How to Manage a Remote Team: 13 Effective Tips That Work

Want to learn how to manage a remote team?

You have come to the right place.

The global pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work, and as more businesses embrace flexible work environments, learning how to manage a remote team has become essential.

However, remote working is not a new concept.

In fact, even before the pandemic, 17% of US employees were already working remotely.

Both professionals and businesses have realized the benefits, with employers adopting fully remote or hybrid work arrangements as an effective strategy to retain talent.

Image via Robert Half

Pandemic or not, remote work is here to stay. Whether you're new to remote management or looking to refine your approach, understanding how to manage a remote team effectively is crucial for long-term success.

We have compiled 13 super effective tips that will make managing remote teams a breeze.

Let’s dive in.

Why Should You Hire Remote Teams?

For employees, remote work offers more flexibility and better work-life balance.

Companies too can benefit a lot by hiring remote teams.

First, you can save significantly on overhead costs. Maintaining an office can be quite costly. Expenses like rent, electricity, heating, and cooling can easily eat into your profits.

Second, hiring remote teams gives you access to a wider talent pool. Since you are not bound by geographic limits, you can work with talented people from any part of the world.

Because remote working offers better work-life balance, your employees also tend to be happier and more productive. For this exact reason, they also tend to stick around for much longer.

So, remote working is a win-win for both you and your employees.

But the question is how to manage a remote team?

We give you 13 tried and tested tips on how to manage a remote team.

13 Effective Tips on How to Manage a Remote Team

Learning how to manage a remote team goes beyond simply implementing strict procedures. It is about creating an environment that sets every individual up for success.

The team gets stronger when individuals thrive.

Here are 13 tips on how to manage a remote team effectively, helping you build and lead your dream team.

1. Set Clear Expectations for Your Remote Workers

Setting clear expectations right from the beginning is crucial for managing any team, remote or traditional.

Different people may have varied roles in your team. However, you need a set of guidelines that keeps everyone on the same page.

A very effective tip on how to manage a remote team is setting work rules that your employees must adhere to when they work from home.

For instance, you may want your remote employees to work a certain number of hours a day. Set clear expectations that you want all your employees to clock that many hours a day.

Using a time tracker tool such as Clockify makes it easier to track work hours across projects. It also gives a clear idea to your remote workers about the amount of time they’ve spent on different tasks.

Image source: Clockify

You may have other expectations from your remote team, such as working procedures, project guidelines, communication rules, and more. Knowing how to manage a remote team and getting work done is not enough.

Clearly communicate your expectations, and ensure that it is well understood. Encourage your team to voice their concerns and make adjustments accordingly. You must also make sure everyone knows exactly what they should expect from each other.

2. Create Clear Communication Guidelines

We can’t even begin to emphasize the importance of communication when it comes to managing a remote team, especially managing international contractors.

When it comes to understanding how to manage remote teams, creating effective communication channels is crucial to keep the flow of information available to everyone and ensure smooth collaboration. Things can get complicated with remote workers as they’ve to collaborate among themselves and also with your in-house workers.

Your remote teams may or may not be in the same timezone as you are too. This is why you need to come up with a communications policy.

To set clear communication guidelines when learning how to manage a remote team, consider the following:

• How does your remote team prefer to communicate? Do they prefer emails, chats, video conferencing, or other communication methods?

• What are the preferred timings? Do your remote workers like regular meetings or meetings on certain days of the week? You may need to adjust for time zones too.

• What is the expected turnaround time for emails or other modes of communication?

The answer to these questions will help you implement guidelines and efficiently master how to manage a remote team.

For example, video calls are ideal for complex conversations because an email may not be as explanatory. Likewise, for quick collaboration you may want to use tools such as Slack for faster and efficient communication.

Image Source: Slack

Of course there are other Slack alternatives too that you may consider for your business.

A reliable communication channel will allow you to timely notify remote teams of:

• Changes
• Schedules
• New resources
• Deadlines
• Challenges, and more

3. Invest in Technology

Technology has transformed industries, and it can even make it easier for you to manage a remote team.

There are various tools available in the market for managing remote employees, helping them connect with each other, and getting things done without personal interaction.

Here are a few tools that can make work easier for your remote employees and assist in remote team management.

File Sharing and Document Storage

A part of learning how to manage a remote team is to help employees collaborate better. Your remote employees may be required to share files among themselves. These tools can not only help your remote workers share updated files and store them securely.

Here are a few examples.

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Amazon WorkDocs
• Microsoft OneDrive

Image via Lighter Capital

Project Management Tools

Spreadsheets may not be the ideal solution if you have a large number of remote workers working on a project. Project Management tools can help you keep everyone on track and working towards the goal.

