7 Interactive Onboarding Experiences to Welcome New Team Members

Exciting and engaging onboarding experiences are crucial to setting up employees for a successful time with your company. Adding fun events to your onboarding process creates opportunities for new hires to meet their colleagues and start familiarizing themselves with the team culture! If you have a remote or hybrid workplace, interactive virtual events are the way to go.

What Are Onboarding Experiences?

Onboarding experiences entail so much more than just going over company policies and filling out essential paperwork. They should help your new hires integrate themselves into the workplace community by meeting their colleagues and jumpstarting those personal connections.

While the onboarding process should include orientation activities like a tour of the office (or a walkthrough of their new, remote desktop), it’s also important to prioritize helping your new team member get acclimated to your company’s culture. Learning about your team’s vision and values is just as (if not more) important as knowing your organization’s structure.

The best employee onboarding experiences include fun activities meant to encourage socialization, like group events outside the office and team lunches. Extending the onboarding process over a new employee’s first few months at the company helps strong bonds form, especially within remote or hybrid teams.

This builds community and helps keep everyone engaged. But it also helps new team members feel supported right off the bat, and motivates them to succeed.

7 Interactive Onboarding Experiences for Your Team

Taking a hands-on approach to your company’s onboarding experiences will make the process memorable and fun for new hires. Here are seven unique experiences that are all completely interactive, so the whole team can get in on the action!

Learn to Be a Food Writer

Perfect for content-focused teams gaining a new member or two, our Learn to Be a Food Writer class is a headfirst dive into translating the magic of delicious food into words. Join writing coach and award-winning author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Memoir, Recipes, and More, Dianne Jacob, as you explore how food is shared on the page.

Even if your copywriting or social team doesn’t tackle food writing in their daily schedules, they’ll leave this session with valuable tips on bringing rich sensory experiences to life through their words. Dianne will demonstrate how to finesse big project ideas into strong opportunities for storytelling and will share her publishing expertise.

As the class is completely virtual, it’s easy for remote team members to join. After the session, encourage everyone to share their food writing with the group. Not only will you bond over the communal experience, you’ll also celebrate everyone’s talents and get to know each other better.

Vegetable Umami: Middle Eastern Veggie Tacos Cooking Class

One of the best ways to make new team members feel truly welcome during their onboarding experiences is to show consideration for their needs and preferences. If you have a veggie-lover joining your company, our Vegetable Umami: Middle Eastern Veggie Tacos class will help them feel right at home with their new colleagues. It’s one of our delicious Gourmet Vegetarian experiences.

During your session, you’ll explore Middle Eastern flavors with Chef Roy Ner as you prepare three vegetarian tacos with an umami twist. Great for hybrid teams, the virtual culinary experience can be shared through multiple screens so teammates in-office and at home can participate. Everyone can take what they’ve learned to prepare the tasty tacos again for a future team (or work-from-home) lunch!

Pastel de Nata: Portuguese Custard Tart Baking Class

Here at Delicious Experiences, we pride ourselves on creating inclusive, customizable events for any team. If your employees speak multiple languages, our Pastel de Nata: Portuguese Custard Tart baking class is the perfect addition to your company’s onboarding experiences. The class is offered in four languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) so new hires can join no matter where they’re from.

You’ll learn an award-winning recipe for pastel de nata from João Batalha, a fifth-generation chef and one of Portugal’s top bakers. This sweet custard tart is the country’s most iconic treat, instantly transporting your teammates to the bustle of downtown Lisbon (or back home for any Portuguese colleagues!). It’s a tricky pastry to nail, so João will pass on all his best secrets.

The live experience can be broadcasted across many screens to make sure everyone is included. If you have a hybrid team, ask employees to bring their batches into the office to share over the following days!

Breaking Down the "Mother Cocktails" Mixology Class

Replace your usual welcome happy hour with our Breaking Down the “Mother Cocktails” mixology class. Led by award-winning bartender Alex Jump, you’ll learn about the 6 major cocktail styles and then mix up your own concoctions with Alex’s expert (virtual) instruction.

The best stories are told over good drinks, and this session is no different! You and your team will hear from Alex about her experiences in the bartending world and can share memories from your own careers to learn more about your colleagues. It’s the perfect way to kick off your company’s onboarding experiences for new employees!

A Sweet Taste of Sydney Baking Class

Whether your team has a sweet tooth or the travel bug, our A Sweet Taste of Sydney baking class will put a delicious twist on your onboarding experiences. During your session, chef Lisa Goldberg will guide you through classic Australian treats, like cookies, wafers, and iconic Lamingtons. The menu is fully customizable, so you can rest assured any vegan or gluten-free teammates will be able to participate.

These treats are best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea or coffee; make sure everyone gets their kettle ready before the virtual experience! As many screens as necessary can join in, so remote team members can bake from home (and keep the office coffee maker from getting overwhelmed).

For the cherry on top, Lisa will donate her proceeds to a charitable cause, making this the ideal option for companies looking to invest in their onboarding experiences while still prioritizing their philanthropic efforts.

The Cocktail Quest: Craft Cocktail Game

Who said onboarding experiences were dull? The Cocktail Quest: Craft Cocktail Game is a live virtual scavenger hunt that’ll get your employees out of their seats and dashing to beat the clock between tasty sips. Talk about breaking the ice with new team members!

The experience is led by Vance Henderson, an award-winning bartender and one of America’s top Bar Chefs and Spirits Ambassadors. He’ll guide your team through delicious cocktail creations and exciting challenges that anyone can complete from home. The best part? Winners receive exciting prizes at the end of the hour!

The Other Silk Road: Rice Noodles of Southeast Asia Cooking Class

Honor your team’s diversity with our culinary trip around Southeast Asia. The Other Silk Road: Rice Noodles of Southeast Asia is a detailed, in-depth cooking class exploring the tastes of Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. The class is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, and French for ultimate accessibility and inclusion amongst your team.

Chef Vivian Pei will guide you through the preparation of Vietnamese phở, pad Thai, and Singaporean Moonlight Hor Fun, all while sharing her expert knowledge of traditional Southeast Asian ingredients, flavors, and serving methods. Each dish is a chance to learn about different cultures and build more welcoming onboarding experiences for new employees.

The virtual experience is created with remote and hybrid teams in mind, and the session can be broadcasted on multiple screens.

Hosting interactive events as part of your onboarding experiences will help new hires make fun memories with their colleagues and easily integrate into their teams. At Delicious Experiences, we specialize in crafting engaging virtual experiences for remote and hybrid workplaces that will bring everyone together, no matter where they’re located.