With increasing numbers of remote staff linking up by video call, employees must navigate the frustrations of technology while coping with seeing themselves onscreen.

If your employees are logging in and zoning out, here’s our tips to keep them focused.

1. Write an agenda

A schedule or agenda will help employees stay focused during video meetings, particularly if they’re likely to be over an hour long. A breakdown of the topics you’re going to cover and the order you’ll discuss them helps you and your staff allocate time and attention to each individual subject.

Websites like Miro.com set you up with an agenda template telling employees what to expect before, during and after a meeting. This tool will also help you ascertain what was achieved during the meeting, and reflect on the points covered.

2. Cut some slack

If the meeting could be an email, could it also have been an instant message? Business messaging software like Slack and Twist allow seamless communication without having to assemble for a video call.

This saves valuable time and allows you to speak to specific members of staff in appropriate threads, so that each communication remains relevant to everyone involved.

3. Switch off the selfies

Although filters on video meeting software can ‘soften’ your appearance, it might be wise to instruct all employees to switch off their self-view when the meeting begins. This saves them becoming distracted by their own wrinkles and double chins, or fixing their hair and posing when they forget everyone can see them.

You will still be able to see them and keep an eye on whether they are paying attention.

4. Close extra tabs

It sometimes feels like there are hundreds of tabs running in our brains, as well as our screens. To limit distractions, keep meetings short and instruct your colleagues to close off their screens (and brains!) to other tasks while the meeting takes place.

Have them close down their inbox and other tabs before the meeting begins. Not only will this improve overall focus and concentration for the meeting, it will also ensure there are fewer mistakes on the other tasks they’re racing to complete.

5. Encourage regular screen breaks

Anyone sitting in front of a screen eight hours a day is likely to become fatigued, whether they’re in back-to-back Zoom meetings or staring at an overflowing inbox. This can be worsened by a work-from-home environment, where there are no colleagues to plan coffee breaks or lunch with.

Encouraging your staff to talk a walk outside will freshen their perspective, give them a little breathing space and allow them to return to their to-do list with new eyes.

6. Pick up the phone

Sometimes it’s necessary to open the forum for a wider spectrum of opinions, but reaching out to colleagues individually could be far more effective than hauling them all into a virtual meeting.

If you feel your staff have been over-exposed to screen time, check in with them one-on-one to get a sense of their ideas and their overall wellbeing.

Ditching modern technology for a traditional call might help you build closer connections with your employees and give them the space to be more honest with their thoughts and suggestions.

7. Don’t go back-to-back

It might be tempting to roll meetings back-to-back, but this can be exhausting for everyone involved and detrimental to productivity.

Without calendar breaks of between five and 15 minutes, your staff will likely burn out and lose their focus much quicker. Most calendar apps allow you to add ‘buffer time’ between your meetings to give your employees time to get a glass of water, stretch their legs and clear their minds for the next meeting.

8. Cut down meeting times

Keeping meetings concise and to the point will cut down employee fatigue and allow everyone to spend more time on the wealth of other day-to-day tasks they are responsible for.

If you can reduce the time spent discussing ideas and issues, you’ll allow more time to actively address the areas in the workflow that need attention.

Keeping meetings to 30 minutes or less will help keep your staff engaged and stop them from zoning out halfway through.

9. Allocate topics

Giving employees a topic each to cover during the meeting will keep them interested and allow them to impart their wisdom and experience to colleagues. Knowing they have to present or take charge of a topic will give them ownership within the meeting and help keep their minds active.

Divide up topics before the meeting and keep the allocated discussion time for each topic short, so that the meeting moves along quickly and a variety of subjects are covered.

10. Trust your staff

Don’t use superfluous meetings as an excuse to ‘check in’ on your work-from-home workforce. It could be that hybrid working is here to stay, and it’s time that employers placed a little more trust in their remote workers.

If your employees think you are arranging meetings as an opportunity to spy on them, or to make them prove they are being productive, it may erode trust and create ill-feeling between you and your staff.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top 10 ways to beat video meeting fatigue appeared first on Checklists.

