Simple Ways to Build an Effective Remote Team

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for building an effective remote team that works for everyone. You need to test some of your own processes and find what works best for your team. However, the following seven considerations are a good place to start:

1. Rethink hiring and onboarding

The skills you look for in remote workers should focus on their ability to work independently and without motivational aids. Written communication is also an important factor, as successful Remote-Teams use asynchronous communication and therefore almost all communication takes place in writing. Also determine the other factors that are most important to your team and hire accordingly.

Those: sanpool.ch

Onboarding employees remotely presents challenges when it comes to effectively imitating culture and problem-solving.  Create a step-by-step onboarding checklist to effectively onboard new employees. This checklist should include goals for things to do before the new employee joins, on the first day, in the first week, and by the time the onboarding is complete. This way, you and your new employees have a clear idea of ​​what to expect.

2. Don't apply the same rules as in the office

The same rules don't always apply in a remote environment as in an office. Individuals should have the flexibility to work when they are most productive, and strict rules on working hours do not support this flexibility.

When formulating company rules, you should keep in mind that the requirements are different Remote work , e.g. B. in terms of working hours and the workplace differ from those in an office. If you have a distributed team, employees may work in different time zones. Establish rules that enable smooth collaboration between members so that time zone differences do not become an obstacle.

3. Create a company handbook or team wiki

Take notes from Gitlab's manual. The handbook has over 10,000 pages and contains answers to every question employees might have. Employees are also encouraged to add answers to new questions as they come across them.

Those: atlassian.com

Your team handbook may only be 2 or 3 pages long, but make sure it is easily accessible to everyone. It should be a wiki that covers all areas of remote work in your company. Communication policies, workspace settings, and company culture should be included in the wiki. If you Team e.g. For example, if you plan to use Slack for all communication and only make phone calls in emergencies, this should be documented in your company handbook. Putting all of these details together in a communication charter will prove extremely helpful for your team.

4. Give your team the best remote tools

The tools you use in the office are not designed to facilitate collaboration between remote members. The requirements for remote collaboration are completely different in comparison. For example, when presenting something to your teammates, it's challenging to maintain efficiency since they're not sitting directly in front of you and you can't move.

Fortunately, more and more companies are making changes to their tools to make them more suitable for remote work. Find the best tools for your purposes and use them. A Google search should give you a good overview of the best tools for various remote collaboration purposes, and this Forbes article highlights the types of remote-first tools you should consider.

When it comes to physical tools, although you can work from anywhere, you need to pay close attention to the basic requirements. Make sure your employees have a good computer, internet connection and other basic necessities like a desk at all times. Where possible, provide these amenities at the corporate level.

5. Build your team on trust

Using surveillance tools to control your employees could be the worst decision you make. Successful ones Remote-Teams are built on trust, and employees should care about the company's success. This is demonstrated by companies like Doist and Basecamp, which have been working remotely for a long time and do not monitor their employees.

Those: fistfuloftalent.com

The use of surveillance software is not only immoral, it is also a breach of privacy and trust. It can lead people to abuse the system. Don't judge your employees based on how much time they spend, but only based on the performance they can provide. This will motivate them to do their best and allow them to get the most out of the Remote work close.

To effectively manage team performance, hold members accountable for results and assess their performance based on output. Set a framework for how you want to proceed and encourage them to work well based on that.

6. Arrange social events

In small companies, team events are often neglected. Since work takes priority, there is hardly any time for socializing. Remember that in a remote company, members don't always communicate organically with each other when they're not working. This can lead to a lack of camaraderie among your team members. It's a good idea to set a goal for how many structured social events you want to do per month.

Unstructured social events are equally important as they help your team develop a natural bond. An example of this is an event where everyone can talk for five minutes about anything - be it something good or bad that happened during the week, or something that is very important to them, such as: B. his pet or a hobby. You can also assign specific people on your team responsibility for planning these relationship-building activities.

7. Mental wellbeing must be a top priority

One of the biggest disadvantages of telecommuting is the isolation that comes with it. If you don't do something about it from the start, this isolation can build up and have serious consequences for your health.

Not only is it the individual's responsibility to look after their own mental wellbeing, but you as a leader must provide them with channels to actively talk about it and look for solutions.

Those: successatschool.org

Here are some concrete pointers you can follow and implement:

Acknowledge the problem: Mental health issues during remote work are real, and the first step toward a solution is to openly acknowledge that it is a problem.
Create an open culture: It's easy to assume that everything is fine when you don't see or meet your teammates. That's why it's important that you create an environment where everyone can speak freely.
Support your team members: It's not easy to talk about your problems with depression or stress. But once you've done that, it's important that your teammates support you.
Make it part of your culture: Your culture needs to take practical steps to promote the psychological well-being reflect. For example, established remote companies like Doist offer coworking perks and mental health sick days.

We hope these tips help you have a strong Remote-Team and build an appropriate culture. However, remember that building a remote team or company is a unique process that involves a lot of trial and error.