10 Tips for Managing Remote Teams

The advent of Internet technology has made the physical presence irrelevant in workplaces. Remote work is now the rave of the moment because of the many benefits it provides. According to a study by Global Workplace Analytics,a typical business saves about $11 000 per employee per year by allowing them to work from home 50% of the time. There is overall productivity and job satisfaction amongst remote teams. Remote work also enables companies to get access to top talents,no matter where they are located. However,a company cannot reap these benefits of remote work if it does not well in remote team management.

Given the increasing number of remote teams worldwide,there is an urgent need to learn how to properly manage remote teams. We have carefully curated ten of the top tips you need in managing remote teams. These tips have been put together to help you bring the best out of your remote teams.

1. Hire the Right People

Hiring the right people is the first step to ensuring your remote team is well managed. You might want to test new hires with short-term jobs before bringing them onboard fully. You should also find out how much time they can spare for work per week. New hires should also be able to work well in teams. You have to be sure you are hiring the right person for your needs.

2. Create A Good Onboarding Process

For managing a remote team,you need to have a good onboarding process that will properly orientate new hires. You need to be sure that new hires are introduced to every member of the team. They must be aware of the company culture,as well as other key information.

3. Set Clearly Defined Work Goals And Objectives

Well-defined goals and objectives need to be set for every employee to ensure a good remore team management. These goals must be geared to towards their team goals. The Overall company goal has to be known by all employees,and every result must align with it. Basically,every employee should know exactly what is required of them,both individually and in a team.

4. Use the Right Remote Team Management Software

For managing teams remotely,it's sensible to have a team management software. ezTalks Cloud Meeting allows remote team to host online meetings very effectively. It guarantees very high audio and video (HD) quality. Transmission is seamless,and there is no chance of technical error.

There is an innovative screen sharing feature and an online whiteboard tool that makes collaboration easier. You can record online meetings for future reference. Arrangement and scheduling of meetings is also made very simple with the ezTalks Cloud Meeting. It works on a wide range of devices,allowing for flexibility. Pricing is also very affordable. There is a free plan that can host up to 100 participants. If your team size is larger,you can upgrade to its pro version that enterprise can host up to 10 000 participants,as well as provide other advanced features.

5. Organize An Effective Work Plan

This tip for managing a team remotely is to make sure the plan towards actualizing goals and objectives should be well laid out. A proper management of projects has to be implemented. You do not want an employee working one way when the other members of the team are working another way.

6. Track Progress

The progress of each member of the team has to be well monitored. Team progress also has to be reported regularly. It is well known that you can only change what you can measure,hence the need to monitor and measure progress.

7. Create A Real “Team” Atmosphere

A friendly atmosphere should be created amongst remote team members. You should be aware that there are actual people behind those keyboards,and they should be made to feel that way. There should be random chitchat once in a while amongst team members. The birthdays of every team member should also be celebrated. This will help foster unity and friendship amongst team members.

8. Organize Physical Meetups Once in A While

Physical meetups should be organized at least once in a year. This will help promote togetherness amongst team members.

9. Perform Reviews Regularly

Reviews and appraisals of teams and team members should be performed regularly.

10. Be Flexible And Balance Different Time Zones

You should realize that you might be employing workers from different time zones. Thus,to manage remote teams,you should be flexible with meeting times and make sure it is convenient for every member. Any issue related to time zone differences has to be treated with utmost consideration.

There is no doubt that remote work is the future. The number of remote workers had risen by 10 million over the last decade,according to the New York Times. This number is bound to increase,as there are several top talents all over the world. The tips on how to manage remote teams outlined here will ensure your company profits from remote teams. You definitely do not want to be left out of this workforce revolution.