There are plenty of companies that make little gift packs for valued members of staff, to show them that their hard work and extra effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Whether you gift them on a random Tuesday or a special occasion, your staff will feel much more appreciated in the workplace. You may notice that overall productivity increases once you start giving out little rewards, too.

1. Gourmet snacks

Snack Magic creates curated snack boxes for your employees, whether you’re treating them in the office or they’re working from home.

Freshly baked cookies, flavoured chocolates and posh popcorn are among the gourmet treats on offer, but there are also a host of hampers that offer little pamper treatments, goodies for a ‘cosy night in’ or selections of soaps.

Snack Magic caters to all different dietary requirements too, so you can ensure your vegan employees don’t receive beef jerky and your nut-allergic staff don’t get cashews.

Find out more at snackmagic.com

2. Wine Hampers

Start giving out Huggs to your staff with these fun gifts from brands like Bloom & Wild and Barefoot Bakery.

There are options to treat your employees at their own home or in person, and plenty of choice when it comes to which gift to give.

Boozy wine or tasty tea hampers, memberships to yoga classes and potted succulents are among the wonderful array of treats you can send your staff.

Find out more at huggg.me

3. Discounts for days

Everybody loves a bargain, especially at big-name brands and shops.

With Staff Treats you can get discounts for your employees for over 3,000 brands, ranging from Adidas to Starbucks.

These little added luxuries will make your staff feel better about their 9-5, and it only costs £4 per employee each month. This is especially for small businesses of under 250 employees.

Find out more at stafftreats.com

4. Care packages

Treat your remote-working staff with a care package to brighten up their home office.

Book Block have got a great selection of boxes with little potted plants, loose leaf tea, biscuits and hand creams to keep your employees happy at their desk, wherever they are.

These little packages help employees feel connected and boost morale when they don’t have the option of coffee breaks with colleagues.

Find out more at bookblock.com

5. Blind dates

For all the literature lovers, Bookishly offers blind dates with books.

Just pick a genre and a book will be wrapped up in paper and twine and sent to its new owner, who won’t know what literary adventure they’ve received until its unwrapped.

This beautifully presented gift is available using pre-loved or new books, so if you are eco-conscious and would prefer to reuse and recycle, you have the option to send a second-hand paperback.

Find out more at bookishly.co.uk

6. A little zen

Getting a little inner peace is so important for your hardworking staff.

Kiss My Parcel created a Zen Basket, which is a suitcase hamper full of treats to help employees relax, whether they work in the office or remotely. Aloe Vera plants, bath essence and salts, fragrance oil burners and positivity notebooks are among the items that can be included in your curated box.

If you fancy exploring other options, there are plenty of treats to choose from to build your own hamper.

Find out more at kissmyparcel.com

7. Send a surprise

Everyone loves surprises, so why not send a mystery box of gifts to your employees to show them that you care?

It’s a little more risky than curating your own package, but at least you can’t be blamed for picking the wrong thing.

Letterbox-friendly gifts from Postboxed will take the hassle out of picking individual presents for your employees, and you’ll both get a surprise when they open them up.

Find out more at postboxed.co.uk

8. Plant A Tree

If you have an office team of eco-warriors, or just want to do your bit to help the planet, why not plant a tree in their name?

With Eforests you can have a tree planted in a UK nature reserve or woodland in your employee’s name.

The tree will be publicly accessible, so your employee can go and visit the tree in person, as well as knowing from a distance that they are contributing to the British scenery. They’ll receive a tree dedication certificate with a personalised message from you.

Find out more at eforests.co.uk

9. Six chickens

Don’t worry, we’re not recommending a coop for the office. Six chickens are among the many charitable gifts you can give in your employee’s name to help people in need.

Concern Worldwide offer a variety of incredible, life-changing gifts that benefit the poorest children and their families, including banana plants, avocado trees, six chickens, a pig and financial support for children to go to school.

Most of these come in at under £30 but make a dramatic difference to the lives of those less fortunate, so if you’re looking for wonderful, philanthropic gifts for your staff on special occasions, look no further.

Find out more at concern.org.uk

10. Prepped meals for proud parents

Expectant parents are normally overwhelmed with baby-grows, nappies and muslin clothes before their baby’s arrival.

