Virtual Culinary Team Building Offers Solution to Isolation During COVID-19

Over the past several years, a trend toward remote work and telecommuting has moved many workers away from the office environment, changing the way work teams naturally interact with each other. COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated that shift; as almost all but essential workers and some service providers are now working from home.

Among the resulting trends are greater expertise in navigating Zoom and plummeting sales of clothing! Meanwhile, isolation, loneliness and stress among remote workers have increased. According to Forbes.com, a study by Blind showed that 52% of workers required to work from home for COVID-19 social distancing reasons reported increased loneliness.  Similar numbers reported an increase in anxiety (56.4%) and a decrease in productivity (53%).

Loneliness in general is becoming an issue all its own, whether or not you work remotely. According to a 2020 “Loneliness and the Workplace” report by Cigna, three in five Americans (61%) classify as lonely. Add in the isolation we are all feeling as part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the loneliness is amplified. From a business perspective, none of this can be good for collaboration or performance.

Companies Cook Up Some Camaraderie with Virtual Culinary Team Building

At Team Building with Taste, we’ve adapted to the new normal by adding virtual team building options to our menu. We run our virtual Iron Chef or Chopped-like competitions using Zoom or a similar platform. Just like our on-site events, our chefs are teaching, participants are cooking and the clock is running. The results are a great meal, a beautiful looking judge’s plate and a chance to get together for something other than work—all from the safety of your own kitchen.

Surprising Benefits of Remote Cooking and Team Building

But in the course of running these virtual team building sessions for organizations, including Prime Lending, Merck and UBS, we’ve noticed another set of benefits. Participants love peering into their co-worker’s kitchens–and getting a small glimpse of what their everyday life is like outside of the normal conference calls and rote video meetings. A few surprising comments include: “Oh, THAT’S what Spike the dog looks like.” Or, “Emily, your teenage daughters are such good sous chefs!” People work better together when they are familiar with each other and have a personal connection. In today’s environment, creative solutions are necessary to counter the deleterious effects of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Might we suggest a good-natured virtual cooking challenge right from the heart of our kitchen to yours?