Managing remote teams across borders and time zones is hard. But these tech tools will help you support remote workers and build a healthy culture

23rd May 2024

Four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, very few businesses will still be unfamiliar with remote work. The great, forced experiment in new ways of working established beyond little doubt that working from home can save money, widen your talent pool and keep many employees more satisfied. But when you’re responsible for managing remote teams across borders, the picture become more complicated.

Miscommunications can be magnified by time zone differences, if the team that might step in to quickly neutralise errors is off the clock and asleep. Aside from actual mishaps, employees based hundreds of miles from their colleagues can succumb to loneliness, isolation and demotivation.

Thankfully, just as technology created remote work, it can help it adapt to new contexts. Let’s look at how managers can use tools to judiciously support remote workers wherever they are on Earth.

Why business leaders and HR professionals need to support remote workers

Since 2020, companies have become far more open to hiring remote workers in other countries. This has dramatically broadened those firms’ access to top-tier talent, but it’s placed new responsibilities on business leaders and their HR departments.

To adequately support remote workers, you need a combination of software and hardware to automate and optimise workflows. These remote team management tools enable communication, collaboration, performance tracking, feedback, and employee engagement.

Common tech challenges of managing remote teams

Technology failures are a constant worry for remote workers, especially without an IT support department physically on hand to assist. If you’re managing remote teams, you’ll no doubt be called upon to help sort these out on a fairly regular basis.

Fortunately, many common tech glitches have simple fixes. Let’s go through a few.

1. Internet connectivity issues: Ensure your router is functioning correctly, and consider using a wired connection for a more stable internet connection.
2. VPN connectivity issues: Verify your VPN settings and ensure you have installed the latest version of the VPN software.
3. Nonfunctional wireless devices: Check if your wireless devices are paired correctly and if their drivers are current.
4. Difficulty joining video calls: Ensure your video conferencing app is updated, and check your camera and microphone settings.
5. Unstable or slow performance during video calls: Close unnecessary applications and maintain your internet connection.
6. Microphone noise during video calls: Use a headset or check your microphone settings for noise reduction options.
7. Slow device and application performance: Update your device and applications regularly and delete unnecessary files and programs.
8. Inability to open documents and files: Ensure you have the necessary software installed and the files are not corrupted.
9. Difficulty managing passwords: Use a password manager to keep track of your passwords securely.
10. Inability to access files in the cloud: Check your internet connection and ensure you have the correct access permissions.
11. Being locked out of company tools: Contact your IT department to reset your access and ensure you follow security protocols.
12. Inadequate service desk support: Advocate for better support services and ensure you have multiple ways to reach the help desk.
13. Inability to contact support: Keep a list of alternative contact methods for your IT support team.
14. Disorganised digital files: Implement a consistent file naming and organisation system to tidy your digital workspace.

Supportive technology in remote work environments

Troubleshooting is one thing. But to manage remote teams effectively, you need applications that allow everyone to work closely, wherever they are on Earth.

To that end, business leaders are investing significantly in technologies to improve virtual team collaboration. Foundry’s 2022 State of the CIO survey indicates that IT executives are putting their money into cybersecurity improvements, collaboration platforms tailored to organisational needs, and network reliability and performance enhancements.

With talent wars still raging, and pressure on organisations to maximise employee productivity, these are the most important technology offerings to improve the remote work experience.

1. Accessible communication tools

Remote workers need their digital workplaces to be consistent, wherever they’re logging on from. They need technologies to replicate personal connections and spontaneous collegiality in cyberspace. Above all, these tools should offer employees a level playing field.

We all use video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet, but most companies don’t fully utilisie all their features. Maybe you have an employee who isn’t a native English speaker? Multilingual captioning can make it easier for them to keep up with meetings.

Chat apps like Slack, which can incorporate screen readers, might also profoundly improve the working lives of your differently abled colleagues.

2. Project management tools

Tools like Trello and Asana will make it much easier for remote employees to know their role within complex projects. Teams can set priorities, assign responsibility, establish deadlines, and maintain transparency across all project stages.

Document collaboration platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 enable real-time editing, version control, and seamless collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. These tools let remote workforces work simultaneously on projects, eliminating the need for back-and-forth file exchanges and ensuring everyone can access the latest updates.

3. Automation tools

Automation can take a lot of the legwork out of managing remote teams. Tools like Zapier, IFTTT, and Microsoft Power Automate help free up time spent on busywork. There’s no longer any need for your team to spend time on data entry, file transfers and notifications processes such as data entry, file transfers, and notifications. Set up automation post haste (if you haven’t already).

4. Take on global talent

Got a short-term skill gap you need to fill? Marketplace platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal give businesses access to a vast network of freelancers and remote workers.

How to identify technology that supports remote work policies

Remember – any technology you pick has to align with your remote working goals.

1. Make the tool fit your staff

Fully remote workers, on-premises employees, and those who alternate between remote and in-office work all face different challenges. To deliver the right tools for every worker type, HR should consult with staff to understand how they work and what they need.

• Gauge workers’ needs: Recognise the unique challenges of different worker types and tailor solutions accordingly.
• Align with principles: Do you have a set of principles guiding your remote work strategy? If not, it’s time to draw some up. Having them down on paper will help light your path to the tools that fit your needs
• Measure success: What does ‘good’ look like? Without clear metrics, you won’t know how successful your investment has been.
• Adapt and evolve: Use those metrics, whatever they might be, to finesse your strategies.

2. Prioritise consistency

One of the most important parts of managing remote teams is setting a cohesive, unified culture. Disparate employee experiences are terrible for organisational morale. Your remote employees need to have the same experiences as each other; one that’s as close to that of your in-person staff as possible. That’s why you should prioritise applications and hardware that act, feel and look the same, whether accessed in the office or from a remote location.

When applications and devices function identically regardless of location, you’ll minimise the productivity lost to context-switching—the disruption caused by shifting from one task to another unrelated one.

Here are the key elements:

• Standardised applications: Use applications that provide a consistent user experience across all environments. Whether employees are in the office or working remotely, their tech tools should look and function the same.
• Uniform hardware: To maintain consistency, ensure that all employees have the same hardware, such as laptops and peripherals. This standardisation reduces technical issues and simplifies IT support.
• Seamless integration: Choose technology solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing systems and workflows.
• Training and support: Provide training to ensure all employees are familiar with the tools and how to use them in different environments. Offer remote IT support to address any issues quickly.

3. Make sure it’s secure

Managing remote teams can create unexpected chinks in your armour. At least some of your employees probably run their workplace apps on their phones, even if you haven’t asked them to. But if you don’t have the budget to buy dedicated work phones for all your employees, this exposes you to new security risks. That’s why any workplace tool you use needs a thoroughly robust security architecture built on zero-trust principles.

Need help managing remote teams? Find a partner

Remote technologies have changed the way we all work, probably forever and almost certainly for the better. But we should always remember that technology should support human connection and teamwork, and not dominate it.

If you need some strategic advice on picking the right tools, managing remote teams, supporting your remote workers or any other facets of hybrid team management, contact our international remote working experts for a consultation.