The working landscape has come a long way in a short amount of time. A few years ago, office work was the norm, but after the pandemic, many employees and businesses began to see the value in working remotely.
Today, approximately 20 million people, or 38% of the British population, works from home at least some of the time. Many of these people work exclusively from home, as this means that they can enjoy the work/ life balance they crave.
For organizations, working with a remote team allows you to cast a wider net when hiring, so that you’re not tied to finding talented staff in one specific location. It also saves money, as you won’t need to pay for an office building and all the associated expenses that come with it.
However, one area that can fall short when working entirely remotely is the team culture. It can be incredibly hard to get to know everyone and feel like a real team when you’re all sat in your own homes.
If you’re a manager looking to build a fully-remote team, then you’re in luck. We’ve listed some simple tips to help you make the most of modern technology and cutting-edge working methods to help you build and manage your dream team.
Create Clear Channels Of Communication
The key to any team is the establishment of consistent communication channels for team members to interact, share updates, and ask questions. That’s easy when you’re face-to-face. But remotely you need to make sure you make the most of communications tools. These can be like messaging platforms, video conferencing software and collaboration tools to facilitate real-time communication. Also, you need to clearly define expectations for response times to emails, messages, and meetings to avoid misunderstandings.
Plan Regular In-Person Meetings
Getting together in person is still important, even for fully-remote teams. If you’re spread throughout the country or even worldwide, then consider doing several smaller meet-ups rather than one big one. If you do want to do a more formal gathering, consider turning it into a big team-building exercise. Or you can host a conference among your colleagues. Expert corporate events providers Sullivan Group Corporate Event Planners means that you can get the most out of your time together with your team.
Set Clear Goals
Staff who don’t know what they need to do, won’t be able to do it. So you need to set goals, expectations and performance metrics for each team member. This is to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities and objectives. You can then monitor progress through regular check-ins and provide constructive feedback. So that your staff feel supported and able to grow in their roles.
Focus On Continuous Improvement
Once you’ve built your team and put practices in place to make it more effective, you need to look towards the future. Individual performance reviews are important, but you also need to review the performance of the team overall. That means regularly assessing the effectiveness of your remote work strategies and adapting them based on feedback and outcomes. You also need to be open to experimentation and adjustments. It is to find what works best for your team’s unique dynamics. So that you can adjust your approach as your team grows and evolves.
It might take time and practice. But by implementing these practical tips, you can create a cohesive and high-performing remote team. It will thrive in the digital work environment. You’ll then be able to manage your workplace effectively, wherever you are in the world.