Development in technology has drastically changed the global work culture. Anything and everything can be done from the comfort of our homes, so then why not work from a remote location?
Technology has given us the leverage of working from anywhere, and corporations are putting it into good use. For example, data proves that 80% of remote workers have reported being less stressed and more flexible when managing a work-life balance.
To successfully build your remote team, here are some essential factors:
Communication Is Essential
To build a great relationship with your team, communication is essential. However, it becomes challenging to communicate when the whole team works remotely.
But thanks to the tools available today, there are multiple ways to keep in touch and bring the team together. For example, mediums like video conferencing and group chats are efficient ways to socialize and stay connected with everyone.
Some popular tools which make communicating easy for organizations are listed below:
Useful Tools For Communicating
- Zoom
This tool has made video conferences convenient and easy for a team of 100 or less. There are multiple options. It is also where you can set conditions to keep cameras always on.
- Google meets
It is another helpful tool to connect with a team of 100 or fewer participants and have official meetings and social events. It is effortless to use and supports all devices.
- Slack
This popular software makes regular communication with the team efficient and effortless. It is available on desktop, and mobile apps, making it easy to use. Moreover, it allows other software tools to integrate, which saves time.
There are several things that an employer needs to keep in mind while communicating with a remote team, such as clearly defining and explaining the regular tasks of each employee.
Most importantly, talk about the company’s long-term goals so that the team can prioritize the right things to invest time in. You must set rules for employees to be actively involved during office hours to work efficiently.
Socializing Is Key
Humans are social animals, and while working in a remote setting, it becomes harder to socialize or connect with other team members. Therefore, it is essential to communicate regularly and foster good relationships.
In an office setting, employees interact and create a bond that helps them stay motivated to work and be productive. But when it comes to working remotely, it requires extra efforts to maintain such relations.
A simple solution to this is to create weekly virtual get-togethers where employees interact with each other and do not have to be formal or work-related. This encourages a sense of community and culture while maintaining a remote-first model.
Additionally, using employee headshots or photos on communication accounts rather than auto-generated avatars promotes better facial recognition and connection among co-workers. Employers prefer switching on cameras for the same purpose.
In-Person Meetups
Many fully remote or partially remote companies encourage employees to meet in person once a year or quarterly to maintain good bonds with their coworkers.
These companies allocate specific budgets and resources to help the employees meet up for dinner or arrange an outdoor activity. Therefore, an unofficial outdoor meeting is a must. Smaller meetups can also take place to make connections between employees stronger.
Managing and bringing together a team keeping in mind that everyone is in different locations, might be challenging to work on. As a result, many companies outsource such hectic tasks to virtual administrative assistants and let them manage them efficiently.
Invest In The Right Team
An efficient leader trains their team and teaches the work culture of their employees or team members. Learning and training are not just a benefit of working remotely, but it is an investment in building a talented workforce for your company.
Learning is the key to growth and development; hence being open to seminars and educational videos during team meetings is an added benefit.
To lead a great team, you need to understand the interests of every individual. Learn to assign work that the employee could do best, not just a task.
Giving them enough flexibility to do the job right is the key to having a good team and being a good team leader. In addition, investing more time in training and making the employee comfortable with the work culture is essential.
Avoid Micro-managing
When employees work in an office setting, it is easier to see if they are working and investing their time right, but it becomes challenging to keep track of what they do in a remote environment.
It is one of the main reasons people are more comfortable working from their homes than in cubicles. While managing a remote team, it is essential to focus on the outcome.
Focus more on one employee’s outcome rather than micro-managing their time and invading their private workspace.
For remote employees, meeting deadlines and targets are the only objectives, and working around that in the comfort of their homes is what makes them work more efficiently.
Inculcate Work Culture
Maintaining a work culture in the office is more accessible than in a remote setting. Likewise, having a specific discipline in the workplace is essential in any company or business.
The distance can make creating a company culture ten times harder than it is. The right way to make a work culture is to blend it into everything you do.
Practice the culture in team meetings, exchanged messages, and even off-site meetings to ensure that it is followed. Stand clear on the company’s mission to maintain the required discipline amongst employees.
How To Hire The Perfect Team
While hiring remote workers, ensure that you get the best talent from across the globe.
Here are some points to remember while hiring remote employees:
Be Clear On What You Want
While hiring employees for remote work, be clear on the agenda you are working for. You must have clear-cut policies about hiring. Keeping that in mind, if you wish to go fully remote, you must give more preference to experience.
This is important as experienced employees can be relied on in the case of a remote setting. If hiring full-time remote employees does not seem reasonable, you can always hire virtual assistants.
Do The Necessary Background Check
Once you hire employees who have experience, remember to cross-check the authenticity of their previous work experience. This step is very crucial and should not be missed.
This stage is essential to analyze the overall personality of the employee who must take up the initiative and work rather than being unproductive at work.
At this stage, asking their previous employer about the general behavior and a background check would make your life much easier and leave no room for doubt.
Assess Their Problem-Solving Skills
You must test their skill set to know the authenticity of the things mentioned in their resume. For example, if you wish to assign a specific role to the person you’re hiring, you must assign them with a problem related to the same.
Working remotely is all about being self-reliant and independent; hence choosing the best is necessary. Focus on their previous work and hire the right ones who would meet your company’s future goals.
Present The True Values Of Your Company
It is one of the essential steps in hiring remote employees who resonate with the correct values of your company. To ensure this, be open with what exactly you are looking for.
It helps create a remote team built on trust and the aim to achieve the same goal, which is success for the company. Being reliable for your remote team is necessary to build the right trust-worthy relationship.
Interviewees get nervous during interviews and must not be judged according to the same. For example, they might have great working potential but may not have the best outgoing personality.
Several websites, including Spark Hire, have made video interviewing faster and easier for hiring teams.
Final Word
It is much easier and economically wiser to work with a remote team in today’s age. In addition, today’s technical advancements have made it easier to do anything just like we would in person.
Hiring the best people regardless of the distance is the key to remote teams. Having high productivity and efficiency is essential in hiring.
Now that you know enough about what is essential for a remote team, you can build your own. To understand what kind of work can be outsourced to remote employees, you can check out Wishup, a pioneer in remote working, and even avail of a free consultancy.
About the Author
Denise Langenegger is part of the team at Instasize – a content creating tool kit for anyone editing photos and online content on mobile.