Many companies have implemented remote intern programs and while there are benefits to bringing interns into an office to meet in person, companies have also learned the multiple benefits a remote program has brought. Some of those include cost savings of housing, broader access to a talent pool, and general safety of all those involved.
Even with these benefits, there can potentially be issues of missed bonding opportunities, so it is key to create proper online team building activities to keep interns connected and engaged with the rest of your team.
To get your interns engaged and show them you appreciate their service, especially in a remote environment, there is no better time than National Intern Day to show your appreciation. This year, it falls on July 29th and the time for scheduling a fun team building activity with the rest of the team is now!
Read on for 4 fun activity ideas for your summer interns.
1. Lunch & Learn
Have you been looking to expose your interns to new skills or managers that could teach them something more about your company or their field? What better way to gather everyone around a topic they all love: lunch. Here’s what you’ll need:
Tools: It’s simple to get everyone to join a Zoom meeting
Other Items: We’d recommend getting your distributed interns gift cards to their favorite food delivery app like DoorDash or GrubHub so they can order some food ahead of time
People: It’s always best to reach out to a senior manager to have them come on board and teach the group about the organization or business skills. We’ve found these managers love to be involved.
2. Trivia Night
Who doesn’t love testing their knowledge and seeing who will be crowned the ultimate trivia masters? Gathering your group for a trivia night is a great way to get them having fun while encouraging team building. Here’s what you’ll need:
Tools: It’s simple to get everyone to join a Zoom meeting and leverage a trivia provider like Kahoot or TriviaHub.
Other Items: We’d recommend getting some questions about your interns or company available to make it extra special and focused.
People: You may want to think about splitting your group up into teams before the event starts to make sure they’ll be mixed in with other full-time employees and have a great networking experience.
3. Strength’s Finder Review
A popular assignment during a summer internship with companies is to take the Strength’s Finder assessment. Much like other personality tests, the Strength’s Finder helps each intern find their unique set of strengths. Here’s what you’ll need:
Tools: You’ll need to make sure you purchase the book and assessment for every intern a few weeks prior to the review meeting.
Other Items: You’ll need a Zoom setup to get everyone to join and participate
People: There are resources to read how to facilitate a Strength’s Finder meeting, or you can hire a professional to lead the session for you.
4. Movie Watch Party
There are many movies that contain business lessons that may not be top-of-mind for your new-to-business interns. Getting them together to watch and discuss any lessons from the movie can be both fun and educational. Read on to see how to pull this off:
Tools: It’s surprising, but all you’ll need is a Zoom meeting to make this work. Zoom has great video sharing features that will have no issue gathering a team and streaming the movie.
Other Items: You’ll of course need to pick out a movie! There are many that are really good (e.g. Moneyball, Wolf of Wallstreet, The Social Network, etc.) but the movie we’ve found to be both fun and engaging is Pirates of Silicon Valley. It follows the history of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs while they are launching their companies and has some great business lessons.
People: Beyond inviting your interns, feel free to invite other newer team members to give everyone something to chat about on Slack the next week.
In Conclusion
While your interns are working remotely it is important to get them engaged with each other and the rest of your team. There’s no better time of the year to show them you appreciate their efforts and get them engaged with the rest of the company than during National Intern Day on July 29th.
If you need help putting on a fun team building activity, we offer fully-facilitated trivia events that can be completed in 60-90 minutes.
