How to Manage a Virtual Team

For many of us the modern workplace isn’t so much an office with four physical walls and colleagues sat right next to us, as it is a virtual workplace where we’re sat at home working on our own, talking to people from other sides of the country, or even around the World.

If you are the manager of a virtual team, how do you keep tabs on them and ensure productivity remains high, if you can’t actually see them?

Tighten the Hiring Process – Always look for the most qualified people available for the role you are hiring for. Showing a commitment to hard work and a dedication is desirable in all jobs, but more so if you are not in the same physical location. Start with small projects to see if the person is a good long-term fit.

Create a Virtual Space to Chat – In a physical office colleagues will have break times around the coffee machine, or in the canteen. You have to create a safe space online for your team to chat about non-work related topics (but only at the right times of course)

Keep Communication Clear – From the outset always be clear in your instruction and keep open a line of communication that suits all parties. It can be hard to keep everything running smoothly across different time zones without an easy way to chat to each member of the team.

If you are managing a virtual team it can be harder to get effective processes in place to be successful. Trainer Bubble has both classroom and e-learning courses related to virtual team management for you to consider.