If your employees are going off on parental leave, give them something different and useful by sending them meal boxes from Potage.

You’ll be relieving the stress of cooking in week one of their lives as parents, gifting them classic ready-to-heat dishes like lasagne, mac and cheese, and fish pie.

Soul food for sleepy new parents, with less mess and stress in the kitchen. They’ll be over the moon with the gesture, and with their bundle of joy.

Find out more at potage.co.uk

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top 10 treats to keep your staff happy appeared first on Checklists.

From axe-throwing to escape rooms, these events will give your employees plenty to talk about while also strengthening their trust and working relationships.

1. The Killing

OK, so it’s a little morbid, but could your workforce effectively investigate a murder?

This hands-on CSI team-building experience is perfect for true crime fanatics and inquisitive minds, and will bring your colleagues together to find clues and solve a mystery.

Designed by Ex-Scotland Yard Detectives, this is a wonderfully dark, immersive team building experience involving lots of critical thinking and collaboration.

Find out more: rightangleevents.co.uk

2. Ice Carving

For a truly unique team-building experience, why not take inspiration from Edward Scissorhands and carve your own ice sculptures?

Working in teams of two to five, participants can learn how to create your company logo in a block of ice. Go one step extra and have it hosted in London’s ICEBAR, a bar entirely made from frozen water!

Find out more: teamtactics.co.uk

3. Virtual Escape Room

The world has changed, and team-building doesn’t always have to be in person.

If you need to unite your team across different geographical locations, Virtually Together has lots of different options for Zoom team-building events that all your staff will enjoy.

Their Escape Room from Alcatraz has live actors to interact with, making it an exciting and engaging activity combining clue solving with CCTV footage.

Find out more: virtually-together.co.uk

4. Virtual reality haunted house

Fancy something a bit more scary? Or prank some of your louder colleagues?

Work as a team to frighten the unlucky soul in a virtual haunted house with the game Reiko’s Fragments. Acting as ghosts on a mobile phone, collaborate to challenge the player exploring the depths of an abandoned mansion. Ideal for smaller groups, take your teamwork to the next level and enjoy some laughs and scares.

Find out more: virtualrealityrental.co

5. Bear Grylls Skills

Are you leading a team of survivors? Could they protect themselves and each other in the wilderness?

Go off-grid with your staff on this adrenaline-packed team-building adventure, facing mental and physical tasks that will put your employees to the test. Creativity, conflict resolution, and trust are all crucial for survival at the academy.

Find out more: rightangleevents.co.uk

6. Lucky Voice

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, particularly if you’ve overheard some out-of-tune humming in the office, but karaoke can be a truly wonderful bonding experience for any budding workplace Beyoncé’s and Bon Jovis.

Check out the private booths at Lucky Voice and let your employees’ inner rockstar roar.

Find out more: luckyvoice.com

7. Going Boating

Enjoy life on the ocean wave! Or rather, canal.

If you want to take your team out on the water for a unique experience, check out Go Boat. It’s a relaxing day out for your team to enjoy, while also learning new skills.

Find out more: goboat.co.uk

8. Crystal Maze

The retro puzzle-solving game show has been brought to life, and what better way to get your teams cracking codes and working together than dropping them inside the Crystal Maze? Reminisce about this amazing TV show while racing around collecting crystals and making your way out of the maze.

Find out more: the-crystal-maze.com

9. Final Verdict

Virtual reality is no longer reserved for sci-fi movies. The future is here!

Final Verdict is an interactive VR experience that will place your team at the heart of a legal thriller set in the future. They must review clues via video testimony and analyse fingerprints to crack the case.

Find out more: reelivate.com

10. Zombie Nation

The end is nigh, and your team must survive the apocalypse! Fans of The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later will love this immersive zombie experience.

Zombie Infection is not for the faint-hearted, so check that your team are emotionally and physically robust enough to be hunted by a flesh-eating army of the undead. It’ll give them plenty of things to talk about and it’s a great way for you to assess their leadership and teamwork dynamics.

Find out more: zombieinfection.co.uk

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top 10 team-building activities for your staff appeared first on Checklists.