Although “Z” is the last letter of the ABCs, the generation represented by it, Generation Z, is by far the most impactful and game-changing in the future of work. By 2030, these change-makers will account for 30% of the workforce.
Yet, there’s a threatening problem: 54% of Gen Z employees are disengaged at work, which is higher than among other generations.
How should you engage younger workers and build a happy, age-diverse team?
This article is your ultimate guide to team building for Gen Z employee engagement. We’ve rounded up the best team building ideas for both in-office and remote teams (and socially responsible, too!) with the youngest employee generations on board. But first, let’s start with the most critical question: What do Gen Z employees expect from the modern workplace?
Find the answer below.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Generation Z and Developing Proper Team-Building Strategies
- 9 Team Building Activities for Gen Z Workers
- Engage Your Gen Z Employees with Outback Team Building
- Author Bio
Understanding Generation Z and Developing Proper Team-Building Strategies
Here are the most distinguishing characteristics and psychological drivers shaping Gen Z employees’ workplace preferences and expectations.
Characteristic → Digital Nativeness and High Gaming Appetites
It’s a “screenager generation” you’re trying to engage. They were literally born with smartphones in their hands and screens in front of their eyes. That’s why they prefer higher digital interactivity and gamification at work. Actually, 57% of Gen Z-ers rank games as the #1 motivator in the workplace.
Strategy →
Why not play your Gen Z team-building game (pun intended) online?
In this context, the following advice from Nick Esposito, Founder of NYCServers, would be helpful. “You can’t afford to overlook innovative digital tech and its interactivity factor. Think about ChatGPT and AI-powered team-building activities for Generation Z. One possible idea is solving challenges generated by ChatGPT, let’s say, a coding challenge for software developers.”
Note: it doesn’t have to be industry-driven team building with ChatGPT.
For example:
Look at this picture created by ChatGPT for a “Captioning Contest,” one of the universal online office games.
Characteristic → Ambition and Creativity
Gen Z-ers are enthusiastic and creative juggernauts ready to disrupt the traditional workplace. In fact, 61% of Gen Z employees believe they have enough power to drive change within their organizations.
Strategy →
Simply give them the steering wheel and encourage employee-led initiatives! (But with their seatbelts on—at least some supervision)
Jeffrey Zhou, CEO and Founder of Fig Loans, cites intrapreneurship as one of the best initiatives in this case. “Let your Gen Z workers become internal entrepreneurs within your organization, gather their own teams, brainstorm revolutionary ideas, and propel your corporate development. It’s like a business-inside-business model, which gives them more independence to realize their ambitions and entrepreneurial skills.”
Another major hit?
Gen-Z-led team-building activities, of course! Let them plan and organize a team-building event from scratch without your help.
For example:
A123 Systems has an employee-led team-building committee, the Charge Team, that plans and organizes events, just like this Halloween costume contest.
Characteristic → Care for Mental Wellness
Nope, NEVER, thanks!
Mental well-being is essential for 72% of the Gen Z workforce. Looking after mental health belongs to the top five self-care practices among younger employees.
Strategy →
As a passionate ambassador of Maderotherapy, Peter Čuček, Owner of Tuuli, recommends engaging Generation Z in stress-relieving therapy practices. He mentions, “To me, there can’t be enough therapeutic team-building activities at work. Therapy of any kind positively impacts employees’ mental health. It helps battle stress, recharges emotionally, and boosts the team’s spirit.”
Here are some therapeutic team-building ideas from Peter Čuček to help Gen Z-ers support mental health in the workplace:
- Massage therapy
- Aromatherapy
- Bibliotherapy (reading)
- Art therapy
- Eco-therapy or forest therapy
- Pet therapy
For example:
The Rise team went on a Pawsitive dog-friendly walk to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week.
Characteristic → CSR Importance
Generation Z wants to belong to something more significant and purposeful than just a profit-mining business and expects organizations to embrace corporate social responsibility (CSR). The company’s positive societal impact is crucial for 75% of Gen Z-ers when applying for a job, and half of the employed push their companies to address climate change issues.
Strategy →
For Adam Young, CEO and Founder of Event Tickets Center, Gen Z employee engagement starts with creating a “socially responsible workplace environment under the principle: Do Good → Feel Good → Inspire Good.” He adds, “When it becomes your corporate dogma, work automatically brings meaning and purpose cherished not only by Generation Z but by every employee generation.”
To put this idea into practice, Event Tickets Center launched “ETC Cares,” a philanthropic team-building program. It includes a range of volunteering initiatives to “inspire positive change and make the world a better place.”
We’re covering more CSR events and ideas for Gen Z team building in the next paragraphs, so keep reading.
9 Team Building Activities for Gen Z Workers
Below are the best picks based on Gen Z-ers’ interests, values, and digital-first needs.
CSR-Driven Team Building for Gen Z
Philanthropy
Kick things off with a philanthropic blueprint for engaging Gen Z workers:
- Random Acts of Kindness
- Meal Packing Mission
- Fundraising Marathon/Walk
- Do-Good Games
- Charitable Buildathons (Wheelchairs for Charity, Build-a-Bike for Kids, Wikipedia “Edit-a-Thon”)
Corporate DEI Workshops
Even when you put “We strive for diversity and inclusion” in your corporate mission statement, Generation Z employees want to see your actionable steps, not just words, in tackling DEI challenges.
