Remote team building and employment have risen by 140 percent since 2005,
almost 10 times more than the rest of the workforce, well before COVID
lockdowns. Face-to-face working is becoming less common as technology
advances. Knowledge and services have become available to anyone working from
the remotest corners. It is preferable to develop a specific remote-work
policy and training in advance. However, this degree of planning might not be
possible in periods of crisis or other quickly evolving circumstances since
managers have little time to plan. Fortunately, there are specific,
research-based strategies that managers may take without much effort to
increase a
remote team‘s motivation and efficiency.

What is a Remote Team?

A remote team
is a group of people collaborating on a single project from multiple locations
and time zones. Team members are separated from each other in time and space.
Each member brings with them a different level of expertise and culture.
Working from home is one thing, but
building remote teams
and them leading them is a different level altogether. There is a significant
contrast between teams seated within the same building and those that operate
remotely.

If you’re in charge of remote workers, you’re well aware of the problems that
come with it. It becomes challenging to manage simple things such as project
management, team management, and meeting deadlines.

Roadblocks to Overcome

To begin with, managers must understand the conditions that can make
remote work
particularly taxing. When high-performing workers start operating remotely,
they can see a drop in job performance and commitment, particularly if they
haven’t had any prior planning or training. 

However, even in the most well-intentioned companies, the bulk of workers are
already consciously or unconsciously disengaged. Consider how deeply operating
from home would affect their degree of participation, efficiency, and
commitment to the task. 

Below are some of the difficulties that come with remote work: 

  • Inadequate coordination tools 
  • Getting the best people on board 
  • No transparency system in place 
  • Respecting the attention of others 
  • No well-defined positions and responsibilities 
  • Creating timetables 
  • To keep track of employee results 
  • Lack of cooperation 

Top Management Tips for Remote Team

Below are some of the best strategies that remote team leaders and managers
can implement for better productivity and smooth remote working.

1. Keep track of Fundamental Productivity Indicators 

If you compensate your employees on an hourly basis, keeping track of how
many hours each worker dedicates, makes a lot of sense. Even if you are not
monitoring attendance in a physical workspace, you will see who is coming in
each day. In a virtual setup, it is challenging to grasp what is going on, how
long each individual is working, and what they are working on. 

Some individuals are highly organized and motivated. They arrive on time,
stay focused on the goal, and avoid any distractions. However, the majority
needs a level of transparency. Managers must implement the “clock in” strategy
to stop distractions such as Facebook and YouTube.

2. Improve Communication within the Team

One of the most common reasons why virtual teams struggle is that team
members do not interact with each other. Working remotely, individuals lose
sight of the other team members, focusing only on their own work. Tasks that
require teamwork suffer greatly in such a situation. Managers must find ways
for team members to simply “speak” to each other formally and informally. Even
if team members over-communicate as a result, you would end up with a team
that works together and learns from each other. Monthly meetings are a great
way to improve communication.

3. Short-term Employment to Test Prospective Workers

You don’t have to employ anyone on a full-time basis right away. You will
have a taste of collaborating with others by recruiting them on a single
project, and if you like them, offer a full-time role after its completion.
However, treat the short-term option only to transition into a full-time role
for at least some employees. The focus of any employee permanently on a
part-time or contractual basis would be split. Likely, they won’t be around
when you need them the most. Part-time employees gradually leave the company
and cease operating entirely. Full-time employees depend on your business for
a living and are more likely to be with you in the long run.

4. Make use of Cloud-based Project Management Software

If your remote team
is not being able to locate an essential document, download files, or missed
out on an important task, you’ve failed to fix the fundamentals.    

Since you can’t see what your virtual team is operating on in person,
cloud-based project management software is a must. You can schedule,
collaborate, and track the various phases of a project through a network of
resources if you have a cloud project management framework. 

Another significant benefit of implementing a project management scheme is
that you would no longer be responsible for organizing work. You won’t need
sticky notes or leather-bound planners because they would be backed up and
accessible in the cloud. You just have to check the remote team’s activities
and results once a week at the weekly review conference, and you’re ready to
go.

5. Make an Effort to be Transparent

It’s convenient to refrain from sharing the big picture with your
remote engineers. Since they are working from another place, they will often not be aware of
what is going on at the local office. But remember, employees, look up to
bosses and administrators for guidance on how to act in the workplace and to
manage a remote team efficiently. They will be as transparent and
straightforward with you as you are with them. 

To integrate your remote team into your work culture, you must be as
transparent with them as possible. You win your staff’s confidence, and they
won’t be afraid to come to you with any issues or complaints. This strategy
also aids in the long-term retention of remote workers. 

When you have something to announce, for example, make sure you tell
everybody on your staff at the same time—not just your local team. Your remote
staff shouldn’t feel like they’re the last to know about what’s going on in
the workplace or like you’re hiding details from them on purpose.

