Remote employment is the new normal today as the workplace has drastically changed due to COVID-19 concerns, quarantines and lockdowns.

Upwork predicts that 73% of all teams will have virtual workers by 2028. No wonder, as 91% of employees who attempted remote work during the pandemic expect to continue working remotely to some degree afterwards.

As a leader, how should you approach remote team management?

Learn from those who have done it quite successfully so far. In this article, the founders, executives, and managers share their insights and tips for leading a distributed workforce. Follow their recommendations below.

How to run remote teams: 8 tips from entrepreneurs

Show that you care

By showing that you care about your employees, you can build trust in your remote team and build a strong relationship. Indifference, on the other hand, is an insidious virus that destroys relationships.

“Your employees can always sense your indifference and detachment, especially when there is an additional barrier between them and you, which is distance,” said David Aylor, founder and CEO of David Aylor.

“You can show your sincere interest by asking in person in chat: How are you doing today? Or send a message for the whole team: How do your “offices” look today? Dying to see your work corners!

Also, show that you appreciate your remote workers and remember to celebrate their special dates. For example, you can send a birthday greeting or congratulations on the first day in your company,” mentions David.

David Aylor prefers the blue bird when tweeting his congratulations to remote workers.

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Strive to become asynchronous in communication first

Asynchronous communication is a type of interaction that doesn’t happen in real-time: a person isn’t online or available right now, responses are often delayed, and you shouldn’t expect an immediate response.

In fact, 52% of remote workers would rather have asynchronous conversations than typical meetings in a virtual room.

But how do you create an async-friendly work environment for your remote workers?

Anthony Martin, founder and CEO of Choice Mutual, offers the following advice on asynchronous communication in the remote workplace:

“Of course it doesn’t work without online meetings and one-on-one conversations. But if you’re leading a remote team, a session-free day politics is necessary. Pick specific days when you don’t have any meetings at all. Instead, you can communicate in asynchronous mode on those days.”

Anthony Martin shares a list of questions a manager should answer before sending a message to an employee:

• Have you chosen the most appropriate format (audio, text, video, etc.) and channel to deliver the message?
• Is it properly formatted, well explained and clear?
• Have you made sure there are no ambiguities in your instructions?
• Did you provide your employee with the most comprehensive list of resources or a toolkit to answer the question or get the task done?
• Are your communications saved and how easy is it to find them later?

Go social and break the formality wall

“Social networks can help you rip off the formal employer employee Wall in your relationships with team members,” explains Colin Palfrey, Crediful CMO.

“Express your emotions and attitudes when chatting with your colleagues. Of course, use humor when appropriate. Sometimes our marketers have informal conversations on Slack and joke a lot. I’m happy to join them or start such conversations myself. A good sense of humor is key to a healthy team atmosphere,” says Colin.

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Check out some other long-distance communication strategies for connecting with your co-workers and maintaining an informal tone in your interactions.

Let online tools empower your team

“Automated software and tools can help you simplify and streamline remote team management, increase productivity, increase job satisfaction, and streamline your processes and workflows,” notes Jim Pendergast, senior vice president of altLINE Sobanco.

“For example, we used a Teamwork collaboration app to streamline communication and collaboration between our remote teams of financial advisors, bankers and accountants and our business clients, moving from disjointed calls and emails to an all-in-one CRM system switch.

We also saw a 24% increase in employee productivity and a 31% increase in overall job satisfaction,” adds Jim.

With the rise of COVID-19, Gartner reports a 44% increase in Teamwork application usage.

Here is a list of the best apps and platforms for better collaboration between remote teams:

Messaging/Chat Tools

• hyperinbox
• Relaxed
• twist
• flujo
• Ensemble talk

Video conferencing tools

• Google Meet
• Microsoft Teams
• GoToMeeting
• Blue jeans
• webex

File saving/sharing tools

• Synology drive
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• FileCloud
• Planio storage

Time zone and time management tools

• timezone.io
• spacetime.am
• TMetric
• ScheduleOnce
• click time

productivity tools

• rescue time
• Any.do teams
• Revealing.io
• Bright
• Outsider

Project collaboration tools

• Monday.com
• Write
• asana
• base camp
• Redbooth

These lists could go on and on as there are countless other tools out there like online calendars, productivity tracking apps, or workflow management systems. Use one of these and compare your team performance before and after to see which tool works best for you.

