The 10 Best Ideas for Your Remote Team Holiday Party

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and where and how we celebrate will look a lot different this year. Social distancing regulations will force companies to rethink their yearly traditions, coming up with new ways to celebrate the holidays' responsibly and with care. This year, businesses will have to get a little more creative, refocusing the holiday event on the people, over frivolity, to ensure employees have a memorable and rewarding experience. A remote holiday party can be an excellent alternative to a traditional in-person celebration. Not only is it less expensive and easier to plan, but it's a more inclusive way of coming together because you can join from anywhere with wifi!So, what's on the holiday party agenda this year? Connection, culture and employee recognition. Let's dive into 10 of the best ideas for your remote holiday party for 2020. 

Throw the Best Virtual Zoom Holiday Party

Okay, we acknowledge that Zoom Fatigue is a real thing; however, there are ways to create an engaging zoom party experience that all employees will enjoy. Try gamifying your holiday party theme. Fun hats, sweaters, socks, anything that will make your team smile. Another idea is to create fun holiday-inspired virtual backgrounds that your employees can use on the Zoom call. Or you have them design their own using a free tool like Canva, and hold a contest for the best virtual background. Keep reading, and you can add more of the ideas we listed below to make your virtual zoom holiday party a memorable one. 

Organize a Remote Gift or Card Exchange

Take your classic gift swap—but make it remote! Use a tool like Draw Names and have employees anonymously pick someone to send a handwritten card or gift. You can encourage your employees to get creative or sentimental, which adds a personal touch. It’s also a great way to increase team bonding by having your employees get to know each other a little better. Instead of exchanging gifts or cards in person, have employees ship their card to their giftee safely in the mail. Once you ensure everyone on the team has received their gifts, you can schedule an “unboxing party” where everyone can open their card or gifts on zoom or send photos on Slack, sharing the goods!

Host an “Awards” Holiday Party to Recognize Your Team

Why not focus this year's holiday party on the people, emphasizing their accomplishments and setting the new year's stage? Make a slide presentation recapping the most important company and team highlights of the year. What did the team accomplish? What projects came to fruition? What employee milestones can you highlight — weddings, work anniversaries, babies, promotions, etc.? It sounds simple but thank your employees. 50% of employees believe being thanked by managers improved not only their relationship but also built trust with their higher-ups (Cicero Group). Lastly, try to include everyone in the recognition process, whether it's an individual or a team. 

Ship Winter Gift Boxes to Your Team

While in the years past, the holidays were a time of togetherness, now, employees spread far apart might have trouble getting into the spirit. Make your team feel included and appreciated by sending physical holiday gift boxes to your remote employees. At Chocolate Soup, we're helping build a more robust company culture during these challenging times through real-life, tangible employee recognition in the form of high-quality gift boxes. "Receiving gifts" and "words of affirmation" are modern employees' favourite ways to be recognized. We take care of your holiday gifting needs while you sit back and watch your company culture grow by recognizing your employee's personal and professional milestones. 

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‘Send” a Meal to Your Employees’ Doorstep

Most corporate holiday parties have one thing in common—food. If you’re hosting a remote Zoom holiday party, it’s unlikely that a shared meal will be included in the celebration. Why not send your employees an UberEats gift card or a gift card to a restaurant of their choice, so they can order their favourite meal to enjoy during the virtual holiday party or on their own time. It’s a great way to keep company traditions going while adapting to this new reality. 

Throw a Virtual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 

Everybody loves the classic ugly Christmas sweater party. Instead of having your team wear their sweaters to the office, host a remote party for the ugliest and most creative sweater. Give out a quirky gift as first prize. Laughter is the best medicine, and during these times, we’re all looking for a fun, stress-reducing outlet to get a bit silly and let our creative juices flow. 

Instead of a Party Donate to Charity

By the end of the year, your team might be all zoomed out, and we get it. Most companies will be saving a lot of money by not hosting an in-person event. Instead of trying to mirror past events, why not take the extra savings and consider donating it to a charity. Showing your team you care about the community, and not just revenue, helps build trust and respect within your company culture. We think it’s still important to recognize and reward your team members in addition to the donation, such as sending everyone a Chocolate Soup Winter Gift Box. 

Play Virtual Party Games

Instead of having everyone sitting awkwardly on a zoom call, make it interactive and fun! There are tons of online zoom games you can play like Trivia, Heads Up!, Charades, and more to keep your employees engaged. No awkward silences, only laughs—guaranteed. Interactive games help break the ice and have employees get to know each other a little better. You can even add a seasonal twist to the games to help get everyone into the holiday spirit.

Make a Team Video Celebrating The Year’s Accomplishments

This one requires a bit more work, but the payoff is incredible and you’ll have a lasting company memory for years to come. Have each employee film a 10 to 15 second long video clip on their phone, sharing their favourite memory or moment of the year. You can make it a company related moment or you could also make it more personal to encourage team bonding.  Compile all the clips into one long video, and debut it at your holiday party.

Instead of Hosting a Party, Give Your Team Extra Paid Time Off

Last but certainly not least, throwing a flashy party isn't the only choice in terms of positively recognizing your team's hard work throughout the last 12 months. For many, 2020 has been a stressful year and giving your employees extra time during the holidays' to spend with their friends and family is invaluable. Providing extra paid time off is also a great way to show that you care about your people beyond the hours they clock and the work they produce. 

Final Thoughts

No matter what option you choose to celebrate the holidays this year, the most important thing is acknowledging your team's efforts. Put your people first, and recognize all the hard work they've contributed to growing the company, despite the turbulent times that we're currently living in.  We hope we sparked some unique and fun holiday party ideas to kickstart your celebration planning!