Many companies are going remote as it facilitates better talent retention and allows the employees to have a better grasp of their work-life balance. It also cuts significant costs for the employer. However, managing a remote team is not all that easy, especially if you have employees scattered across the globe. But does that mean you wouldn’t opt for a remote work culture? Of course not. Below, we’ve listed a few simple practices to help you manage your remote team like a champ! Take a look.
Establish Clear Communication Channels
Communication is the base of success and is even more crucial for a remote team. Set up online communication tools for smooth communication between your team members. Choose from Slack, Google Chats, or Microsoft Teams for instant messaging. Apps like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are good for video calls and meetings.
Always ensure that your employees have access to high-speed internet. You can have policies to pay for their internet connection so that it doesn’t harm their output or communication with the rest of the team.
Define Expectations and Goals
Having a global and remote team can be difficult to manage because deadlines for each project or task can vary depending on the timezone of your employee. So, defining expectations regarding turnaround time for each project is extremely crucial.
Also, define your goals and objectives for each project or task, and explain how you will evaluate their performance based on the outcome. This way, all employees would be aligned with it and be accountable.
Foster a Culture of Trust
There can be a reluctance to communicate if your team members are thousands of miles apart and work every day without any chance to meet in person. Encourage open communication and give your employees the chance to speak up during online meetings. Build a culture of transparency. Ensure mutual respect among the team members and practice tolerance. It’ll help build a positive work culture and instill trust in the employees.
Provide Adequate Training and Support
A remote team functions entirely online, so knowledge about various digital tools and programs is necessary. Hold a comprehensive onboarding program to introduce them to the tools your organization will use. Offer training sessions and resources to your team members to help them adapt to these tools and programs. You can either upload demonstration videos on your primary communication platform or provide one-to-one sessions. Take feedback from your team and continue to update the training sessions to meet your needs.
Emphasize Results Over Hours Worked
It’s very easy to count the numbers worked by your employees when preparing their evaluation report because that’s the only quantifiable measure of work. But this won’t give you an accurate picture of progress. Instead, communicate your goals and measure progress through results. Set outcome-oriented goals. Facilitate flexible scheduling so that your employees have more control over their work hours and output. Then, prepare result-based performance reviews. Use project management software such as Asana, Trello, or Jira to assign tasks, track progress, and prioritize work. It will also help to track remote team members’ performance and measure results.
Encourage Regular Check-Ins
Remote teams lack regular communication opportunities, especially if the team has diverse members from different countries. So, schedule regular one-to-one and team meetings to align everyone on the progress, discuss challenges, and find solutions. Conduct the meeting on a video conferencing program and choose a time convenient for everyone on the team. Always encourage participation in these meetings and provide constructive feedback during a disagreement. Hold regular brainstorming sessions during these calls to come up with better ideas for your projects.
Promote Work-Life Balance
Managing a global team can be challenging. Work can pop up even after the designated office hours, and sometimes, a few employees have to be available around the clock. Always promote work-life balance to ensure that your team gets enough time to rest after work and can allocate enough time for their personal life, personal development goals, relationships, and hobbies.
Try to set realistic goals for everyone and respect their personal time. Ask them to set boundaries if needed. Offer flextime so that they can finish the work at their own pace.
Implement Digital HR Solutions
Managing payroll and benefits for your remote team can be a challenging job. Hiring a digital HR solutions agency can help streamline the process and make it much easier. They can also help set up ads and manage the hiring process on your behalf. They usually have access to thousands of professionals through their platform and can supply the best talents for your company. They can also help with digital onboarding and offboarding to streamline administrative tasks, conduct orientations, and provide online training.
Running a remote team might seem challenging, especially when you start. But you can build an agile global team that can reach the zenith of success with continuous efforts only if you can successfully integrate digital tools, management programs, and digital HR processes into your day-to-day activities. However, having a remote team is not suitable for every type of business. So make sure you truly need it before building a remote team.
