​Top 5 Challenges When Working with a Remote Team

When it comes to building and managing a remote team, there are many details to consider throughout the process. Things you may not have thought about before. That’s why we’re here to help. Let’s get started.

1. Corporate Values & Corporate Culture

When working remotely, the traditional corporate culture setting is lost due to an absence of physical meeting rooms, conferences, and desk-to-desk interactions. When it comes to corporate values, make sure your remote team members understand what the company stands for. What type of values do your team members embody?

2. Get the Right Team Members

Use a curated freelancer platform. This will save a great amount of time from the very beginning. Do not simply go for the cheapest solution. Try to spend some time interviewing different team members and asking yourself if this person is a good fit. Neither party wants to go through the hiring process again and this will pay off in the long run.

3. Clear Goals

When having a remote team, people can lose sight of specific project goals. Make sure deadlines are clear and that you are checking in on ongoing projects and measuring progress. This can help by establishing W.I.P (work-in-progress) report deadlines and using online tools (Asana or setting up a shared calendar) to keep track of ongoing projects. No one wants to reach a deadline and realise details have been lost in translation and nothing has been completed.

4. Set Up & Use the Proper Tools

One major obstacle when setting up a remote team is time zones. What’s great is a number of communication tools available today to ease working at any hour of the day with your remote team members. Skype, Slack, Github, etc. are great tools for working with your team members remotely. But make sure these tools are actually being used! Implement weekly, or even daily, Skype meetings and briefs. Always keep the communication flowing. Just because you could be thousands of miles away from your team members, doesn’t mean communication should be any less.

5. Keep a Good Structure & Full Transparency With Your Remote Team

This goes hand in hand with team communication. By making sure there is a key structure — both verbalised and written — allows team members to communicate with each other more effectively and keeps everyone on the same page. Be sure to encourage your team members to be open and honest with each other up front. Ask them to ask questions! Help create personal connections. This, in turn, will build a strong rapport with your team and will not only boost morale but also self-esteem. This can be reflected positively across all current and future projects. Whether you’re looking to build up your remote team or need you are a freelance looking for a team to join, we can help! Simply, click here for more info.
Share this article:
You may be interested in these articles