding, blowing off steam, and building employee morale. Without the ability to pop your head inside someone’s office door or awaiting happy-hour on the building’s first floor, it’s not nearly as easy as it once was to set up some post-work events. Even while working remotely, or spread out in pods, it’s still possible to set up time to bond, enjoy a beverage, and build a fun reward for employees. Here’s how to plan a fantastic remote happy hour over Zoom.
Set the Time & Vibe: Set up a calendar invite, but pay close attention to the language and your tone. A simple invite for drinking will suffice, however adding a theme or timely reason for the event will pull people in more readily, and set the stage for relaxation and fun. Timing is best at the end of the work day, but before dinner time. A 4pm happy hour in an office that usually works until 5:30 is perfect. Anything later than an hour after the work day typically draws fewer attendees (and could feel like a chore - when this is fun!).
Add a Guest List: The best happy hours include a team of at least three and up to 12 people. Larger groups can make it more difficult for free-flowing conversation, and can make some feel less engaged.
Choose a Platform: Pick the best meeting software. It’s best to use the same platform everyone has downloaded. Free Zoom holds allure, but there is no bigger bummer than losing the link thanks to the 40 minute time limit.
Create Engagement: Keep your fun from feeling like Forced Family Fun Time by creating opportunities for engagement (this will also save you from the dreaded dead eyes or awkward talk-overs). Designate yourself Cruise Director and check in with everyone as they’ve dialed in. Ask everyone where they are and what they’re drinking. See if you can draw a correlation between the work day and the kind of drink. (For example: Light beer: super easy flow work day with some satisfying accomplishments. Old Fashioned: Every client meeting was like pulling teeth, requiring a good dose of grandpa’s cough medicine. Gin and Tonic: You came to party. Wine: yoga pants dress code. Jägermeister: no morning meetings planned now, or ever.)
Go Pro: To really amp up the experience, plan a virtual cocktail class with the happy hour. Equal Parts Cocktail Co. can kick off the party - and take the pressure off - by walking everyone through how to make a classic cocktail. With straightforward instructions, useful tips, and the ease created by a professional bartender, conversations flow much more smoothly and the bonding experience of learning something new sets the stage for even better team building.
