Guide to Remote Team Management: 10 Best Practices for a Productive and Happy Virtual Workforce
Whether your team has been working remotely for years or you have just transitioned to remote work, it has never been easy to manage a team. From logistics to productivity management bottlenecks, there are a lot of challenges that come with operating a remote team. Thankfully, with the right tools, mindset, and strategies, remote team management can be made easy for you and your team. Here we will take you through all the ins and outs of managing teams worldwide and the strategies to be a better manager.
We’ll cover:
Benefits of operating a remote team
Challenges of operating a remote workforce
Best practices to effectively manage a remote team
Remote team management: an outlook
As the future of work dawns on us, the principles of management have changed dramatically. What worked yesterday is not guaranteed to succeed today. With 100% remote and hybrid work, managers, HR professionals, and companies need to find new ways of managing this ever-changing workforce.
Research has shown that the shift to hybrid or remote work is no longer only about the pandemic. A 2019 Airtasker survey concluded that since there is no commute, remote workers are more productive than their office counterparts. The survey also found that remote workers get to save about $4,523 (408 hours) per year. A study by freelance marketplace Upwork also estimates that about 36 million Americans (22% of the workforce) will work remotely by 2025. The statistics show that remote workers have higher productivity and job satisfaction, which is what all companies want from their employees.
Benefits of operating a remote team
A remote team is generally more productive than traditional office teams because there are fewer distractions.
Employees are also more engaged when they have the freedom to work remotely and can set their own hours.
Operating a remote team means you have access to a global talent pool. This can be an immense advantage for companies who are looking for talent to fill positions that are not easily accessible in the local market.
The diversity of remote teams allows for a more relaxed and open work environment, which leads to more creative solutions.
Companies also see less turnover in remote teams because employees don’t have to commute to an office and can live wherever they want. The flexibility this provides often leads to a better quality of life for employees, as well as lower costs for the company.
What are the challenges for managers in managing teams remotely?
It is easy to see the benefits of remote working - it can be a great way to attract talent and improve the work-life balance. But, it also has its challenges.
Communication: This can be difficult, as it is harder to build rapport with your team members when they are not in the same office and there is a lack of face-to-face contact.
Motivation: Remote teams can be more prone to feeling isolated and unmotivated because there are fewer opportunities for social interaction.
The geographical distance and time difference can make it difficult to know what is going on in your team and to be proactive when things happen.
It is also difficult to assess productivity without proper measures, which could lead to a lack of trust among team members.
How do you best manage your remote team?
Managing a remote team can be difficult, but there are some best practices that you can use to make the process easier.
1. Communication: guidelines, expectations, and options
Communication is the key to any successful team. The better you communicate with your remote team, the better they will understand what you want them to do. To do this, managers need to create communication guidelines and expectations. This should include what type of communication should be used, how often it should happen, what you expect of your team, and who should be included. Here are strategies managers can use to get communication right:
It is important to make sure that the communication guidelines are realistic and achievable. You don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for your team members or else they may feel like they are not meeting their goals and that will lead to a lot of frustration.
The key to success in communication with your remote team lies in the ability to be clear and concise, as well as understanding the best time to communicate.
Set up meeting times that work for all employees.
Provide multiple communication options. The more ways you have to communicate with your team, the better. This includes things like video chat, email, Slack channels, and more.
2. Invest in the right remote working tools for your team
Tools can help elevate your remote team experience. They help you stay connected with one another, collaborate on projects, and get your jobs done efficiently. The best remote work tools are those that are easy to use and provide a seamless experience for both the person working remotely and the person managing them.
There are many types of remote work tools out there - screen sharing and recording tools, collaboration tools, video conferencing platforms, online chat tools, and whiteboard, just to mention a few. It is important to choose the right ones by assessing your team’s needs, size, and goals.
3. Create a conducive environment for social interactions
It is a challenge to maintain a healthy work-life balance when working remotely. The lack of social interaction and the isolation that comes with it can lead to burnout, decreased productivity and lower quality of work. A great way to deal with this is by encouraging workers to socialize with each other. There are many ways you can do this, such as scheduling a weekly meeting for the entire team, organizing a monthly virtual lunch, and setting up an online group chat session where everyone can take part.
4. Organize team building activities
As a remote team, it is important to build cohesion and trust among your members. This can be done through team building activities that help you get to know each other on a personal level.
Some fun and effective activities worth exploring include:
Organize team scavenger hunts - activities where teams have to find items or solve puzzles together in order to win the game.
Play games together online or face-to-face for hybrid teams - some examples are “Pictionary,” “Charades,” or even a work-appropriate version of the crowd favorite, “Cards Against Humanity.”
Compete in trivia contests against each other on different topics, including everything from geography to pop culture.
Create a shared calendar of events that everyone in the company can take part in. This includes things like company lunches, happy hours, and even outside activities like hiking or kayaking.
5. Be sensitive about your team’s cultural differences
Working remotely is a great way to be more productive and save on costs. But as we’ve learned, it can come with many challenges.. Some things that you need to be aware of when managing remote teams are language barriers, different work styles, time zones, and cultural differences in how people communicate and collaborate.
6. Give employees the opportunity to contribute to company decisions
One of the best strategies of managing remote teams is to give members the chance to input ideas. This can be done through brainstorming sessions, open feedback channels, or regular meetings with management. Doing so will increase engagement and allow for more creativity from your team members.
7. Prioritize employee feedback
In order to keep your remote employees happy and engaged, you need to regularly gather feedback from them. An easy way to do this is by sending them a survey at the end of each work week or month. It’s important that you are transparent with what you are asking for feedback on. You can ask for feedback on the following: company culture and values, work/life balance, and their boss/manager relationship.
8. Practice regular check-ins
Similarly, one of the best ways to stay connected with your remote employees is by checking in often. This means making sure that your employees know that they are not forgotten and that you care about them. It also means making sure they have everything they need in order to be productive and successful in their roles.
9. Invest in a company retreat
A company retreat is a great way to bring the team together in person and get to know each other better. The retreats can be used as an opportunity to celebrate achievements, explore new ideas, and brainstorm solutions. When organizing a team retreat, consider the following:
Make sure that everyone has enough time to attend
Choose a destination that is close or easy to travel to
Allow for some flexibility for people with kids or pets at home
Consider catering to dietary requirements and allergies
10. Champion diversity and inclusion
With people gravitating towards remote work, the need for diversity and inclusion is also increasing. This is why one of the best ways to manage a remote team is to advocate for and champion diversity and inclusion. To start, be proactive about recruiting a diverse pool of candidates. Also, ensure that remote team members are in positions where they have the opportunity for growth and promotion.
Need help managing your remote team?
The management style that is needed for remote teams is one that is flexible, transparent and participatory.
Team building activities help build a better remote team by making them feel more connected, building trust, and fostering collaboration.
