How To Build a Remote Work Strategy and Manage Remote Teams

Remote work means working from anywhere outside the company’s office. This may be from your home, a coworking space, a library, or a coffeehouse. If you can do your job through a computer without in-person interaction, you can work remotely.

A company’s remote work strategy outlines how it supports and manages its workers when they work away from the company’s office.

A successful remote work strategy requires a well-rounded approach that considers everything from how to keep systems secure when workers log in through a public Wi-Fi connection to how to keep employees engaged when they’re miles from their closest coworker. The 10 items discussed here will help you get started.

1. Use different best practices for managing remote teams 

Remote workers face a different set of work challenges and needs than their in-office counterparts. Dealing with time zone differences can slow productivity. Relying on emails may increase miscommunication. And working alone all day may make them feel isolated and neglected.

But when it’s done right, remote work benefits the business and employees in many ways. The business can save money on office space, hire the best people for the work, and realize their diversity goals. Employees can feel less stress, have a healthier work-life balance, and be more engaged.

Making remote work deliver as promised requires a mindset shift that starts with:

• Gaining control by letting go. The biggest reason managers resist remote work is they fear losing control. The antidote to that is trust. Trust that your remote employees are professional and responsible enough to still deliver on time when someone isn’t standing over their shoulder.
• Managing for outcomes, not time-in-seats. Judging how good a worker is by how early they arrive at work and how late they leave is outdated. Modern teams want autonomy and scheduling flexibility. Some people are most productive at night after the household has quieted down. Some are more creative after a short afternoon walk. Some brainstorm best by staring out a window instead of tossing around ideas in a meeting. So, set clear goals and let workers achieve them in their own way. Get more tips in this video:
  

• Creating intentional connections. When people share the same office all day, it naturally creates impromptu connections between coworkers. People may chat while waiting for coffee or share a joke while passing each other in the hall. Remote workers don’t have those opportunities, which can leave them feeling lonely and forgotten. You can facilitate connections by using remote collaboration tools to engage in team-building activities, socialize, and share personal content like a music playlist or vacation photos.
  

Read: 17 Successful Management Tips for Leading Remote Teams

‍2. Involve your HR team

Early on, invite your HR team to join you in developing a remote work strategy. Having their involvement is important because HR:

• Can ensure your strategy is fair, legal, and in line with the company’s culture and policies.
• Has insights into what employees want and ideas for promoting employee well-being and work-life balance.
• May help you avoid potential issues and offer suggestions to increase remote workforce engagement.

3. Establish effective communication practices

Miscommunication can easily occur between people speaking face-to-face. Imagine how communication problems can run amok when conversations are made up of brief emails and short comments on a shared document. That’s why you need to establish effective virtual team communication practices.Remote work strategies often outline ways to improve remote team communication, such as these tips:

• Set response-time expectations. Honor time differences and work-life balance by agreeing on rules like when emails should be replied to; if appropriate, times that everyone should be available no matter where they’re located; and how quickly managers should follow up with employees who bring up issues.
• Know which tool to use. Help employees know which mix of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools to use for the greatest clarity and efficiency. For example, you may want to confirm a meeting time on Slack instead of email. And have difficult conversations over the phone instead of a video call where their discomfort is on display.
• Practice transparency. Be upfront about company changes, take responsibility for your mistakes, and admit when you don’t know the answer or can’t resolve an issue fully.
• Offer communication training. Training can include using personality tests to open a dialogue about differences in communication styles, asking HR for a development course, or contracting an independent specialist to deliver training online.
• Define meeting agendas and outcomes. Set a regular cadence for one-on-ones and team meetings, only require attendance from people relevant to a project, and narrow the scope of meetings so there’s enough time to discuss details.
• Prioritize inclusivity. Record video meetings for people who couldn’t attend, ensure every person has a chance to speak up, and keep a running agenda of weekly meetings on a shared document.
• Start the week off together. Spend 15-20 minutes updating the team on initiatives, aligning everyone on daily tasks and objectives, and providing members a chance to share ideas or concerns.

