If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it’s the value of human interaction. Whether it be in person or through a screen, it’s something many of us craved during lockdown. 

What can startups learn from this? That creating a strong company culture based on positive, regular communication amongst staff is extremely important.

If you're a startup founder or a company owner, integrating a strong company culture will increase staff retention, improve the mental well-being of your team and make for a more enjoyable place to work. It’s not nearly as time-consuming to set up or manage as you may think and the benefits more than outweigh the investment.

Organising activities that help your team get to know and support each other is rarely on top of the to-do list for many startups. When working in an office, ‘after-work drinks’ is about the extent of it. Now, with so many startups operating remotely, company culture, communication and team building is paramount. Not everyone will partake, and that’s fine, but many will and they’ll reap the benefits. Furthermore, if your team is treated well by their company, they’ll want to produce better work, feel connected to your vision and have a deeper meaning in their work.

The same applies to freelancers. Treat them like you would an employee and get them involved in company activities. Your efforts will pay off in their work.

So, how can you use Zoom to help create or improve your company's culture while everyone works from home? 

Here’s a few ideas:

1. COOKING CHALLENGES

If your team includes a bunch of competitive souls who are really into food, they’ll love a good cooking challenge.    

There’s loads of different ways you can organise cooking challenges on Zoom. However, the best one I’ve come across is Zoom Kitchen Connect.

It’s so easy to make this challenge into a weekly or monthly one. You can keep an online scoreboard, share pictures of your creations and come up with novel prizes for winning teams. 

2. FITNESS CHALLENGES

When we first went into lockdown, I was getting out for a walk every morning without fail. Fast forward a few weeks however and my enthusiasm for my daily walk had begun to wane.

Sometimes we need to be held accountable by others to help motivate ourselves to do exercise. That’s why loads of companies have organised fitness classes for their employees on Zoom. 

Whether it be an instructor led pilates class or HIT session, scheduling an online fitness class is a great way to help employees look after themselves and get moving. It also creates a great sense of collective achievement. 

Top tip: Remote working can be frustrating and stressful at times for those who aren’t used to it. Lunchtime fitness sessions are a great way to help your employees switch off and de-stress. It’s so much easier to face into an afternoon of work with a clear head thanks to a bit of exercise. 

3. FIVE MINUTE STRETCHING SESSIONS​

Many of us who cycled or walked to work before the virus outbreak are now rolling out of our beds and onto our laptops. While it's blissful for some, the lack of movement needed to get from bed to desk can easily leave us feeling stiff with unwanted niggles if were not careful.

A friend told me lately that her company created a simple initiative called ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’ where employees can join a Zoom meeting twice a day for a team stretch. This is a 5-10 minute session led by a different employee each time. It simply encourages employees to get up from their desks and move around at least twice a day.

4. VIRTUAL DRINKS WITH A TWIST  

Although pubs are due to open soon, many people will be hesitant about heading out for drinks just yet. If your employees usually head out for a few on a Friday, they might be missing this weekly event. 

So, here’s an idea: As a token of appreciation for your employees' hard work while working from home during the pandemic, why not surprise them with a cocktail delivered straight to their door? I’m not suggesting you do this every week (that could be a bit much), but more as a one off treat.

There’s been loads of bars and companies delivering cocktail sets to people’s houses throughout the pandemic. If some of your employees don’t drink, most bars have non alcoholic options available too. 

Schedule a virtual drinks session some Friday with your team and surprise them with a delicious delivery that you can all enjoy together over Zoom. 

5. VIRTUAL QUIZZES

I know this is probably the most predictable Zoom activity out there. However, I’m including it because if they’re prepared well, virtual quizzes are a brilliant way to get your employees laughing and having fun together.

What’s the secret behind creating a great quiz you ask?

It helps to be prepared in advance. The more slides, funny images, music and videos you have, the better a quiz will be. Variety and humour are key. 

Remote working is tough. However, what people are lacking in being near each other physically can be partially made up for with interactive rounds and questions about specific employees, in-jokes etc. 

While working from home can present a lot of challenges, it can also be used as an opportunity by many companies to develop and improve their company culture.

Now more than ever we’re all craving human connection and thankfully Zoom enables us to connect with our friends and colleagues in just a few clicks. 

So organise that cooking challenge. Put together a quiz. Bring your employees together.

You’ll be glad you did.