According to a survey done by Gartner, ‘74 % of CFOs plan to shift some employees to permanent remote work’, even after the pandemic ends.
There’s no denial in the fact that remote jobs are more preferred by people than the regular ones ― especially now ― more than ever!
According to a study done by Owl Labs, some of the major reasons people prefer to work remotely are:
- Better work-life balance (91%)
- Increased productivity and better focus (79%)
- Less stress (78%)
- Avoiding a commute (78%)
Oh, and let’s not forget the everyday hassle ― right from deciding your lunch boxes to your outfits!
But as fancy and comforting as it may sound, remote work has its downsides which are mostly faced by the managers, CXOs and other senior management employees, particularly those who lead larger teams.
And, moreover, let’s not forget how remote jobs hideously takes away the beauty of collaborating with other people and the effectiveness of offline brainstorming sessions.
To tackle this, organisations need to come up with a much hybrid model that doesn’t take away the benefits of remote culture and eschew its downside too. Here are some basic yet very effective hacks that one can adopt for better remote teams management.
Hire smartly
Create a solid hiring and onboarding process. Use the right platforms to find the right talent. While hiring, keep the demographics and timezones in check to avoid any future complications.
Make a plan
Try to plan out everything on a daily basis. Make notes. Keep track of workflow. Schedule and run virtual team meetings effectively. Do not extend them unnecessarily; in fact, keep the communication limited to work management tools as much as possible.
Keep a check
And while the workflow has to be smooth and effective, do not forget about the people accountable for those tasks. Check-in with individuals on your team regularly. Make sure they aren’t facing any troubles.
Keep experimenting
With the ever-growing popularity of remote jobs and the constant launches of new products and tools every day, it is necessary to keep experimenting with the products (not all, though) ― but keep hustling until you don’t find the right sets of tools for your team. Learn and implement digital productivity tools and train your team as well.
Some of the factors you should consider while choosing a tool:
- For better communication
- For better track of work
- For smooth work meetings
And while there could be other tools depending on your job roles, do not forget the one that helps in bonding the team better.
Be flexible
Ah, probably the most important point to take note of! Remote workers are not limited to a particular city, let alone a nation anymore. So as your team spread over continents, spread the work-timings as well. Keep the timezones and remote employee boundaries in mind. Let them work at their pace.
Socialise
No, not with your team members only, but also with the other departments of your organisations. Now, this is something startups or companies with smaller teams may ignore, but people working in larger organisations do need to align with other teams virtually. This helps in building a great work culture overall (and gets you more watercooler conversations too!)
Be inclusive
People today are vocal and outspoken more than ever! And this helps them in building a great rapport with people everywhere. So while you may feel that you’re leading one fun of a team, make sure that no one is missing out in that crowd. Ensure that all the teammates feel included. Get on one-on-one calls or discussions, if required, and help your team in growing individually.
Bond well
First thing first, do not mix up the terms’ socialising’ and ‘inclusion’ with bonding. Your team may get along well with their colleagues from other departments, or they may grow beautifully on a personal level, but everything’s in vain if they don’t get along with their internal team members. Identify opportunities for virtual team bonding. Plan stress-busting fun activities and help them in resolving conflicts, if any.
Encourage empathy
Your go-to mantra to build an overall great remote team! Connect with people. Try to relate to their situations and show empathy when required. Encourage them to empathise with each other and help them in unfavourable situations. Use emotional intelligence at all times and practice this both in-office and out-office.
While there are so many other points to take into consideration, these are the basic foundation of building and managing remote teams. The rest could be developed by your team itself ― over time ― along with each other!
How did you manage your remote teams? What measures did you take to build the culture you are cherishing right now? Share with us in the comments below!
