While many companies still operate with a 100% physical workforce, this is becoming less and less common. A big reason for this is the growth of remote work. More and more people are working remotely than ever before, and look for this to continue. In fact, a large majority of workers globally are working remotely at least once a week.
Not only does remote work have benefits for the employees themselves, but even the companies themselves can enjoy some perks. Unfortunately, building a remote team isn’t always easy. There are some ways to do it right, but also many things you might end up doing wrong. With that in mind, this article is going to go over some no-sweat ways to build a good remote team.
Use the Tools Available
Technology has had a massive change on our world, and especially how we do business. There are several tools that have made businesses more optimized and efficient. Many of these tools have been incredibly important to the growth of remote work. Tools like applicant tracking systems, communication platforms, project management tools and dozens of others have been able to help businesses succeed remotely.
Of course, you need to learn how talent recruiting software such as Applicant Tracking Systems work (and other tools as well), but once you understand the technology, you can truly begin to harness their power. These tools can help people from all across the world collaborate, communicate and contribute to the success of your company.
Tools and technologies of all shapes and sizes can make building and managing a remote workforce much easier. As a result, discover your needs, and do some research on the solutions that are available out there to deal with them.
Communication is Incredibly Important
Communication is arguably the most important ingredient to a successful business. Without consistent communication and everyone being on the same page, operating a business can prove very difficult. In physical office locations, it is quite easy to communicate as meetings can be held anytime. Also, it is very simple to pass by someone’s desk to have a talk with them every day if need be.
However, this becomes more difficult with remote teams. It’s not as easy as simply going across the office if you want to talk with them. As a result, communication becomes all the more important. Remote workers need to be updated on everything, kept on the same page and be checked up on just like regular physical workers. Keep in mind that digital nomads that change locations can mix timezones or oversee a potential issue with charging their gadgets around the world.
All the communication can be done through email, messaging and phone calls, with Skype also being a popular choice. You need to make sure your remote workers are comfortable asking questions and know who to contact with their issues.
You need to have a remote team that is okay with consistent communication, and is comfortable working without as much direction as they might have been used to in a physical office environment. If communication is at the core of the remote team you are building, you will have a good chance of success. If not, things can easily get lost in translation or somehow confused throughout the pipeline.
Measure Results the Right Way
No matter what sort of environment you have, you need to make sure your workers are doing what they’re supposed to. However, doing this for remote workers might be different than what you’re used to. Instead of worrying about when your remote workers are working or how long they work for, judge them based on the results of their work.
If their results are good and meet the goals or expectations, it shouldn’t matter when they did the work or how long it took. Of course, that is as long as it was done by the deadline.
Giving them this freedom will make them appreciate your company and could even help them be more productive. Of course, some remote workers will need to work on the exact same schedule as your physical workers for collaboration sake, but this differs from company to company.
In conclusion, we hope that the information and tips in this article have been able to help you build the best remote team possible.