What are virtual teams?
A virtual team, also called remote team, is a group of employees who work together but are distributed in different locations, sometimes in different regions of the globe. Team members do not work from a physical office but rather from home or anywhere else. While this remote way of working means that the team members may be miles apart, they still have to communicate and should avoid working in isolation. In order to do this, a virtual team uses collaboration tools and virtual communication means such as emails, virtual meetings and online knowledge management solutions. Virtual teams are common in international businesses where team members may be located in different areas of the globe to service their global customer.
Why are virtual teams booming?
Remote work is a concept that appeared decades ago. The original aim was to retain working mothers who could not commute to the office. However, in the last few years, remote working has boomed thanks to technological advancements. Video conferencing allows for on-screen meetings, while knowledge management platforms simplify the process of sharing information and documentation. Our ways of communicating are changing.
For those who had doubts about remote work, the COVID-19 pandemic left them with no choice but to give it a try to maintain their business during periods of lockdown. A large proportion of business leaders realized that having virtual teams is more beneficial than they expected. It allows employees to have a strong work-life balance while still being efficient in their jobs. It also fits the expectations of millennials who are in the workforce, as they seek more freedom. On top of these benefits, having virtual teams can generate cost-efficiencies and savings for the company.
What challenges should businesses expect when creating virtual teams?
Remote working presents some challenges for businesses as they need to ensure that they have the appropriate policies and working agreements in place. Having a remote policy adapted to your industry will prevent a lot of hassles. It sets some guidelines on ways of working and responsibilities of remote workers. Although the policy should be adapted to your business and industry, there are a few important elements to include:
Working agreements and responsibilities of remote workers
When transferring a worker from an office-based to a remote-based contract, or when recruiting a new virtual employee, setting expectations is critical. Leaders should explain how the remote work agreement works and the level of flexibility that is acceptable. We recommend that ad-hoc visits to the office are discussed. Occasional client meetings or team meetings should also be on the onboarding agenda. To learn more about the onboarding process, check our article on the employee onboarding process and why it matters.
Compliance to company policies
Most businesses have policies around confidentiality, security and code of conduct. Even though virtual teams are not physically in the office, they should comply with these policies just like any other employee in the business. Leaders of virtual teams should ensure that all team members are up to date with the latest policies.
Recommendations for work efficiencies
Leaders of virtual teams and HR departments should provide employees with recommendations on their remote work setup. This includes the desk and the chair they use as well as any other equipment they need to be efficient in the long term. This approach links back to employee wellbeing, which is critical for employee retention. Other elements of the remote work setup should also be discussed, giving leaders the opportunity to encourage a positive work environment with for example a quiet workspace or good internet connection. These will increase the virtual worker’s productivity.
Building successful virtual teams
A successful virtual team delivers consistent, high-quality performance by maintaining a good level of collaboration. It usually suits personalities with self-discipline and employees who are experienced in their role.
Tools and solutions
When setting up a virtual team, leaders should put a lot of focus on communication and collaboration. All team members need to be able to share ideas, understand each other well and split tasks on common projects, all quickly and efficiently. Using technology such as Zoom, messaging apps or solutions such as Slack and Microsoft Teams are critical for the team to succeed.
Scheduled communications
Leaders of virtual teams should also have a clear communication schedule, including team meetings, 1-2-1 meetings, mentoring sessions, etc. The purpose is to allow people to feel connected and part of an inclusive group.
The most important characteristics of the leader and team members when setting up virtual teams are responsiveness, flexibility, trust, communication, adaptability and engagement.
8 critical factors for leading successful virtual teams
There are some dos and don’ts when it comes to leading a virtual team. We explore below some critical elements to consider when managing remote teams.
Communication
Communication is the top success factor for virtual teams. It guarantees that all team members are aware of their goals and are collaborating to achieve them. The challenge of remote teams is that communication does not come naturally and needs to be encouraged. Virtual communication has evolved significantly over the last few years and there are now many ways for remote employees to collaborate and team up on projects. Check our article on the ultimate guide to employee communication for more details.
Goal setting and expectations
Goal setting is crucial regardless of the work environment. In the virtual environment, it becomes even more fundamental. Goals set clear guidance for the employees on what their roles and responsibilities are and how they lead to success. Formal check-ins tend to happen less often in virtual environments and therefore virtual employees should follow the clear instructions provided by their leaders and aim at achieving their goals. On their side, leaders should set clear expectations of the work that needs to be delivered, including the timelines and the expected quality of the work.
Strong drive
Remote work means micromanagement is not possible. Employees who work from home should have a strong drive and work ethic to be able to fulfil their duties. Leaders should be able to motivate their teams virtually and empower them to deliver despite external distractions.
Being part of a team
When it comes to working in a team, having a sense of belonging is essential. Leaders of remote teams should emphasise the meaning of the work allocated to all team members and communicate how they contribute to the team’s goal or the wider company purpose. Successful virtual teams feel connected to the company culture and work towards one purpose. For more information on leadership, check our articles on leadership qualities and on how to use team leading to create learning opportunities.
Being able to delegate from afar
It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that the work is allocated in a fair way between all the team members. Delegating effectively and assigning manageable and even workload will be critical to the team’s success.
Implementing regular check-ins
The manager of a virtual team should oversee the progress of the assigned tasks. Weekly check-ins with team members individually but also as a group open the door for communication and allow everyone to stay on track. A specific and regular agenda should be set for the meeting and virtual employees should provide the rest of the group with an update on their work progress, their challenges and any assistance they might need to achieve their allocated tasks with success. This allows for knowledge sharing and ensures that expertise is transferred.
Technology and tools
In a physical office setting, conversations often happen spontaneously at the coffee machine, around a desk or in a meeting room. Working virtually means that the communication has shifted to the screen. It is facilitated by tools and technologies. It is the company’s responsibility to ensure that their virtual teams have the appropriate tools to be able to connect, exchange and work together. In addition, the company should ensure, through the appropriate policies and onboarding sessions, that remote workers have the adequate cyber security on their machine. This is to protect clients and employees, and to safeguard any confidentiality agreement.
Casual conversations
Casual conversations, those that take place in the community kitchen, the hallways or by the printing machine, allow people to bond and indirectly increase connections that lead to better business performance. This casual networking is lost when working remotely. It is essential that leaders find ways to foster connections with their team members and between the teammates themselves. This can be done through the use of technology by creating virtual breakroom areas. These spaces should aim at creating casual chats, sometimes but not always related to work. What matters is the spirit of the conversation and the engagement of the team members.
There are multiple factors that lead to a virtual team’s success, from tools and solutions to communication, self-discipline, clear goals and company culture .
When implementing a virtual team, make sure you combine all these success factors from the start for a best-in-class onboarding process that will set the scene moving forward. Successful virtual teams have skilled leaders who are masters at communication and savvy at driving engagement with all team members. They are able to find the right balance between guiding their team members and letting them work autonomously by adjusting their management style.
