How to Manage a Global Remote Team Efficiently?

Having a global remote team says many good things about your company. It gives you an international presence, access to specialized skills, and a large pool of talent with specialized skills. So, there are many benefits of having a global remote team.

But managing a global remote team is easier said than done. Some common challenges of working with a remote team include trouble maintaining healthy communication, scheduling difficulties, no get-togethers, and low productivity, to name a few.

Fortunately, by having the right strategies in place, you can manage your global remote team efficiently. Below, we’ve listed some best practices on how to manage your remote workforce. Let’s take a look:

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Choose the Right Tools to Manage your Remote Team

Introducing your global team to remote work tools is one of the most initial and crucial steps. With the right tech, the remote team can contact you in real time, discuss projects, share data, and much more.

The right tools also mean choosing a platform that is popular, globally accessible, and user-friendly. These platforms will boost communication, management, and collaboration. Therefore, you must use proper channels to ease remote working.

Some of the important types of tools necessary for remote working are:

Collaboration tools: Collective working is an important part of many businesses. Therefore, tools like Google docs, Google Workspace, Google Sheets etc are helpful for collaboration.

Communication tools: Effective communication tools are necessary to contact remote workers at any time. It's not only essential for work but also for creating networks. Therefore, platforms like Skype, Zoom, Google Meetings, etc., are popular for effective communication.

Productivity tracking tools: The tools necessary for tracking real-time and daily progress are crucial to employers. You can welcome tools like Slack, Trello, etc., which have various features for productivity tracking over remote workers.

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Coordinate Time Zones

According to the time zones, some remote workers may be ahead, behind, or overlapping the other employees' time. In this case, you must address all the time zones and ask for their preferred working time.

Some expert tips to manage employees in different time zones are:

• If there's an overlap among time zones, you can assign collaborative work to these employees.
• Request employees to follow different time shifts if they can.
• Ask employees to update their time zones in productivity tracking software.
• Follow a standard time like UTC or GMT for communication.
• Always plan the deadlines, meetings, and other important tasks beforehand.

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Build an Inclusive Culture

Healthy work culture is one of the key factors which hold the employees. Therefore, an inclusive and healthy work culture becomes even more important in remote working. Being inclusive means offering the same benefits, rights, and importance to remote workers as other employees.

Some of the ways you can build inclusive culture are:

• Providing the same policies and benefits to all the employees regardless of location.
• Welcome and consider the ideas and suggestions of remote employees
• Participation in virtual celebrations, achievements, and discussions
• Providing all the latest and necessary information about the organization to remote workers

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Acknowledging Cultural and Geographical Diversity

Remote working means working with worldwide employees having different cultures. While working with a remote workforce with common goals and daily communication, respecting diversity is important. To build this healthy atmosphere that appreciates cultural and geographical diversity, you can take help from many things like:

• Set up a digital workplace calendar with all the details of important days, festivals, and other details.
• Use the important days to know each other and celebrate.
• Appreciate cultural diversity
• Educate your employees about cultural sensitivity.

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Conduct Occasional Virtual Events

Sometimes remote working may feel like disconnected bubbles which are spread around the world. However, the remote team is a part of your community, so you must organize opportunities to come together.

Human touch, trust, and empathy are necessary for a successful organization. Therefore, you can organize virtual events to boost interaction and build strong connections. Some of the ways to implement are:

• Conduct virtual team-building exercises
• You can organize virtual tours if your company has a physical accommodation.
• Celebrate important days
• Talk to remote employees about their journey and much more.
• Once in a while, you can also organize in-person meetups.

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Gather Feedback

Feedback and suggestions are important management strategies that help you to build a strong remote working atmosphere. In addition, you can leverage technology to have time-to-time feedback.

It helps you to improve, assess and make necessary changes. The feedback can be related to company goals, working styles, and certain instances. Some of the brilliant ideas you can adopt to welcome genuine feedback are:

• Organize weekly check in with a team or with a single employee
• You can use digital polls to learn how to implement new ideas. Asking for favor or disagreement through polls is great
• You can create an anonymous feedback system, as some employees may hesitate to share their thoughts
• Take action regarding the most common feedback
• Make feedback about your company culture to create a healthy work environment.

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Convey Clear Expectations

Conveying clear expectations to the remote team helps a lot with management. From day one, you must be upfront about policies, deadlines, communication methods, holidays, etc.

Real and straightforward talk about expectations, working hours, responsibilities, goals, etc., will help you to create a competent team. Therefore, always convey your expectations through various digital channels.

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Lastly, Communication is the key

Managing a remote team is a very exciting as well as overwhelming job. Bringing talented employees from global locations to work on the same goal is truly marvelous. But, thanks to amazing technology, you can manage it better now.

Whatever the managing tips are, the most important one is communication. Whether personal or professional, effective communication helps to manage the team a lot. Moreover, gradually the team learns the working of the organization and adapts themselves. So, create an open and communicative environment to efficiently manage a global remote team.

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If you are looking for a skilled global remote team, you can reach out to Brix. The platform offers hiring, screening, and management of remote employees from worldwide in the minimum possible time.

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