Tips for Thanksgiving Party Planning in Remote Companies include more than just inviting your team to a meeting. You may have employees who live in a different time zone, with another culture, or simply unwilling to engage in video conferences.
A party will help your employees to get some personal space and know that they are appreciated. Start by organizing a party and letting them participate at their convenience. Here are 12 great tips that are budget-friendly.
Thanksgiving Party Theme Ideas for the Workplace That You Can Customize
Before picking any party games or activities, ask your workers what they would enjoy. Make sure that attendance is voluntary and plan the parties to occur during work time. You can also give corporate gifts to show appreciation and help colleagues feel valued during the holiday season.
Select two or three items from the following list. An organized schedule allows room for dialogue and ensures the event wraps up on time.
1. Create a Gratitude Board
Encourage workers to write a note of appreciation towards an individual who assisted them during the past year. Use the exact question: “What did a colleague do to make your week better?” Allow access to the board in advance of the event so that even those not present can participate.
2. Organize a Virtual Lunch for the Team
Provide a meal stipend and allow employees to order meals they would like to eat. Have reimbursement guidelines set beforehand. The group shouldn’t be too large to facilitate conversation, or divide into smaller groups. No one will have to prepare a holiday meal or justify its ingredients.
3. Exchange Favorite Holiday Recipes
Encourage team members to share their favorite recipes and a brief explanation of why they love them. Any dish will do – it could be an everyday meal, take-out suggestions or anything from their family’s culinary traditions. Gather these recipes in one document and ask some participants to share their story.
4. Fall Trivia Game
Develop a brief trivia game focused on food, movies, and sports associated with the fall season. Include both simple and challenging questions and allow participants to respond in groups. Do not rely only on information connected with American holidays. Use the screen and read out the questions.
5. Peer Appreciation Session
Allot 10 minutes for recognizing each other. Speakers can mention one instance and what impact it had on them. For example, appreciate someone for looking at your proposal at a time when you had a deadline approaching. Encourage even written communications and make sure all members are recognized.
Recognition deserves attention beyond November. Gallup and Workhuman research found that well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have changed organizations two years later. That finding concerns ongoing recognition, so treat holiday thanks as a starting point for regular appreciation.
6. Organize a Virtual Food Drive
Give the party a community focus with an optional fundraiser. Feeding America explains that virtual food drives collect online donations rather than food. Announce any company match upfront. Keep individual gifts private, avoid donation rankings, and share the group's total afterward.
7. Play Desk Scavenger Hunt
They should find ordinary objects around them such as orange objects, their favorite mug, or anything that makes them happy. There will be a time limit for each round. They can describe the objects instead of showing them. No one should show their room.
8. Recommend a Crafting Activity
They may be provided with basic materials, or simply instructed to use paper and pen to make something. The employees can make a decoration for their desks or a thank-you letter. These instructions should be provided beforehand, and the task should be easy. The employees do not have to participate.
9. Conduct the Fall Photo Challenge
Ask workers to share their fall photos, which could be a park, a pet, or a preferred snack. Post selected photos and ask the group to guess the sender of each one. Make sure to obtain permission before posting any photos, and exclude those featuring kids or any other private information.
10. Arrange for Mini Chat Rooms
Assign four or five individuals to each chat room and give them one light question. For example, you can say, “What little thing has improved your day at work lately?” They can opt to pass on answering the question. Have them reunite after eight minutes. This online Thanksgiving team activity goes nicely between other games.
11. Organize a Talent Show
Encourage your team members to showcase any talent, whether hobby-related or musical, or a particular skill of theirs in a two-minute period, and take registrations beforehand. Make sure that it is a fun event, not an evaluative event where you judge or vote.
12. Organize an Asynchronous Celebration
In the case of teams working across time zones, set up a weeklong thread of messages with prompts that ask people to upload a photo of their work, write a message of appreciation, and respond to games or questions.
Make Room for Appreciation
The best remote Thanksgiving will be one that is tailored to the people in attendance. Set realistic limits by being conscious of personal boundaries and keeping things on schedule. Begin with a collective card or gratitude board, and follow with an activity that your group would like to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a remote Thanksgiving celebration take place?
Plan for 30 to 45 minutes. This will allow a small group to have a welcome, one activity, and show appreciation. Larger groups might require several gatherings. Share the schedule beforehand and make sure there is an end to the event.
What is the cost-effective idea for a virtual Thanksgiving party?
Choose a gratitude wall, homemade quiz, photo quiz, and recipe sharing game. Utilize free online tools that you have access to. Use your budget to buy an allowance of the same amount to all the participants' meals if you have it.
How can international colleagues participate in the holiday remotely?
Tell the purpose of the celebration without mentioning that you celebrate Thanksgiving. Show tolerance regarding different foods and traditions. Avoid stereotypes and provide participation in writing. Plan to hold it during the workday hours in your participants' countries.
Is attendance mandatory?
Make attendance optional. Provide the opportunity for your team members to send a message or participate in one activity later. Employees should not have to justify their non-participation, turn their cameras on, pay money out of pocket, or share details about their families to join the celebration.
Check out these holiday gift guides for more ideas!