3. Build a robust remote team culture

A strong remote team culture is integral to fostering a sense of belonging, encouraging collaboration, and motivating individuals to work out differences when issues arise.Many business leaders believe that a company’s culture is built within its four walls, but a Gartner survey shows the opposite is true. More than half (53%) of remote workers who had the most flexibility in where, when, and how they work reported high cultural connectedness.

Effective remote work strategies develop connectedness between all workers and the company by doing things like:

• Encouraging team subcultures. Since the pandemic, most people connect with the company through their teams; encourage managers to organically tailor their subculture to the nuances of their members.
• Hosting meaningful virtual gatherings. Create opportunities for both work-related discussions and fun, team-bonding events.
• Reminding team members they’re valued. Regularly show employees you appreciate them through acts like thanking them in front of the team and offering time off to take care of loved ones.
• Asking for feedback. Send out surveys that members can respond to anonymously, lead with empathy so that members feel safe sharing their opinions, and follow up in a timely manner.
• Proactively preventing burnout. Be clear about expectations and what success looks like, ease heavy workloads by contracting on-demand talent to handle some of the work, and help employees deal with burnout.

‍Dive deeper: The End of Corporate Culture (and Here’s What’s Next)

‍4. Promote accountability and transparency

Every workforce strategy benefits from promoting transparency and accountability to build trust between team members and keep them all moving toward the same goals. The practice is especially vital within a remote team because remote employees often work alone and feel as if they’re functioning in a vacuum.

If they don’t see improvements after voicing a concern, they may think nothing is being done. If a project is delayed without explanation, their fears may lead them to assume the worst.

If they don’t receive honest feedback, they may feel people are withholding information from them. Eventually, trust erodes, misunderstandings balloon, and they feel less enthused about their work.

You can avoid this negative chain of events by building accountability and transparency practices into your remote work strategy. Understand that this is an intentional and ongoing process that may need adjustments occasionally. 

Here’s a good place to start:

• Set an example. Do what you say and be consistent in how you recognize and discipline members to avoid favoritism. Be willing to be vulnerable by admitting when you made a mistake or don’t know something; read the article “6 Tips for Building Trust Within Your Team” for more suggestions.

• Set measurable and achievable goals. Set clear goals that each member is able to achieve within a realistic timeframe. Consider using capacity planning to determine if you have the required resources and if you don’t, extend capacity by skill sourcing.
• Be open to constructive feedback. Create a work environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing concerns. Follow up as quickly as possible; if you can’t fully resolve an issue, let the interested parties know why.
• Make accountability a habit. Put assignments and deadlines in writing on shared documents. Schedule regular individual and group meetings to monitor project progress and encourage people to voice concerns early.
• Give updates consistently. Celebrate milestones and successes. Share project, decision, and company updates. Admit when challenges arise and make plans to work through them.
• Be thankful. Create a culture where employees feel appreciated and valued for their contributions. Use tech tools that encourage team members to acknowledge each other.

Related: Working With Freelancers: Building Trust and Success

‍5. Leverage the right technology tools

The right technology tools enable teams to increase productivity, streamline communication, and serve as a central hub of truth. These tools may be platforms, software, or apps. 

Although tech tools are essential for remote employees, they also benefit onsite team members. When everyone can access information securely and communicate clearly, they remain productive.

Remote work strategies often use a mix of tools, including the following.

Communication tools

Choose the right mix of asynchronous and synchronous tools and apps to support how your team works best. For example:

• Instant messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft TEams are great for asking quick questions and sharing information in real time.
• Video conferencing apps like Google Meet and Zoom enable teams to interact “face-to-face.”

Cybersecurity tools

Keep the company safe as remote employees and independent professionals access files and systems. There are many types of cybersecurity tools worth considering, such as:

• VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) like Surfshark and NordVPN keep remote connections secure, which is especially important when using public Wi-Fi.
• Vulnerability scanners like Nessus and Wireshark protect your business from threats by monitoring your systems, apps, and networks for security weaknesses.

Workforce management tools

Optimize efficiency and profitability by connecting all business functions and processes from HR to payroll. You can find workforce management tools based on your business size and need such as:

• Robust systems like Workday and ADP Workforce Now integrate talent management, workflow automation, and other systems, making them ideal for mid- to large-sized companies.
• Specialized tools are great when you want help in a specific area. For instance, NICE manages customer experience (CX) with self-schedulers, forecasting, and performance evaluation tools.

