Transparent and concise communication is essential for boosting productivity and reducing workplace mishaps. However, many employees still face issues in communicating seamlessly with their colleagues and senior management, which leads to more problems. 

Besides, the issue related to miscommunication or delay in communication becomes more complicated in remote work culture. There are many instances like one of the team members forgetting to convey an important message because they got carried away with other work. Sometimes, some individuals do not like to talk on calls. Rather than clearing things up on the call, they prefer texting, which can lead to miscommunication if the other person doesn’t get the message properly. 

Proactive communication is essential. Let’s understand how to manage a remote team using the right remote work communication tools. 

7 Strategies to Enhance Remote Team Communication

Smooth communication is the backbone of achieving desired goals while working remotely. The following are seven ways to manage a remote team effectively and ensure there are no communication problems.

1. Develop an Effective Remote Onboarding Strategy

The onboarding process provides the first opportunity to set up an ideal environment for your remote team. Provide optimal resources to new employees and help them understand your company’s remote work culture. Business leaders should ask respective managers to provide a first-hand overview of the company and explain job responsibilities.

2. Define Remote Communication Standards

Establish clear protocols and use remote work communication tools to streamline work and get issues resolved quickly. It is very important to have your team understand how remote work functions. For instance, you can try sending an internal newsletter with a “Remote Communication” manual to your teams so that everyone is on the same page.

3. Prioritize Leadership Communication

Good communication from leaders is paramount when it comes to working remotely. Personalized messages and video updates by the managers to their respective departments help improve clarity and build trust. Leverage instant messaging platforms and video-embedding tools to keep employees motivated and interested in the company’s vision.

4. Increase the Use of Video Communication

Video calls are essential in a remote work setting as they provide a feeling of meeting in person. Encourage having video turned on during meetings, training, and informal check-ins to help improve team morale and build a more connected and engaging remote workplace.

5. Use Quality Internal Communication Tools

The right project management tools help you streamline work in a remote setting. Businesses leverage such tools to allow team members to streamline file sharing. However, with so many options, researching and buying the right software is key to helping streamline work. You should select the tools that enable employees to work together at the same time and offer comment features. This can improve remote team collaboration and help everyone understand important information.

6. Schedule Regular Team-Building Activities

Virtual team-building activities can make team relationships stronger and improve how remote teams function. You can try planning virtual escape rooms or casual coffee chats to build team spirit and help team members feel more comfortable with each other. “Lunch & Learn” sessions also provide an avenue for less formal learning and improve team bonding. You can utilize it to discuss industry trends and share knowledge on various topics.

Apart from that, here are some other ideas for team-building/bonding activities that managers can give a try:

• Virtual trivia nights 
• Ask your remote employees to raise their glasses during virtual happy hour
• Virtual rose, thorn, and bud exercise (in this exercise, the participants share their positive, challenging, and surprising/something new experience they recently had)

7. Conduct Frequent 1:1 Meetups

Regular one-on-one meetings help employees connect with their managers so that they can express concerns and provide feedback. Schedule these weekly so that the employees know when to express their issues and get assistance. Use surveys and feedback tools to ask employees about their thoughts and worries frequently. This helps in finding and fixing communication problems quickly and increasing team productivity.

Tools to Improve Workplace Communication

Advancements in technology have supported the rise of a remote work culture, and hence, managers should have the best tools to simplify communication among remote employees. Here are some remote work communication tools that can make communication easier: 

• Instant Messaging: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Whatsapp, Glip
• Collaborative Software: Microsoft 365, Zoho, GanttPro, Hive, ProofHub, Planable
• Email: Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Canary Mail, Twobird 
• Meetings and Video Conferencing: Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Yammer
• Project Management: Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Trello, Teamwork 
• Visuals and Recordings: Canva, Venngage, Easel.ly, Looms, ScreenPal, Zappy 

All the above tools were for formal communication; however, to boost engagement and collaboration among the remote team members, you can set up a virtual water cooler. You can start by starting a public discussion board or casual (non-work-related) group on the internal messaging app and asking everyone to share anything unrelated to work.

It can be sharing pictures of their pet, new shows and series recommendations, delightful recipes and food images, personal news, memes, and anything else.

Communication Challenges in Remote Work Settings

Remote work has changed the way companies used to operate, creating some communication barriers that may affect teamwork and employee relationships. Whether you want to hire remote teams or want to introduce remote work settings, communication is of utmost importance. To help solve these problems, the hiring team should understand the challenges that might come up in remote work culture: 

1. Lack of Non-Verbal Cues

Unlike traditional setups, remote teams often overlook nonverbal communication. Conveying feelings is much easier through facial expressions and gestures. Due to the absence of such interactions, remote teams face more communication challenges, which may also lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. The conveyance of tone and intent is also missed while working remotely, potentially impacting team dynamics.

2. Time Zone Differences

Addressing different time zones is one of the huge challenges if you need to manage a remote team. Furthermore, a delay in response might lower decision-making and employee productivity. To avoid this, teams should establish a common ground on when they are going to communicate using remote work communication tools that can also record and deliver messages at different times.

3. Over-Reliance on Written Communication

While written communication becomes imperative in remote settings, excessive emailing and messaging can lead to ambiguity and miscommunication. Without the immediate feedback associated with verbal interactions, clear and concise language with detailed explanations becomes important in trying to evade miscommunication.

4. Technology Issues

Technical glitches can hinder communication and make remote team collaboration more difficult. Moreover, technical issues, such as poor internet access, buggy software, or non-compatible platforms, may impede good communication. Business leaders should invest in good technology and have troubleshooting in place to minimize interruptions.

5. Reduced Spontaneous Interaction

The casual talks and unplanned meetings that happen in physical offices are often missed by remote workers. This decrease in informal chats can affect how well the team connects and works together. However, you can restore some of these casual talks by promoting online social activities and scheduling informal virtual meetings.

6. Isolation and Engagement

Feeling isolated is a common feeling in work-from-home setups, affecting team member involvement and motivation. Employees who do not meet regularly may sometimes feel disconnected from the team, which can affect team goals. To address these issues, business leaders should have regular checkups with their teams. Online team-based activities should be a priority, which will help employees share their thoughts and experiences.

The Bottom Line, 

In a remote setting, it is important to address communication problems quickly and solve them. You can help your team work better and stay productive by setting up clear guidelines that foster a positive remote work culture. As a remote leader, it is equally important to get feedback, celebrate successes, and care about the well-being of your employees. You can also try outsourcing your hiring requirements to a reliable company.

At Hyqoo, we’re working on making remote hiring different with the power of Artificial Intelligence. Through our cutting-edge Talent Cloud Platform, you’ll get access to skilled professionals from anywhere in the world. Ensure the best talent for your team and streamline your projects. Discover how our solutions can change the way you hire remotely. Learn more about Hyqoo’s AI-driven Talent Cloud Platform today!