Here are a few examples:

• Asana
• Jira
• Trello
• Wrike

Image via Namaste UI

HR Tools

Understanding how to manage a remote team requires you to manage almost everything online, from hiring to training to paying salaries. HR solutions can help you effectively manage a remote team, irrespective of where they’re located.

Here are a few recommendations.

• SurveySparrow
• Evernote
• People
• TriNet

Scheduling Tools

Working remotely means that your team members cannot meet in person. Therefore, it’s important for them to find common times to collaborate or connect.

Here are some great options to manage a remote team:

• Calendly
• Doodle
• Simplybook.me
• Calendar.com

Video Conferencing Tools

Video conferencing is not only great for team meetings but also to maintain some connection among workers. With video conferencing tools like Zoom, you can bring that same level of connection among your remote team as you would with an in-house team.

Here are some video conferencing tools you may invest in while learning how to manage a remote team.

• Microsoft Teams
• GoToMeeting
• Zoho Meeting

Image via Cloud Infrastructure Services

Pro Tip: You may also consider investing in webinar software to help in training and development of your remote workforce. On the same lines, you may also consider investing in online course platforms or Thinkific alternatives to train new employees. .

4. Establish Processes and Documentation

One of the downsides of working remotely is that you cannot walk up to another colleague’s desk to ask how something is done. When learning how to manage a remote team, it’s important to establish processes and proper documentation.

For this, you can create a knowledge management database with all documents.

What’s more?

A lot of learning also has to happen remotely for employees. That’s why it helps to create SOPs for individual job roles. For instance, if you have a content marketing team, you may have SOPs for starting a blog or writing content for websites.

Having well-documented SOPs makes it a lot easier to manage a remote team.

Here are some of the benefits of having SOPs:

• Provide consistency and produce reliable results
• Improve employee training and management
• Find gaps in processes and rectify them
• Improve efficiency and productivity
• Ensure compliance

Below is an example of an SOP.

Image via HubSpot

However, you need to ensure that you keep updating these SOPs as things change as it’s an essential part of learning how to manage a remote team

5. Build an Environment of Trust

Building trust increases engagement, efficiency, and productivity. It is also one of the fundamentals of how to manage a remote team. Trust also increases loyalty and an employee’s willingness to stay with the company.

And this can be tricky, especially in a remote setting where your employees don’t get to interact with others face-to-face.

Here are some tips to build trust in a remote environment:

• Place value in employee well-being
• Focus on effective communication
• Be transparent
• Avoid micromanagement
• Address employee challenges
• Help people connect
• Make time for non-work-related connections

Pro Tip: Regular communication makes you more approachable, and that helps build trust. Don’t just send emails back and forth. Talk on the phone, schedule regular meetings, and use video chat whenever possible. Make sure you build a personal connection with your employees and manage a remote team more efficiently..

6. Create Opportunities for Social Interaction

The challenges of remote work are very real and employees may struggle to cope with them all by themselves. According to Statista, issues like loneliness, staying home for too long, and not being able to unplug are the top 3 challenges of remote workers.

Image via Statista

Since remote work can make you feel lonely, a useful tip on how to manage a remote team is to encourage social interaction. Social interaction staves off feelings of loneliness, and improves your well-being.

Here are a few ideas on how to manage a remote team. These ideas allows your team members to connect socially:

• Virtual parties
• Milestone celebrations
• Encourage casual conversations
• Create a virtual water cooler meeting session
• Play online games
• Virtual coffee break
• Team get-togethers

7. Provide Continuous Feedback

Offering timely and relevant feedback is an important part of remote team management. Remote workers don’t get the opportunity to interact with their managers in an office setting.

Things can get even more tricky in an asynchronous setting where the employees may not be online at the same time. That’s why it’s critical that you regularly provide feedback to your employees to help them improve and grow.

Here are a few tips to give effective feedback to team members and manage your remote team:

• Give timely feedback
• Always give context
• Offer actionable resources
• Pay attention to the way you are delivering feedback
• Be honest in your feedback
• Ensure the feedback is uplifting and not demeaning

8. Recognize High Performance

Whether it’s an in-house or remote team, a good manager always treats every team member the same. You must ensure you do this right, especially if you’re learning how to manage a remote team.

According to a report by Owl Labs, 62% of workers feel more productive when they are working remotely. However, 1 in 2 workers feel that those working from the office are perceived as more hardworking and trustworthy, which leads to more benefits and pay raises.