Project management tools

Use project management tools to monitor budgets, plan projects, share data and documents, and track the progress of each team member. These tools come in many shapes and sizes such as:

• General platforms like Asana and Monday.com enable teams to see what everyone’s doing, what still needs to be done, and by when.
• Specialized platforms are ideal for specific types of tasks. Jira and Azure, for example, are designed for software developers.

Content creation tools

Create all types of content faster and collaborate with others in real time. Many content creation tools integrate genAI to help teams create higher-quality content in less time. For instance:

• Audio-video apps like Riverside.fm and Descript to record and edit video and audio content as if it was created in a professional studio.
• Writing tools like ChatGPT help you brainstorm ideas and write first drafts that can then run through tools like Hemmingway App to polish sentences for clarity and grammar.

6. Prioritize work-life balance

Whether team members are in-office or remote, supporting their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance can reduce burnout, quit rates, and employee stress.

The happier and healthier they are at work, the happier they are in their personal lives. The happier they feel personally, the more enthusiastic, productive, and creative they are at work.

Here are a few ways your remote work strategy can support everyone’s desire for greater work-life balance:

• Don’t send messages or expect replies to emails after work hours
• Offer flexible scheduling
• Take team days off so people aren’t tempted to log in or feel guilty for being off work
• Provide mental health benefits
• Encourage people to take time off as needed
• Check in regularly to see if employees are struggling and see how you can help
• Provide enough resources to keep workloads manageable

‍Read: How To Deal With Burnout and Recover From Exhaustion

‍7. Encourage continuous learning and development

One of the top reasons people stay in their jobs is because they have opportunities to upskill and reskill. In fact, L&D is so important to employees that most (67%) said they’d stay in a job they hated if they could upskill quickly.

Invest in technology that provides equally high-quality training for both remote and in-person workers. Look for tools that adapt the training to multiple learning styles and to remote work.

If you don’t have a formal learning and development program for remote teams, you can create a learning-friendly culture that promotes curiosity by: 

• Encouraging team members to carve out time during the workweek for learning through sources like industry articles, skill-specific online courses, and webinars.
• Balancing their workloads so they can make time for learning. If you don’t have the resources internally, you can offer some of the work to independent talent.
• When someone learns information that may interest or be relevant to the whole team, ask the individual to share highlights of their learnings. Let them choose a method that’s comfortable for them. Some may prefer typing a bullet-pointed list of highlights on the team’s Slack channel. Others may enjoy presenting an overview during a regularly scheduled team meeting.

8. Develop a remote work policy

A remote work policy lays out the rules and expectations of both the employer and employee. The agreement may also protect the business and the worker should a legal issue arise.

Note that your remote work policy applies in addition to regular company policies. Rules around things like sick leave, code of conduct, and confidentiality apply the same way to people working from home and in the office.

What’s included in your remote work policy depends on your business, industry, and applicable laws.

Aim for transparency and clarity so that everyone knows what’s expected of them, their rights, and how they will fulfill their duties when they work from home. 

Most remote work policies include these fundamentals:

• Who can work remotely. Which roles can and can’t? Is it based on past performance or years at the company?
• Where they can work. Can they work in another state or country? Can they work from public spaces?
• When they’re expected to work. Do they have set hours? Do they work in the office on certain days?
• Equipment usage. Can they use personal laptops or public computers? Do they pay for their own internet?
• Cybersecurity requirements. Can they work from public spaces? Should they always log in through the VPN?
• Expectations around communication. What tools should they use? How fast should they respond to messages?
• Policy abuse. Is remote work a privilege? Do they return to the office if they aren’t meeting expectations?
• Worker classification. Are all remote workers classified correctly under employment laws in their jurisdictions?

If you regularly work with external remote talent, such as consultants and freelancers, you may want to include them in your remote work policy. The free white paper, Securely Working With Remote Freelancers, offers tips on how to do this.

And keep in mind that technology, employment laws, and employee and business needs change, so be sure to review your remote work policy on a regular basis.

