A remote team refers to a group of employees who telecommute to work from various locations spread across cities, countries and even continents. The concept of remote teams has been around for a while but took on an increasingly important role once digital work applications, tools and ecosystems arrived. Today, a significant part of the global workforce consists of remote teams. This is especially true of organizations that work in the information sector. A remote team refers to a group of people working together to serve a common purpose, without being co-located i.e., they are geographically dispersed. A manager’s ability to administer and coordinate such a team is referred to as his skills of managing remote teams. Simply put, it means managing a team whose members may be located in different offices, cities, or even countries, but they all report to the same organization and the same manager, sharing the responsibility for achieving the set goals and objectives. One best example would be that of a field-based sales team. Several years ago, some businesses gradually began their digital transformation. With cloud-based technology and agile systems already in place, they are able to adapt quickly to the inadvertent shift to remote work structures today. When it comes to offering opportunities for remote work, well-known corporations, such as Shopify and Twitter, are among those in the lead. Others are following suit because of the perks that digital workplaces offer. For employees, there’s more convenience in terms of travel time and flexibility in work hours. For companies, there’s the potential reduction of costs, including leases and hiring. Remote teams offer an array of benefits for both enterprise and employee. However, if your shift to digitalization is still in its infancy, you are likely to encounter a plethora of challenges. Even with modern technology at hand, you and your team are bound to face difficulties adapting to new protocols and procedures involved in remote work. As employees adjust to a new work environment, it’s possible for their efficiency and productivity to somewhat decline. They need to have essential remote work skills and adapt to new work platforms. They will also have to adjust to new forms of communication and collaboration. In addition to this, the line between work and personal life becomes blurred, causing them more stress. Managing employees who are new to remote work will undoubtedly be challenging for you. But when handled well, remote teams can be equally efficient and productive, if not more, than their office-based counterparts. Remote team is a team of employees that work outside your traditional office environment. They can work from co working spaces, cafes, or even from a city that’s time zones away from your own.
The beauty of the remote teams is that you can create them in a range of shapes and sizes. There are companies in which every employee works remotely. One might be from the U.S., another might be from Australia, and a third might be from Russia. There are also companies that allow their on-site employees to work remotely to help them attain a better work-life balance. Let’s not forget that happier employees translate to the happier organization overall.
BENEFITS
Increases productivity
Many employers believe that remote work or hiring freelance contractors will
hamper their productivity. Probably because someone who is working from home can get distracted easier: There is a dog to walk, laundry to do, and extended lunch breaks, and the list goes on and on. Believe us, this is simply not the case. When you provide your employees with the freedom to work from anywhere, they are willing to go the extra mile in exchange for that privilege. They feel happier and work with full dedication. This is what was reflected by a recent survey, which found that around 53% of the remote employees are willing to work overtime compared to just 28% of the on-site employees!
Attracts top talents
Let’s assume that you are looking to hire a UI UX designer. What is the best way to
do that? Should you look for them in Sydney, where your agency resides, or should you hire them from any location as long as they meet your expectations? Undoubtedly, the latter sounds the best. Allowing your employees to work remotely expands your talent pool beyond your imagination. According to Stephane Kasriel ,the CEO of Upwork, which is a freelancers’ marketplace: “Companies that refuse to support a remote workforce risk losing their best people and turning away tomorrow’s top talent. “This is because when you work with employees remotely ,you are not bound by certain geography or area. You can attract talent from anywhere. This also broadens the horizon of your team, as each employee brings their own perspective and ideas to the table.
Increased savings
Have you ever wondered how much an employee cost? Let’s break down the
involved costs. In addition to the basic salary of your employee, you incur
additional expenses in the form of health insurance, commuter benefits, relocation expenses, and life insurance; administrative costs, like accounting, property management, and the like; workspace, which can cost anywhere between $300 and $10,000 per cube; taxes like federal unemployment tax and workers’ compensation taxes; and so on. It is easy to conclude that these costs will come out to be hefty. But the good news is that you can easily eliminate many of these expenses by having remote workers. This way, you don’t need to invest in an attractive infrastructure. You do not have to incur overhead costs either. Everything is simple and affordable not only for the companies but for the employees as well.
Increased savings
Have you ever wondered how much an employee cost? Let’s break down the
involved costs. In addition to the basic salary of your employee, you incur
additional expenses in the form of health insurance, commuter benefits, relocation expenses, and life insurance; administrative costs, like accounting, property management, and the like; workspace, which can cost anywhere between $300 and $10,000 per cube; taxes like federal unemployment tax and workers’ compensation taxes; and so on. It is easy to conclude that these costs will come out to be hefty. But the good news is that you can easily eliminate many of these expenses by having remote workers. This way, you don’t need to invest in an attractive infrastructure. You do not have to incur overhead costs either. Everything is simple and affordable not only for the companies but for the employees as well.
Increased attendance
One major benefit of employing a remote workforce is that there are fewer
absentees. It is comparatively easier for your employee who is suffering from a cold to show up on video conferences rather than go to the office. A recent study found that 75% of remote workers will continue working even in the event of weather- related disasters, flu, and terrorism, of which only 28% of on-site workers were willing to do … All right, obviously, you are not going to work during disasters and unforeseen events, no one does that. But this finding is enough to gauge the level of commitment and dedication that a remote worker exhibits toward your company.
Managing Tools
Businesses large and small are continuing to embrace the remote workplace even start-up are getting on board. Remote work also forces you to step up your game with communication, because a lot more of what you have to say is done in writing.
1. Asana
Asana is a straightforward cloud-based tool for communicating with your team without relying on hundreds of convoluted email threads. This service includes task management as well as conversation tracking, team assignments, and project
archives. You can trial the task system for free, or upgrade to premium services for
a more robust experience. Even the team at Asana uses Asana. "I knew we were
onto something when our system started being used by everyone in the
company,& quot; says Dustin Moskovitz, who co-founded Facebook and later co-founded Asana in 2008.
2. When I Work
When I Work is a great application to help with tracking employee hours and
scheduling. With the mobile app, employees can punch the clock wherever they are. For remote teams, the perfect tool to improve communication, eliminate excuses, boost accountability, and let you focus on growing your business. There are also plans to continue growing the platform into a more robust resource management tool.
3. IDoneThis
This online tool makes it easy for your team to provide daily updates by replying toan email at the end of each work day that includes a list of their activities.
4. Basecamp
If you need a project management system with a little more functionality than
Asana, then Basecamp is a good choice. You can monitor tasks, discussions,
documents, scheduling, milestones, collaboration, and more, in a user-friendly
5. Buffer
A wired team working remotely is likely to have a pretty varied schedule. To ensure content marketing stays on track, you
can use Buffer to schedule out posts in advance so they always publish at just the right time.
6. GoToMeeting
When you need a reliable online meeting program, reliable, it has terrific value-added extras, and it makes collaboration easy when an audio or video meeting is required.