As Maryanne Fiedler, Director of Marketing at Psychic Source, puts it, “Unconscious biases tower as huge roadblocks to DEI at work. And when left on mute, they prevent the team from bonding or even leave some employees totally excluded. That’s why open conversations (Rule #1: acknowledge the problem) and DEI workshops (Rule #2: act on the problem) are the first steps to overcoming those.”
For example:
During the latest DEI training workshop, Chiesi employees created a “DEI Challenge List” and developed a practical action plan to promote a more inclusive work environment.
Eco-Missions
How about going on an ecological mission as a team?
Generation Z is keen on sustainability (and so must be you!). So, consider adding these eco-friendly team-building events to your CSR program:
- Carbon-Free Commute Day
- No-Waste Week
- Park/Ocean Clean-Up
- “Greener” Workplace Redesign
- Digital Waste Removal or Eco-Content Creation (don’t forget about your digital carbon footprint)
- Recycling Drive
For example:
Accenture runs an annual Sustainability Innovation Challenge to develop apps for a better plant. And the company’s Gen Z workers love it!
Remote Team Building Ideas for Generation Z
Meme-Making Contests
If there’s one language every Gen Z-er speaks fluently (except for Gen Z slang, of course), it’s the meme language.
So, if you want to organize a relevant and fun team-building activity for Generation Z working remotely, a meme contest is your go-to idea. It will surely add cheerful laughs to your remote workplace. Just pick a theme.
Virtual Escape Rooms
They say nothing unites people better than a common struggle, particularly when they are “trapped” together, even online.
A virtual escape room is the best Gen-Z-approved solution for remote teams who want to try something more captivating and bonding than a traditional Zoom meeting or Slack chat.
For example:
Here are several virtual escape rooms to get out from at Outback:
How fast can your team solve all the mysteries of the cursed pyramid, huh?
Virtual Reality (VR) or Metaverse Games
Having grown up amid the gaming industry revolution, your Gen Z workers will definitely enjoy virtual team-building activities in VR or even the Metaverse.
Lifei Chen, Founder of buysmart.ai, adds, “These spaces have hyper-engageable potential thanks to complete immersion via VR headsets. Such immersive experiences will help your remote team members feel less detached while interacting with each other’s digital avatars.”
For example:
See how Focus on Force rolled out a Christmas holiday party with fun and challenging team-building games in the Metaverse.
Team Building Ideas for Gen Z in the Office
Office TikTok Challenges
Did you know that Gen Z-ers, as avid TikTokers themselves, swim like a fish in the sea of TikToks?
That’s why a TikTok challenge can become one of the best indoor team building ideas for them (and for TikTok marketing, too).
Grab these ideas:
- Lip-Sync Battle
- “Expectation vs. Reality”
- The Fastest Typist at Work
- Day-in-the-life of [Job Title]
- Monday Motivation Dance
Remember: Do all that with inclusion in mind.
For example:
The Bill Robertson Toyota team organized a Gen Z slang challenge to bridge the generational gap and involve all the employee generations, from Zoomers to Boomers.
Wellness Hours
You can promote holistic workplace well-being and engage Gen Z employees in healthy team-building activities.
Do it workday by workday:
- Deskercising Monday: At-the-desk exercises, stretching, or other office-friendly workouts
- Creative Tuesday: Perfume creation, tote-bag painting, or cooking workshop
- Mindful Growth Wednesday: Lunch-and-learn, hobby-sharing club, corporate training session
- Gratefulness Thursday: Gratitude circle, appreciation wall, “thank-you” letter writing workshop
- Unplugging Friday: Outdoor team building activity or digital detox
For example:
The Royal Canadian Mint hosts “Mint Morning” talks with experts to educate employees on different health and wellness topics.
QR Code or AR Scavenger Hunts
And finally—
No Gen Z employee would refuse to play a Pokémon-GO-like team-building game. What you need is to generate QR codes with objects or tasks and hide digital clues all around your office space. And let the scavenger hunt begin!
Alternatively, transfer it to augmented reality (AR), one of the groundbreaking team building trends you can’t miss in 2025 and beyond if you want to engage the youngest workforce. For that, you’ll need special AR tools for scavenger hunts like Actionbound or Scavengar.
Engage Your Gen Z Employees with Outback Team Building
As you can understand, Gen Z employee engagement can’t solely rely on icebreakers and coffee breaks, in-person or virtual (but, hey, they won’t hurt—don’t press “Delete” on them). This generation is thirsty for more meaningful, inclusive, and innovative team-building “cocktails” spiced up with laughter and entertainment.
And Outback can shake it up for you so that all of your team members, not only Gen Z-ers, will definitely ask, “Could you repeat it, please?” Contact Outback to increase the fun dose and make your next team building event legendary.
Author Bio
Catherine Schwartz is an author who specializes in employee well-being and engagement.
