Effective Remote Team Communication Tips

Even though remote work was once only a commodity, today, it became the new normal. And even though remote work is generally thought to be beneficial both for the company and the employee, it does come with its own set of challenges. First, and most important is communication.

Here, we’re going to provide you with some of the most effective remote team communication tips that can help your team perform at their best even in the WFH setting.

Establish how you communicate.

Team communication can prove to be a challenge in a remote setting, as team members don’t see each other and the distance gap might hinder an undisturbed flow of communication. That’s why managers of the remote team should draft the rules of communication, so everyone knows who to turn to when they experience problems or who to call when they need something. Also, managers should make daily check-ins and weekly standups a norm, ensuring everyone stays in the loop and enabling the undisturbed flow of information.

Nurture office culture even while working remotely.

Employees today don’t just want to work for a company that will provide them with a stable income. They’re not here just to do their job and leave, but they’re looking for a place that will share their core values they’re passionate about. Shortly – employees today want to be a part of the group and have a meaningful workday.

That said, maintaining an office culture even in a remote setting is crucial, as it will help people close the distance gap and feel more connected with the people they’re working for. To nurture the company’s culture even in a remote setting you can set up a dedicated Slack channel or organize Zoom calls or virtual team-building events with the sole goal of bringing people together. Furthermore, make sure every achievement is recognized, and promote peer-to-peer recognition.

Be clear about the way you communicate.

Remote team communication can be endangered if you fail to communicate clearly and concisely. That’s why good writing skills should be at the top of employee requirements during the hiring process. 

For instance, if your messages are too long and full of filler words, your coworker who might be in the middle of the task might just skim through it and miss the point. That’s why it’s so important to be direct and precise and use as few words as possible to get your point across.

Build a feedback culture.

When we work remotely, we don’t get to see our coworkers and managers as often as we did in the office. This can endanger communication, and make people feel lonely. To nurture effective remote team communication, managers should ensure to build a feedback culture within their workplace and tell their employees what they find good and what should be improved. They should take some time to listen and provide help when things get rough. However, they should be there to listen as well and be ready to hear what their employees have to tell them, as communication is a two-way street.

Promote accountability.

One of the most essential things to do to boost remote team communication is to build and nurture accountability between team members. Many workplaces have implemented a flexible working policy, without thinking about what the communication flow will look like. This is how some employees might see their coworker’s messages late, and become less productive than they would if they had the information they needed in time. 

Every team member should be held accountable to communicate tasks, ideas, and problems on time. This is why there should be a general rule in place that will secure overlapping hours for everyone, where employees can see and exchange vital information necessary for a successful and productive workday.

Be mindful of your body language.

While it’s important what we say and write, things that we communicate through our body language are important too. What’s more, by some studies, more than half of communication is in body language. Around 40 percent of communication is in the tone of voice, while only seven percent is the actual words. When we know this, we can understand how and why non-verbal cues we emmit are important. That said make sure to have your posture right during Zoom calls, favor video calls, or phone calls instead of typing to make remote team communication truly effective.

Employ remote team communication tools.

If your workspace implemented a remote working model, then you know you cannot work efficiently without remote work tools that help in closing the gap remote work brings, and streamlining processes. That said, to make remote team communication as efficient as possible, make sure to research and use a wide variety of communication tools made for remote teams such as Slack or MS Teams to ease everyday communication.

Ana Mladenovic

A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.