6 Ways to Keep Your Team on The Same Page (Even If They’re Miles Apart)

A spread out team can remain a close-knit team as long as communication is emphasized. Employees who feel a genuine connection to their team are more engaged, more aware of who to collaborate or connect with, and more in-sync with the company’s mission.

Here are some strategies to unite your team.

One Team, One System

Everyone on your team should use one system for clocking in, clocking out, and requesting time off.

Allowing employees to each use their own method of recording time worked is inefficient and fosters a sense of separation. Having one universal system through which to record, track, and manage time makes life easier for you and your workers, and ensures everyone is tuned in to the same system.

If you need a solution that fits your entire team’s needs, try contacting HR specialists like FingerCheck. FingerCheck’s time and attendance software are web-based so your employees can punch in anywhere in the world as long as they have internet.

Use Tools to Encourage Open Communication

Communication is crucial to successfully integrate teams with limited direct contact. Email can be stiflingly formal and slow. We advise trying a more social system, like Slack, HipChat, or Pie, to encourage real-time team collaboration.

Set the tone for consistent communication across the board by asking employees to contribute one note every morning, an update every afternoon, or a “triumph of the day” each evening. This will ensure that everyone is brought up-to-speed on the team’s progress and get a chance to interact.

Game the Group Work

Look for opportunities to create games out of group work to keep spirits and morale high. For example: have groups collaborate on themes for an upcoming party or trade show display, contribute to posts for the company blog, or even come up with slogans for a new product or service offering.

To reward the winners, offer paid time off, gift cards to chains in the area of remote group workers, or other rewards that the teams can get excited about!

Go Local

Give remote employees the opportunity to attend tradeshows or meetups, or the option of hosting their own. The process of preparing to act as a brand ambassador will require them to collaborate with multiple colleagues to gather marketing materials and get the inside scoop on services or products. This will deepen their connection to their work and the team.

Bring Them In

When economically feasible, employees should be offered a paid trip to visit the office at least annually, with transportation, room, and board included. Try to organize visits around office events. For example, throw an office social or staff retreat with plenty of icebreaking activities.

When economically feasible, employees should be offered a paid trip to visit the office at least annually, with transportation, room, and board included. Try to organize visits around office events. For example, throw an office social or staff retreat with plenty of icebreaking activities.

Map It Out

One mistake some offices make is to “hide” remote workers. Celebrate your whole team with an in-office map that highlights the many locations your worker’s clock in from. It’s a neat way to showcase your team for office visitors and potential recruits and serves as a reference for current employees. It can even help encourage conversations between employees.

Tools like FingerCheck offer geotagged clock ins to provide you with a map of spots your employee’s clock in from–great for compiling a visual representation!

Bonus Tip For Big Spenders: Robots!

Got a few grand to burn? Then get your remote employee’s office telepresence! Companies such as Double Robotics and VGo offer rolling pedestals topped with screens or tablets which allow remote workers to interact around the office.

Really, though–having one of these guys around could be a pretty cool way to bring employees in for a visit, especially if they can’t come in person. Plus, it’ll be there for you if you need to be out of the office for an extended period.

When it comes to managing a scattered team, it’s important to stay in the loop with all your employees and find ways to bond regardless of location. With these tips, you can keep engagement high and accomplish more as a team, without sacrificing a sense of morale.