Leading a remote team is a new hot topic since an increasing number of people have been forced to work from home since last year. However, for many tech-savvy people this is the regular work routine and they wouldn’t trade their freedom for the office no matter what.
For a remote team to work smoothly, all members need to be familiar and comfortable with the apps and tools and the manager needs to be versed in various routines.
Many jobs are better performed remotely than at the office; e.g., all kinds of writing, translation, and editing jobs, all kinds of IT jobs, developing jobs, SEO jobs, etc.
To build a stellar remote team, you should look for certain traits both in the employees and in yourself (or otherwise work on building them). Let’s see what it takes!
Table of Contents
Stellar Employee Engagement Drivers
The finest of managers are drivers of engagement. Don’t we all know how important engagement is, and how huge a difference in team performance is based solely on motivation?
To help your team engage better, demonstrate what you’re expecting from them. Traditional managers don’t fare well when leading remote teams, as they are, as a rule, used to strict hierarchies that don’t sit well with creative remote workers.
Finally, if you’re dealing with an international remote team, it’s important to keep cultural differences in mind and make sure you’re adjusting your approach as needed to drive engagement.
Natural Mentors and Teachers
Remote work is all about continual learning (all kinds of work routines should be, but they aren’t). The greatest benefit of leading a remote team is that your team members are already versed with custom eLearning and are probably already practicing it for their own benefits.
Mentors and teachers are an invaluable asset to any remote team, so make sure you include them and allow them the freedom to customize their approach as they see fit.
Communication Gurus
Communication remains the single most important success factor when it comes to work. Online communication is somewhat different and, if you’re leading a remote team, there will be time differences to consider.
However, there is a new approach to efficient communication, namely asynchronous communication. Shortly put, it is communication that doesn’t require the recipient’s immediate attention. Rather, information is designed to be assessed at each participant’s own pace. In order for asynchronous communication to be efficient, a good strategy should be devised.
While this approach is good at eliminating distractions, some information types may be urgent. Therefore, it is necessary to plan and communicate clearly the expected routine.
As for online meetings and urgent responses, rely on various online tools for best results.
SEO and Link-Building for Any Niche
Businesses that haven’t adjusted to digital trends are doomed to lag behind. Everything — from daily routines to attracting new customers — has moved to the online arena.
That’s why SEO and link builders are essential, and every remote team should include them. Look for creative people who can easily align with the company’s vision, since SEO and link building is a long-term process. Keep in mind that even the existing content will need to be adjusted on a regular basis, so you’ll also want to look for organized employees.
Masters of Productivity and Efficiency
In addition to engagement, productivity and efficiency are also crucial for success. To boost these, you’ll want to remove all distractions. For starters, think of professional email management tools that will eliminate bothersome notifications.
To do that and yet not miss to address any important email in a timely manner, you’ll need to think outside of the box.
The finest of email management tools offer a variety of customization options, including filtering, so take your time choosing the best one.
Find the Best Marketers
Last but not least, marketing is crucial for long-term success. With all aspects of doing business moving online, you’ll want to find skilled email and social media marketers, as well as ad gurus.
Depending on your marketing strategy and the scope of your business, you’ll need a couple of people for various advertising methods. Remember that cross-promotions are a key to success, meaning that your marketers should be aligned and capable of communicating efficiently at all times.
Conclusion
Leading a remote team is lots of work, but also loads of fun. Remote workers are, as a rule, skilled in multiple niches and can easily adapt to any reasonable requirements. The fact that they are tech-savvy is as good a start as any, so you should only think of the best tools to boost their productivity.
However, innovation is rapidly advancing and trends are following suit, so you’ll need to provide continual learning and keep learning yourself. Take your time adjusting your strategies and by all means listen to employee feedback. In this way, you’ll be able to incorporate fine hacks that will make everyone happy and more motivated.