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How to Build a Successful Remote Team

March 11, 2019

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You probably already know that remote teams are on the rise, despite almost being unheard of 20 years ago.

Take a look at these facts if you are not entirely convinced: a forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum called flexible work “one of the biggest drivers of transformation” in the workplace. Furthermore, a Gallup poll found that 37% of respondents have already worked virtually.

Why are most companies doing it? Because the benefits of a remote company are obvious: low overhead, improved employee satisfaction and retention, no geographical restrictions on hiring the best talent and much more.

Who wouldn’t want an attractive working alternative that helps businesses cultivate a diverse talent pool that is not constrained by location, time zone, and work hours?

It all sounds very good, but building successful remote teams introduces some unique challenges as well. You have to be sure you’re hiring the most talented employees, you invest in heavily training your remote staff, and work hard at building positive morale.

So what elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?

As with any good recipe, there are a number of important ingredients to a successful remote working organization. For example, it should include:

  • Establishing a culture of trust in your people and services
  • An approach that will empower your employees, ensuring clear communication and expectations are set
  • Creating a happy medium for home workers to ensure they do not feel isolated and can still physically identify with colleagues

Now that you’ve got all that figured out, here are a couple of steps to take when building the remote dream-team.

The first step is understanding the requirements, qualifications, and duties of a remote worker, despite the fact that they can fill numerous roles. The problem that may arise with this is that employers may have difficulty communicating their expectations. It helps if you have a clear idea of the various responsibilities and train your workers accordingly. This helps them plan their work schedules accordingly and deliver successful results.

Another key element to success is effective collaboration. Sometimes, your workers don’t come from the same time zones. It’s a good idea to route all your live collaboration through meeting scheduling tools like video conferencing and live chat.

What you can do next is to measure your employees’ performance. Experts recommend you use a result-oriented approach that assesses an employee’s contribution based on the results and completed tasks and not on the hours put in.

This goes well hand-in-hand with deadline management. To avoid the lack of engagement that will inevitably lead to resentment, give your team clear deadlines and expectations for timely completion of projects. This keeps the morale of your workers high and helps in building a happy remote working team. Also, it might be a good idea to hire employees who already have experience working remotely, so they can ensure that they are capable of delivering on time.

Last but not least, one point that is frequently discussed with remote teams is culture. Michael C. Mankins wrote in Harvard Business Review that the culture is the glue that binds a company together. It makes your company unique and it can be a lasting source of competitive advantage. Open and honest communication is vital to building and maintaining your company culture. You can start by creating strong values that define how you treat each other and your customers. Make sure you’re setting the tone with your own behavior and you’re good to go!

One last tip…

Whether you’re running a company of 5 or 500, the best strategies above will help you build a bonded remote team that works toward a shared vision and goal. But rest assured that remote working isn’t going away anytime soon. Continue to grow and build a stronger and united company.