6. Concentrate on Results Rather than Methods

Allow your employees to finish their jobs in the way that is most convenient
and efficient for them. In a remote setup, people juggle work and family
obligations, and they might not work in exactly the same way you do. 

It’s possible that the 9 a.m. meeting may have to be rescheduled, or you may
have to skip a lengthy approval phase. Use interactive methods wherever
feasible and schedule collaboration at a mutually convenient hour. Allowing
teams to be flexible will enable them to accomplish their tasks in their
unique manner. 

As a manager, you must pay less attention to the method and more attention to
what is being accomplished. Tell your staff what you need them to do, let them
figure out how to get there.

7. Improve Recognition 

Employees’ desire to be recognized for their contributions rises by 30% at
times of uncertainty. 

Adequate acknowledgement motivates the recipient and sends a positive message
to other workers on the types of habits they can implement. It doesn’t need to
be a hike or a bonus. Public acknowledgement, certificates of gratitude,
growth opportunities, and low-cost benefits are some ways to recognize
employees. Managers in companies facing a decline or a low period should use
the time to offer career resources to employees who may otherwise be unable to
do so.

Since access is vital for recognition, you must have reporting structures
with maximum direct reports. To identify areas of recognition, use basic pulse
surveys to ask specific questions or monitor performance. You will find tasks
where employees have excelled and contributed significantly to the team by
communicating with them constantly and asking what obstacles they have faced
or how colleagues have assisted them.

8. Conduct Regular One-to-One Meetings

You won’t have time to discuss problems with your teams because you’ll be
operating remotely. So, offer employees more one-on-one attention, and enable
them to contact you via Skype or any other app without regard to time zones.
Your remote staff does not know when your door is open. Offer them one day a
week to meet with you one-on-one to talk about their problems, and then assign
them tasks. 

9. Diversity Should be Embraced and Encouraged

When leading remote teams, it’s normal to run into cultural barriers. The
problem with multicultural teams is that they struggle because of
misunderstandings and disagreements. It may be difficult to treat individuals
of various races equally while still promoting cultural diversity to foster
teamwork. Finding out how various people from different places react to
comments, encouraging a mindset of celebrating diversity, being mindful of
national holidays with your global team, and respecting any cultural
distinction are all easy ways to start.

10. Refine the Online Communication Abilities 

While working on ventures, several remote working teams face connectivity
issues. Without strong leadership abilities, connecting with teams in various
fields would still be challenging. And, of course, proficiency in online
networking. To avoid confusion among the teams, launch the dialogue quickly
and succinctly. Develop your writing skills, speak clearly, and communicate
efficiently with the right remote collaboration software, as great
communication is essential in a remote workplace.

11. Make a Conscious Effort 

Your local staff sees you on a daily basis. You either walk by them through
the halls, have lunch with them, or hang out with them after work at a nearby
pub. They’re the ones who are around you and can quickly contact you if they
need anything. 

On the other hand, for a remote team, swinging by your desk or meeting up
with you during the weekend is not an option. This is where consciously making
an effort when handling a remote team will pay off big time. When a remote or
non-remote employee is respected or recognized, their morale rises
immediately. Simple tasks like answering as soon as possible, designing
interactive environments for socializing, and acknowledging and honouring
birthdays and job anniversaries can sound trivial, but they can be incredibly
rewarding. Make every team meeting a deliberate chance to connect with your
remote team and discover different ways to contribute to a productive
partnership.

12. Pay A Visit to the Remote Team 

If you can’t make the remote teams feel committed to your business, you can’t
trust them to feel connected to your company. 

Even if it’s only once a year, visiting your remote office will help your
team become more cohesive. You should hold brief one-on-one meetings during
your stay to discuss each individual’s expectations and evaluate their
results. You may also plan a work trip where the local and remote teams go to
a new location or country together. This period will be utilized to help the
teams bond on a more intimate basis. Whatever fits well on the team:
team-building events, socials, brainstorming, board games, etc.

Conclusion

When making a decision regarding
hiring remote team, make sure you have complete faith in their accountability, work ethic, and
abilities. Concentrate on recruiting or giving remote adjustments to those you
know can do it. There are several aspects of handling and ways to manage a
remote team efficiently. However, assuming that a remote employee is the same
as someone who works in your office building is a mistake. 

Remote workers face distinct problems and obstacles, which you must consider in
order to handle them efficiently as part of the squad. The more you learn about
the demands and complexities of handling remote workers, the better leader
you’ll be. Better to add
remote team management
to your list of skills now since remote work will soon be the standard way of
working. Reach out to Supersourcing to hire or
build a remote team at once
and manage them effectively to develop your product.