Since the start of the pandemic, we have witnessed substantial changes in the business world.
Businesses of all kinds and sizes are now adopting a new style of working commonly known as remote work which offers a wide range of benefits both to companies and employees.
From workers having the freedom to set their own working schedule to companies reducing turnover and saving a lot of money and time, remote work has proved to be a widespread success.
According to recent stats, 62% of employees expect that their employers will allow them to continue working remotely.
However, in order for everyone to reap the benefits that come with working remotely, company managers must first know how to implement this work model properly.
The first step to doing so is to build a remote team that will be highly productive and fully engaged outside the office setting.
So, if your company is just joining in on this new trend, here are five tips and ideas on how to create your own remote team.
Use employee tracking software
To build a remote team, you need to ensure you will be able to monitor their productivity and engagement.
One of the best ways to do so is to use employee tracking software to track your workers’ performance and ensure they are working to their fullest potential.
More specifically, the software will provide you with valuable insights into how your remote team spends their time outside the office setting.
You can track their web browsing and application use, capture screenshots of user activity, review how long they work on a certain task, and even see what time they log in and out of work.
Provide clear guidelines and set expectations
Providing clear guidelines and setting expectations is essential when building your remote team.
Although your employees will be working from home and possibly setting their own working schedule, you should make sure that they understand what’s expected of them by giving them instructions.
Some things you should cover include determining their responsibilities, what tools, apps, and platforms they should use to communicate and collaborate with you and the rest of the team, and how often they should check in.
For example, many companies arrange weekly virtual meetings with their employees to discuss issues, share ideas, and assign new tasks.
Implement business management tools
Implementing business management tools is essential when building a remote team.
Thanks to the vast technological advancements, you can use various digital tools, apps, and platforms to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity among your employees.
For example, there are project management tools that can help you create, organize and track your workers’ tasks and projects better.
To improve communication and collaboration, you can use multiple instant messaging apps and cloud-sharing platforms which will allow you to connect with your virtual team, organize online meetings, and create, share, and store documents.
Provide them with the right tools
Although most businesses have a Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) policy for remote workers, the truth is not everyone can afford a good quality tech device to complete their tasks outside the office.
Therefore, make sure you provide your employees with the right tools and accessories they need to work efficiently and boost their overall performance.
Depending on your team’s nature of work, some essential tech accessories and equipment you should supply them with include:
- Laptops and monitors
- Portable printers and fax machines
- A mechanical keyboard for desktop computers
- A wireless mouse
- Headphones and headsets
Make room for team bonding
Some of the biggest downsides of remote work include feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of connectivity with employees.
So, as a company manager, it is essential that you make room for team bonding and allow your workers to connect with each other and strengthen their bond.
In addition to organizing regular online meetings, you can also consider hosting virtual team-building activities to increase productivity, boost team morale, improve engagement, and build excellent coworking and collaboration skills.
The activities can be of all kinds, from educational lunch and learn sessions to virtual office trivia.
Final thoughts
Remote work is undoubtedly one of the most popular work models businesses of all kinds and sizes are adopting nowadays.
However, in order to reap all the benefits working remotely offers, company managers must first create a remote team that will be highly productive and engaged.
For more information on how to do it, refer to our post and follow the tips to build a strong remote team.