9. Embrace diversity and inclusion

Remote work allows companies to look for people outside of their typical talent pools, giving them more potential to meet their diversity and inclusion commitments.

If you contract independent talent, work marketplaces like Upwork have built-in tools for companies to manage their supplier diversity.

Diversity is critical because everyone has different experiences and backgrounds, which causes them to see and show up in the world differently. When a company has a culture that embraces that diversity, and is committed to making everyone feel included, the business benefits.

Benefits may show up as higher levels of creativity, stronger customer connections, and greater employee engagement. Consider the Harvard Business Review study (HBR) showing how inclusivity brings out people’s potential. In the study, teams with inclusive leaders were:

• 17% more likely to report that they are high performing
• 20% more likely to say they make high-quality decisions
• 29% more likely to report behaving collaboratively

Business benefits aside, your remote work strategy should embrace diversity and inclusion because it’s the ethical and moral thing to do.

‍Dive deeper: How To Be an Inclusive Leader

‍10. Prepare for the future of remote work

Survey after survey suggests that remote work will increase in the future. So businesses that create a remote work strategy and keep it updated will have an advantage over those that drag their feet.

Consider what’s happening with workers now:

• 75% of employees say job satisfaction is dependent on having flexibility over when and where they work.
• 60% of freelancers work remotely and the younger generations see freelancing as a viable career option.

Remote work benefits companies too:

• Leading companies embrace remote work because they can work with the best person for a task, instead of the best person available locally.
• 80% of business leaders say freelancers are essential to their business.

‍Related: How We Work Now: 5 Keys to Remote Leadership

‍Company culture will continue to be the bridge connecting workers and inspiring teams, so tend to yours often. 

Remote work strategies establish policies and processes that support virtual work so that everyone feels included. They provide the tools and training to help everyone—both in-person and remote—work smoothly together.

You can see more of what’s coming by visiting reputable information hubs like the Upwork Resource Center. There, you’ll find thought leadership, guides, and research to help keep your remote work strategy relevant and effective.

Remote work strategy examples

Keeping teams on track when they only work remotely part of the time is hard enough. Building a fully remote company made up of thousands of employees? Now that’s a different animal—and totally possible.

The secret to successfully working remotely isn’t really a secret. It’s all based on the remote work strategies discussed above. But doing it well requires a mindset shift to prioritize results, not hours worked or where people work.

That said, let’s see how some of the world’s most successful companies thrive while operating without a central office.

GitLab

In 2011, GitLab began as a fully remote company, and after adding more than 2,000 employees, it remains true to its remote roots. GitLab is successful at remote work because it focuses on documenting everything clearly and making asynchronous communication efficient. Its publicly available Remote Playbook outlines every aspect of how the company operates, providing clear guidelines for remote work. GitLab’s head of remote from 2019-2023, Darren Murph, explained:

“An asynchronous mindset enables everyone to take a step back and assume that whatever we’re doing is done with no one else online. It removes the burden of an endless string of messages you must respond to immediately.‍From a mental health standpoint, when you have an entire company that embraces async, we all have a little more breathing room to do deep work that requires long periods of uninterrupted time.”

Shopify

‍Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke declared the end of “office centricity” and committed to being a “digital by default” company in 2020. They’ve embraced remote work by providing employees with the necessary tools and resources to create a comfortable home office. The 19,000-employee-strong company focuses on results rather than hours worked, encouraging a work-life balance that fosters creativity and productivity. They share their remote work tips here.

Zapier

Zapier began as a fully remote company in 2011. It had only three people at the time, but as it expanded to a 500-person company, it remained fully remote. The company focuses on building company culture across time zones, and It also offers a “de-location package” to help employees move to a location of their choice. See Zapier’s remote work tips here.

Implementing effective remote work strategies with Upwork

Upwork can help you access skilled independent professionals ready to help you design and implement your remote work strategy on your terms. Start by choosing the exact expert you need, then how you want to work with them. You could book a consultation, buy a prepackaged project, or contract an expert for a specific project.

An added bonus is that these professionals are used to working remotely. They may offer insights and tips that enable you to create the best remote work experience for your teams.

‍

‍Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.