January 31, 2023

4 Ideas for Hosting the Best Virtual Coffee Break

You checked the last item off your to-do list. Now it’s time for a break to enjoy some downtime with your co-workers, your partners and even your prospects. Working from home means you’ll have to get creative. Fortunately, tech has given us a bevy of new opportunities to get together virtually. These days, they’re called virtual coffee breaks.

Dozens of platforms and apps are available to help you get together with colleagues online. Join one or plan your own. Find or create opportunities to talk with colleagues who share your after-work interests and tips on how to structure your virtual coffee break for optimal bonding. Here are some ideas to get you started.

For the casual networker

Zoom/Webex/Google Meet happy hour

Yes, you might already be spending your day on one too many calls, but one-on-one or group calls you design to connect with remote co-workers can strengthen your network and help you build allies at your company. Start small. Ask a co-worker if they’d like to meet you for a virtual coffee or even a happy hour over Zoom or Webex or Google Meet at the end of the day. Grab a beverage, change your background to something jovial and kick off the conversation with something you both have in common outside work. Invite more colleagues—and build a new tradition.

For the team-builder

Teambuilding.com

Not ready to plan a virtual hangout yourself? Let Teambuilding.com plan an event for you. Choose from over 30 events, like Online Office Games and Virtual Team Trivia, and join the 30,000+ teams that have used Teambuilding.com to build community remotely.

For the future-seeker

Virtual co-working with Immersed

Virtual reality puts you in the same room as your remote co-workers. Strap on a VR headset and escape the confines of your home office through the metaverse.

When you want your team to step out of an Immersed VR working environment, you can navigate to a virtual coffee shop inside the world of Immersed: a free VR app that downloads directly to your headset. Invite other tech-savvy team members to join you through a Quest invite link. With this feature, you can pre-plan a VR meeting and seamlessly transport to the same place. Send the VR coffee shop link in an email to your teammates a few hours before your gathering.

Now that you’re all in the same coffee shop, let the fun begin! Avoid talking about work by asking your teammates about their pets, families or upcoming vacations. Moderate the conversation by sharing a personal anecdote or asking about the best real life coffee shop in your co-workers’ respective cities.

For the fully remote team

Mystery Coffee

If you’re responsible for the well-being of a fully remote team, you can foster a sense of camaraderie by signing your team up for Mystery Coffee. The matchmaking site randomly draws a new partner from your organization every Monday. Pairs meet for a 15-minute video call, where they’ll shoot the breeze over a cup of joe.

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Working from home puts far more demand on your network. Video calls, tons of uploads to the company server and keeping your computer tip-top while your family’s online, too. See the difference Frontier Fiber can make. Check here to see if Frontier Fiber is available at your address.

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