Despite your team working in different locations, you’d want to engage with them in the same way as if they were under one roof.
Training a remote team can be difficult if you don’t know how to approach it. Luckily for you, we got you covered. Let’s have a look at the top 6 tips for training a remote team.
Setting Reasonable Goals and Expectations
Many companies offering remote work won’t know where to start in terms of creating a reliable team.
The first order of business is to set reasonable expectations for your new remote team.
If your team members are expected to be top-tier remote workers from day one, they will become disinterested. This could lead to a lack of productivity and low employee retention.
A single remote session won’t mold a team member into a hardworking employee; it’s going to take time.
It’s important to set reasonable goals that everyone can achieve together. A team that progresses together will be more cohesive than one where certain members progress and others get left behind.
And a cohesive team will be more productive than one that’s divided.
Connect With Your Team
If you want to build a cohesive team and company culture, communication is key. It’s no mystery that it’s harder to connect with a remote team than an in-office team.
You need to find a communication medium that everyone can agree on. As much as video calling and conferencing is a good way to see and hear your coworkers, it’s not always ideal.
Some remote workers in your team may not have the best internet connectivity.
An easier method could be communicating via chat rooms or through clear and concise emails.
If your team can connect and communicate, you’re on the right track to forming a good remote team.
Ensure Communication Between Team Members
As important as it is to communicate with your employees, they need to communicate with each other, too.
A good way to do this is through a buddy system. Pairing a new trainee with a more senior member of the team is a great example of this.
The new members will feel more comfortable asking peers questions than they would someone in a leadership role.
Chances are that the employees will build a good rapport and working relationship with each other.
They could also arrange outdoor meet-ups if they happen to be in the same vicinity,
This is bound to raise morale in the workplace and increase productivity.
Provide Equipment
To ensure that training goes smoothly, every employee needs to have the right equipment and tools to succeed.
You need to check that every team member has the correct hardware and software.
If you want to save money by removing the need to have office space, you will need to invest in the proper equipment for your employees.
However, if you opt for software purchases and individual licenses, you must put hardware requirements on the job listing.
Providing your team with the right tools from day one is crucial to forming a reliable remote team.
Choose the Type of Source Material
Sticking to a medium that everyone can access is key to building a strong remote team.
You can either create informational training videos, Google docs or a shared drive, or even PDF files detailing everything they need to know.
Whatever you choose, it needs to be informative. In most cases, a training video or conference call is often the best approach, as they are visually engaging.
If employees are not getting the information they need, they can feel isolated and lost.
The ability to deliver information to your team is critical to ensuring that they are properly trained and well-informed.
Using a Learning Management System (LMS)
Making use of an LMS will be beneficial for both you and your remote team.
These systems allow you to create virtual libraries where all resources are accessed in one convenient location.
You can set up meetings with all employees and the team members can create rooms of their own so that they can connect.
These systems allow team members to ask questions and allow you to answer them individually.
Also, what makes LMS software so convenient is being able to access them on any device.
This means that workers can access the information they need or join chat rooms when they aren’t near their laptops or desktop.
