4 Tips on How to Thrive in a Remote Business
A few months ago, COVID brought the closure of a small retail business I was working for and took my position with it.
The job search began.
A few weeks later, I landed a remote Email Support role with a large fintech company, and I decided to go with it.
I didn’t know much about working remotely, but I’ve managed a few small teams before and worked in customer service for a long time. I figured not much would be different.
I’ve come to realize that operating a remote workplace is different from your typical office, and I wanted to learn as much as I could about how to effectively operate with a team that’s not right in front of you. So I started researching solutions to the problems I’ve seen arising in my remote workplace.
Let’s start with hiring
Remote work gives you access to a new pool of talent, a far bigger one. When you get hundreds of applicants to search through, you may feel compelled just to pick anyone and get the process over.
When I think of decision fatigue, I picture myself at the grocery store looking for one specific item. I’m sure I know what I want until I’m looking at 20 versions of that ingredient.
To make my decision simpler, I first decide what options don’t fulfill my requirements. I factor in the price, brands, and recipe. I don’t choose what’s right at eye level and on sale; it’s usually not the best quality.
Apply the same concept to hiring in a remote environment — quickly filter out candidates who don’t demonstrate your team’s core values. For example:
- Organization + Focus — Have candidates walk you through how they complete tasks and combat distractions. Those that utilize systems like the Pomodoro technique and Kanban boards probably won’t need you looking over their shoulders to get work done.
- Bias for Action — Someone that is motivated only by the presence of their supervisor won’t work. In a remote setting, you need a self-starter with an inclination to get things done.
- Communication skills — You aren’t walking over to the next cubicle; digital communication needs to be reliable. Your ideal candidates will practice keeping their inbox at zero, returning emails promptly, and recognize the impact of their written communication skills.
Out of the 12 people in my training class, over half have stopped showing up. A turnover rate that high is costly, even for a large company.
You aren’t limited to what’s at eye level anymore. Narrow in on what will work best with your team.
Pro tips for finding serious candidates — let them come to you. You’ll have fewer applications to read and potential hires that have proven they can do more than follow instructions.
Set up your remote office
You’re not going to be picking out wall colors, but you will need to ‘set up’ your digital space.
Ever been on a Zoom call where the other person becomes choppy rectangles and echoing sounds?
Proactively set up the office:
- Test the internet speed of your new hires. Facilitate access to a faster connection if needed.
- Set up Slack, the go-to for a digital office.
- Equip your team with collaborative workspaces like Monday.com. Work can be handed off and reviewed by everyone in real-time.
Find out what tools work, and test them yourself.
At my workplace right now, hundreds of people are trying to clock in during the same 5-minute window; this causes a sort of traffic jam with the servers. Each morning without fail, the issue arises, and the communication channels become filled with coworkers’ grievances.
I’ve used this opportunity to understand how essential your tools are while working remotely. If they don’t work, you can’t work.
Build a connected culture
Before I started working at home, I spent a few weeks at the office training. I interacted with the same managers every day. In my new workspace, a desk in my bedroom, I don’t see my managers or familiar faces.
Of course, this is part of the remote workplace, but I find myself wishing the team leaders would reach out more frequently and communicate personally to bridge the gap.
Feedback and collaboration are natural when you’re all working side by side, and they need to be more intentional when you aren’t physically together.
Be intentional about building connection in the digital space:
- Use virtual meetings. Face time helps remind us there is a human on the other side of the screen. Introduce everybody when you hire a new candidate, a digital walkthrough of the office.
- Make it a point to have 1:1 meetings and build a relationship with your employees. Install the Slack app Donut. It lets employees score things like a one on one with the CEO; a little fun boosts team connection.
- In an office, you place your teams into department-specific sections. Organize your Slack channels and Zoom calls into small groups, and it will make them easier to navigate.
Embrace working remotely
One of the most exciting parts of working in a remote environment is new tools. Prepare your team to save energy and increase output, take advantage of your situation.
Nothing can come close to being with your team in person, but you can actively work to build a motivated and connected team from all over the world!
