It is increasingly common for entrepreneurs to form their work teams with professionals residing in other countries. Regarding the advantages, we have already mentioned that they range from reduction in labor costs, as a contribution of new knowledge and talent, in addition to the possibility of opening international markets.
On this occasion, we want to address a topic that many company bosses and managers want to know and delve into; specifically about: How to get the most out of remote work teams? For example, when companies from the United States, Dubai, India or England hire Colombian software engineers or systems engineers to integrate Back End and FrontEnd processes.
The first thing we want to emphasize is that, our international clients not only count on Mbc Talent Solutions for recruiting the best professional for the required profile, but also that, our business culture allows us to monitor the worker, where we assure them that they will work motivated, happy and that their position will be stable for a long time. This component undoubtedly prevents staff turnover and improves the achievement of business goals and objectives.
The challenges of remote teams
Working remotely creates a new set of challenges and behaviors, so, ideas should be established on how to work together when you can’t be together. It should be noted that the pace of the teams depends on the time zones of each country, especially those in Europe and Asia where the difference is eight hours or more.
However, here are six recommendations to optimize time, quality and meeting goals. Working face-to-face does not necessarily ensure one hundred percent compliance with them.
1. Communicate in your timezone: When working remotely, clients, managers and engineers, must know the time when they will be available. A client from Spain is having lunch when you wake up and when you finish the day, he is already asleep. And so it is with many countries that do not share timezones. That is why if you keep in mind the timezone of the worker and the client, it will be easier to “be visible” and allow doubts to be resolved or the project to be refined and better on track.
2. Express yourself clearly: When working in different countries it is vital to clarify terms of time. For example, it is not correct to say: “I will receive the work at the end of the day” because if professionals manage different timezones, it can lead to multiple confusion.
In mail or teleconference instructions, it is ideal for the project manager to request progress or results in exact hours, for example: “I require the work by 10 pm, or by Wednesday, August 2 at 3 pm”. They can even work out a schedule, in each other’s timezones so that they can meet online and communication is more fluid.
3. Stick to work hours: Once you and your team establish time zone limits and preferred work hours, stick to them. This means that if you need something from a global teammate, you determine how urgent the task is before submitting it or waiting until the next day to send the mail or make the required call.
4. Split shifts: Working for part of the day serves your time zone, followed by another shift that serves another team’s time zone. This allows you to be more available for meetings or quick communication with your international worker colleagues without ignoring colleagues in your office.
5. Take advantage of digital tools – Keeping your team on task and working efficiently around the world is a breeze. Optimize the use of instant messaging applications, task management software, and progress trackers that will allow anyone on your team to strategize and update teams on their progress at different times of the day.
6. Schedule meetings: A helpful tip is to add timezones to your calendar to see what time it is in other countries. This way you know when to organize events with team members who are in other parts of the world. Remember that not only can you meet to set goals, tasks or their fulfillment, you can schedule a meeting once a month to dialogue and motivate employees.
The steps above will allow you to create a schedule that works for your global team, include everyone in virtual meetings, and allow global colleagues to contribute great ideas during their own work hours.