That makes it necessary to ensure you appreciate your remote team members just as much as you would praise your in-house team.

So, be deliberate in mentioning great performance during weekly team meetings.

The high performing team members will feel appreciated, and this will motivate them to perform better for the company, while creating healthy competition among other team members.

This is how you should appreciate your top performers:

Image via HiFives

9. Help Remote Employees Understand Company Culture

As someone learning how to manage a remote team, one of your responsibilities is to help your remote workers understand company values. They need to know what the company culture is like, and what is expected of them.

Your remote team members may be thousands of miles away, but they should feel like a part of the company in every way.

You may even consider involving them in determining your company’s values. When employees feel heard and cared for, employee retention becomes a lot easier. At the same time, employees who feel valued at work have better morale and deliver better results.

Here’s what the Bradsby Group has to say about employees feeling valued.

Image Source: Bradsby Group

10. Be Flexible

How to manage a remote team and help them perform at their best? The secret lies in flexibility, which fosters higher productivity and job satisfaction.

By offering greater flexibility, you may be able to encourage team members to become even more productive. They will be able to deliver much better results during their most productive hours.

For instance, if one of your team members is an early riser and is the most productive during the mornings, give them the flexibility to log in early.

Work hours flexibility is a key driver for increased productivity. This remote management technique will not only make your employees more responsible but also cultivate a strong team culture. Here you are not only learning how to manage a remote team but how to instill mutual trust.

11. Be Prepared for Technical Difficulties

Remote work relies heavily on technology, and unexpected challenges can arise anytime. Your employee’s mic may stop working, the internet may crash, or a power outage may last longer than expected. Your employees may also experience technical glitches such as malfunctioning tools, access problems, or more complex glitches that disrupt their workflow.

How to manage a remote team in such situations?

Your response as a manager is crucial. Overreacting to technical difficulties can disrupt the remote work environment. Instead, you can choose to respond calmly and follow a standard protocol to resolve the matter.

You can reschedule meetings and redistribute priorities to get things going while giving the employee enough space to address the challenge and get back to work.

12. Beware of Burnout

One of the biggest woes of remote work is burnout. While people working from the office would eventually experience it, remote employees may be easy prey.

As a remote team manager, watch out for early signs and figure out how to manage a remote team during such phases. Regular check-ins should help you identify burnout before it starts affecting your team’s performance. You can conduct workshops and open discussions to boost mental health.

Your team members are human beings and you have a part to play in their overall well-being. Practicing empathy is one of the most effective ways to build strong relationships and prevent burnout, ensuring a healthier, more productive work environment.

13. Say Yes to Less Meetings

Many managers love having a meeting for everything. But is that the best way to manage a remote team? Many employees would disagree.

Clear communication and transparency is key when learning how to manage a remote team. However, there are more efficient ways to collaborate virtually and get things done without constant meetings.

Excessive meetings are not only time-consuming but may hamper overall performance as the employees need to pause their work to attend a meeting. Understand your team’s communication preferences and do away with unnecessary meetings.

You can utilize instant messaging apps to share information and allot daily tasks. Set clear rules and give your remote workers enough space to take care of their responsibilities independently.

FAQ

Q1. What is a remote team?

A. A remote team is a group of people from different locations, cultures, and diverse skills who work together on a unified project. They don’t work from a single location. Managers should learn how to manage a remote team and help them perform to the best of their abilities.

Q2. What is the difference between a remote team and a virtual team?

A. A remote team works on the same project or for the same goal under a single manager. A virtual team may also work on the same project but the employees may report to different managers.

Q3. What are the best ways to manage a remote team?

A. Here’s how to manage a remote team efficiently:

• Set expectations
• Provide the right tools
• Communicate clearly and frequently
• Offer flexibility to allow team members cope with their professional and personal life the right way
• Make remote employees feel valued

Q4. What are the challenges of managing a remote team?

A. The challenges of managing employees working remotely are:

• Lack of clear expectations
• No face-to-face supervision
• Low productivity
• Poor communication
• Social isolation

Q5. How to train remote employees?

A. Here are some tips to train and manage a remote team better:

• Make sure the training programs are easily accessible
• Ensure training resources are available in one place
• Make the training interactive
• Create a convenient training schedule
• Track employee performance

Conclusion

If you are worried about how to manage a remote team, you need not be. A remote team does not pose management challenges unlike a traditional team.

Still wondering how to manage a remote team? By following the tips outlined above, you’ll not only lead your team efficiently but also build your dream team in no time.

If you have any questions about the tactics for managing a remote team, feel free to reach out— we’re here to help you refine your managerial skills.