Expand the benefits package for remote workers

According to the Pilot and WeWorkRemotely survey, healthcare is the #1 benefit companies offer their remote workers, while 88% of people seriously consider health, vision and dental insurance benefits when choosing a job.

According to Jerry Han, CMO of PrizeRebel, “In addition to health and wellness benefits, they should offer some other valuable benefits such as: flexible working hours, vacation time (paid and unpaid), personal and professional development (courses, certifications, etc.), child care and elder care , retirement plans, etc.

You can also create an extensive value pack, for example by adding snack boxes to the porch. Alternatively, you can also pay for meal delivery services or housekeeping services such as cleaning, laundry, gardening, etc.”

Hotjar, a provider of behavior analysis tools, offers a dedicated workplace budget of €2,400/year per individual employee to ensure comfortable working from home. Check out some other budgets at Hotjar: for personal development – €1,000/year; for well-being – €2,400/year; for holidays – €2,000/year and others.

Covering the cost of working from home is one of the must-have remote worker benefits that your employees will love.

Build a solid employee recognition program

Is each member of your remote team receiving enough appreciation and recognition to stay motivated and productive?

20% of employees who have switched to working from home admit they receive less recognition compared to times when they worked from the office. It’s also important to know that 79% of workers tend to leave their jobs because they don’t feel valued.

“Appreciation is the biggest motivator for your team,” says Logan Mallory, VP of Motivosity. “You can start by thanking your employees in chat. Why not send a thank you card in the mail? That might indeed be a pleasant surprise for your co-worker.

When we speak of digital-only recognition programs, we have a ThanksMatters card for both our employees and our customers. It’s a perfect way to recognize your employees and give them the choice of exactly how they want to be rewarded for their achievements,” emphasizes Logan.

Organize virtual team building activities

After all, seven out of ten workers who work remotely are feeling the effects of social isolation. In the study conducted by HowNow, 67% of UK employees say they feel shunned, excluded and separated from their colleagues, and 42% of them feel lonely when working remotely.

How can you promote a sense of belonging and connection in your company and which team building measures should you definitely try?

Consider some ideas from Brian Nagele, CEO of Restaurant Clicks, who leads a remote team and regularly hosts virtual events for his employees:

“I would recommend organizing at least one event per week with your team. For example, you can host Pizza Fridays or Cocktail Sundays over Zoom or Skype.

You can think of some other distributed team activities like virtual mini-games, improvisation, group fitness classes, dance parties, karaoke and anything else that unites your team and boosts everyone’s spirit.”

There are as many fun and creative ideas for building an efficient remote team as hosting a miniature bonfire party. Why not?

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Continuously monitor remote work and tax laws

Ben Michael, Founder of Michael & Associates, explains what to look for in the legal landscape when leading teams of US-based virtual specialists:

“Whenever a remote worker crosses US state lines, some hazards can arise for employers. For example, if an employer is not based in a particular state but a telecommuter starts working from there, entirely different tax liabilities may be triggered. To avoid legal problems, you should check the tax laws of other states and see what taxes are withheld.

Also, the minimum wage rates are different in each US state. You should keep an eye on government changes and requirements related to employee tax laws, employee compensation, hourly and overtime calculations, etc.”

Take a closer look at teleworking legislation around the world and, if necessary, consult with an employment law expert to ensure you have up-to-date information on the subject.

Leading Your Remote Team to Success: Key Takeaways

Now you’re well-prepared for the future of remote work and how to lead remote teams effectively because you’ve learned the following valuable lessons from leaders:

• Take care of your employees
• Start communicating asynchronously
• Be social and avoid formalities
• Use collaboration tools
• Offer more employee benefits
• Establish a solid recognition program
• Organize team building events online
• Keep an eye on remote work and tax laws

So, are you ready to build a successful virtual team and take it to new heights? To hire a Wishup Virtual Assistant, schedule a free consultation with our team today or email us [email protected]