Building a team remotely seems like a daunting task. Naturally, we are used to working with people face-to-face, and it can be difficult to find out how to get the same results from a team that works entirely online. You want to ensure that productivity and work ethic remains the same without being in the same room as the people you work with, but where do you start? This step-by-step guide will focus on the practical ways in which you can get great results from your remote team.
Find your teammates
You may already have a virtual team, or you may be looking to build one in order to get started. If you do not have a team, do not be disheartened; there is a simple and easy way of building a great team from scratch online!
TeammateMe is the all-in-one solution to virtual team building. It is an online platform that makes it easy to find the perfect team members for you, based on what kind of teammates you are seeking. Simply invite the people you think would be the biggest asset to your team and watch it build before your eyes!
Create a remote work policy
Creating a comprehensive work policy is very important for virtual teams. Remote work does not have the same natural structure as in-office work, so it is up to you to implement rules and policies that keep everyone on the same page. This policy can include outlines of who reports to whom, working hours, decision rights, meeting times, and general expectations. Specifying the responsibilities of each team member is essential. Put this together in a document and ensure that every member of the team receives it and understands it.
Pick a productivity tool that everyone uses
There are so many different applications out there today that will contribute to collaboration and productivity within your team. However, unless every team member fully understands and is comfortable using these tools already then it may not result in the productive outcome that you are looking for. The best way forward is to use tools that everyone in your team has already been using (Google or Microsoft for many companies), meaning that there will be a shorter settling period and your virtual team can get straight to work.
Regular facetime
Once your virtual team is built with the help of TeammateMe, the next step is to think about ensuring effective communication. In a study done by Microsoft, they found that the vast majority of workers favor in-person meetings over any other kind.
This evidence suggests that virtual teams can be disadvantaged through a lack of face-to-face contact. The best way to combat this is through the use of video-calling, which serves to enable employees to feel empowered as part of the team and can combat the isolation of working remotely.
Studies have found that 80% of communication is based on visual cues, so it is unsurprising that companies see enhanced productivity when they introduce regular video calling.. To this end, you can use Zoom or Skype, but many other apps also enable video calling.
Continue to collaborate
A major feature of the traditional workplace is that real-time collaboration is made incredibly easy. Unfortunately, this is something that can be hindered in an online team if open channels of communication are not sustained. Maintaining collaboration in a virtual team takes a small amount of extra effort, but will be completely worth it for the finished result.
Rather than having your team work on projects individually and patch them together at the very end, encourage the use of a file-sharing application such as Google Docs, or the messaging system on TeammateMe where they can collaborate, track changes and leave comments to ensure that work flows as it would in a physical office.
Overall, it can seem daunting to build a team remotely and it can be difficult to know exactly where to begin. Even once you have a team, it can be challenging to find ways to improve productivity and maintain an effective work environment when you are not sharing physical space. Building your virtual team through TeammateMe is an important first step, as it allows you to find your perfect team members. Ultimately, it is the tool that will get you started. Following the rest of the steps featured in this article will enable you to build a strong and effective team, develop great relationships and create a happy work environment for all.