How to Build Your Remote Team: A Step-by-Step Guide

An economic report by Upwork projected that by 2025, 36.2 million Americans will become virtual workers. After COVID-19, the number of people working remotely has tremendously increased. Virtual team building strategies have become a game-changer in this fast-paced modern business, upending preconceived notions about how people collaborate for work.

To add more to this context, LinkedIn data shows that remote job postings on its platform increased by more than 350% over the past few years. By implementing remote teams, businesses can maximize operational efficiency, promote flexibility, and access a worldwide talent pool. 

In the current work environment, effective remote team building has become more and more critical to the success of distributed teams. This includes 56% of remote employers using online collaboration tools and social media to conduct frequent online gatherings to improve their cooperation and communication. This has resulted in better understanding and fewer misconceptions, ensuring project success.

Another report states almost 78% of fully remote employees feel more engaged while working remotely, underscoring the revolutionary shift from traditional office work to virtual team building. So, keeping in mind the importance of effective remote team building in the current scenario, we have provided a step-by-step guide to building a remote team in this blog. 

8 Steps to Build an Effective Remote Team

Effective remote team building necessitates careful consideration of team dynamics, communication, and collaboration. These are eight steps to assist you in building and leading a productive remote team:

1. Define Needs and Roles

Clearly state each team member's roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Ensure that everyone is aware of the team's goals and their own. Establish reasonable due dates and benchmarks, then monitor your work with project management software such as Asana, Jira, or Trello.

2. Perform Selection and Recruitment

With defined needs in mind, you can now concentrate on finding the best candidates for your remote workforce. Crafting engaging job descriptions that highlight the remote work component and the specific talents required is critical. Look for applicants who excel in communication, self-management, and cooperation since these are necessary skills for success in a remote workplace. Consider using online platforms and exams that are particularly developed to evaluate applicants for remote job success.

3. Offer Training and Support

Conduct training courses on cybersecurity awareness, efficient use of collaboration tools, and best practices for remote work. Create channels for handling any concerns that may come up and for offering support. Team members working remotely can feel more connected and appreciated with a prompt support system.

4. Clearly Defined Communication Routes

This is the first step in building a remote team—you have to ensure there is enough room for communication. Create effective and unambiguous communication routes. Use platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or other messaging applications to enable prompt and direct communication. Plan frequent video calls to improve communication and understanding within the team. Video conferences can foster a sense of community and lessen feelings of loneliness.

5. Performance Management and Feedback

Implement a performance management system that enables you to establish specific goals, measure progress, and offer feedback to remote teammates. Define each position's key performance indicators (KPIs) and routinely evaluate performance against these measures. Please provide encouraging feedback and appreciation for accomplishments to stimulate and support remote team members in achieving their objectives. Set up frequent performance evaluations to highlight strengths, places for growth, and professional development possibilities.

6. Promote Team Bonding and Culture

Arrange online get-togethers or informal meetings to promote team culture. Online games, team trivia, and virtual coffee breaks are a few examples of this. Celebrate successes and turning points, even if they happen virtually. Team morale depends on acknowledgement and constructive criticism.

7. Implement the Right Tools and Technology

The next step in building a remote team involves using technology to enhance your team’s efficiency and connectivity across various geographies. Thanks to the development of several remote applications like Asana, Jira, and Trello, working in a virtual environment has become easier over time. Remote work best practices include using cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive so your teams can save, access, and work collaboratively in real-time. Thus, using the right tools and technology is an efficient step in managing teams remotely. 

8. Encourage Adaptability and Work-Life Balance

Promoting flexible work schedules is also a key step in building a remote team. It means considering individual preferences and various time zones. Have faith in your team's ability to manage their time efficiently. Stress the value of preserving a positive work-life balance. To avoid burnout, promote breaks and time spent away from screens.

Challenges in Building Remote Team 

Remote team management has unique difficulties. The following five typical problems and possible solutions are listed below:

1. Barriers to Communication

The lack of physical presence in remote teams makes communication difficult, which can lead to misunderstandings and project delays. Without face-to-face interaction, it is difficult to convey and understand messages successfully. This can lead to lower productivity and the possibility of conflict as team members struggle to align on duties and goals, stressing the importance of clear and effective digital communication tactics.

2. Team Collaboration

Differences in time zones, work schedules, and communication styles make it difficult to collaborate effectively in remote teams. This might limit the smooth integration of efforts and ideas, making it difficult to have a consistent workflow. Effective remote collaboration necessitates deliberate techniques for synchronizing team operations and ensuring that all members feel included and involved.

3. Managing Productivity

Ensuring consistent productivity across a remote team is challenging without the framework of a typical workplace. Distractions, varying levels of self-motivation, and the absence of direct supervision can lead to inconsistencies in output, underscoring the need for clear expectations, regular check-ins, and supportive management practices.

4. Cultural Differences

Remote teams often comprise members from diverse cultural backgrounds, which can introduce variations in work ethics, communication preferences, and expectations. These differences can enrich a team but also pose challenges in aligning on common goals and working styles, highlighting the importance of fostering an inclusive culture that leverages diversity as a strength.

5. Security Concerns

Remote work environments pose risks, particularly concerning data security and privacy. The use of personal networks and devices can expose sensitive company information to cyber threats. Addressing these concerns requires robust security protocols, employee training on cybersecurity best practices, and secure technology solutions to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.

Apart from these, it's critical to keep reviewing and modifying your virtual team-building strategies in response to feedback and changing conditions. Seek feedback from team members regularly to learn about their requirements and difficulties. Then, be adaptable in modifying your strategy to assist their performance better.

Case Study - How MyZone Boosted Employee Morale Using Virtual Team Building Strategies While Being Completely Remote?

About the Company: MyZone was founded in 2002 to build and nurture internet-based start-ups. They use their proficiency in web design, marketing, and custom-printed products to scale their clients digitally. 

Challenges they Faced: In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was having a drastic impact on employees and organizations globally, MyZone found its employees with reduced morale and engagement. With the recession taking a significant hit and layoffs happening, its staff was feeling tense, leading to reduced productivity and motivation. Aiding to this, their remote work culture was proving to cause physical distance among the employees and made it challenging for them to collaborate and be productive.

Solution Implemented: Since nothing physical could be implemented due to COVID-19, they were looking for a virtual team-building exercise to enhance their employees’ morale. To engage their employees and take their minds off the work burden, they hosted a virtual Clue Murder Mystery for their team using applications like Zoom. They collaborated and seamlessly connected with their global team from Toronto to Bulgaria to solve the mystery.

Result:  Following the activity, their team felt a significant improvement in their work productivity. It boosted their morale, and the employees were grateful for the break from work and enjoyed collaborating with their employees after so long. 

Key Takeaways: The above case study highlights the importance of conducting a virtual team-building exercise and making use of remote work best practices to help employees engage with their team and enhance their morale. This helps them take their minds off workplace activities and enables them to focus on their well-being.

Conclusion

Research shows that 87% of respondents consider fully remote positions while considering a job change, highlighting the necessity for companies to consider remote positions. Remote team management is essential for increased productivity, flexibility, and access to a worldwide talent pool. Using online collaboration tools and technologies can help you provide the work-life balance your employees are looking for. To ensure long-term success in this transforming world of remote work, Edstellar can be your one-stop training partner who enables you to utilize your full potential through technology and remote work best practices. The company offers instructor-led corporate training packages to upskill your remote team and help them thrive in the ever-changing corporate world.