A Complete Guide to Building and Managing Remote Teams

At There is Talent, we are proud to be 100% Remote. This guide is created to help other entrepreneurs and business owners with their own journey into the world of working remotely.

What type of remote team are you building?

First of all, why are you interested in building a remote team? 

• To replace or partially replace a local team?
• Or to create a completely new team from scratch?

The reason I ask is that there are some differences in how you manage things, depending on the exact nature of your current setup.

• If you already have a local team in place: Then you may have decided to go remote in order to save costs and work with a greater talent pool, but you don’t want to cause a big disruption in your current workflow.

If this is the case, then you may be best advised to simply replace local team members with remote talent every time a local employee leaves the company (whether they resign or are dismissed).

This means a gradual transition from office-based to remote.

• If you are looking to build a remote team from scratch: then I would advise you to hire people individually or in small batches.

If you are looking to build a team of 10, then it is probably wise to start with a few hires and then build this up, even if you have the budget to hire 10 people right from the start.

The reason for this is that you want to establish a remote team culture early on, and I find that that works best when you have some people on board first.

They then get to understand the direction you want to move in – and are able to help with the onboarding when new hires join, and also establish a team culture.

How to Hire Your Remote Team Members

When it comes to hiring, you essentially have 2 choices:

• You can do everything yourself.
• Or you can work with an international recruitment agency or remote talent provider such as There is Talent.

If you decide to hire your own team there are a number of steps. First of all create the job descriptions for the positions you are looking to hire for.

These should be very clear and if possible include exact details of the rates as this will help to attract the right people.

Also, even though you are you looking for remote talent (and so, in theory, you could hire people from anywhere), it probably makes sense to have a good idea of which countries you want to be hiring from. The reason for this is that the time zones, skills, and rates are different in different locations.

For example, if you are in the US, then hiring remote talent from Colombia will allow you to work with someone in your time zone, making things a bit easier.

Another example: if you are looking for amazing dev skills at a reasonable price and time zone alignment is not a requirement, then Eastern Europe is a great option.

Once you have the job descriptions, publish them in the right places.

This requires a little bit of investigation depending on which countries you are targeting.

Then come the follow ups: essentially the whole recruitment process. From filtering the CVs to carrying out interviews and tests to find the ideal candidate. If you don’t want to do this yourself then consider working with an agency such as There is Talent.

Once you have selected the right candidate or candidates and they have accepted you can move onto onboarding.

How to Onboard Remote Team Members

Remote employee onboarding is similar to traditional onboarding in many aspects.

First of all, you should have a clear agreement (if working with a virtual assistant agency or remote talent recruitment company) or a clear contract (if this is a direct hire). There are definitely advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.

Once the contract is signed, then you can move onto setting up your first meeting and getting started.

This is where it is important to get things right. You’ve found (what you think is) the right person and you are expecting them to perform and important role within the team. This will only happen, in my experience, if you set things up clearly from the outset.

Setting things up clearly means establishing what you expect in terms of communication and work delivery.

Delivery is a key term in remote work, because you are not going to be looking over each team member’s shoulder or micromanaging them, that will simply not work.

The recommended way to approach this is to set clear tasks and timeframes.

You should also set up an induction program of some kind for new employees. This means that they should meet (via Zoom usually) with other members of the team, have access to training videos and SOPs, if you have them.

I also believe that it is important to get new remote team members performing and delivering tasks very quickly, sometimes as early as Day 2.

The first tasks can be very simple, but completing them can get them into a good habit right from the beginning.

How to Set up Clear Communication for Remote Teams.

Remote team communication is different to the communication in a traditional office, obviously.

So, how do you set up your team to communicate effectively?

First of all, whatever tools you decide to use, it is important to establish a culture of communication and set clear expectations.

For example, do you want to have regular check-ins with your team members?
Do you want them to send you daily updates and weekly reports?
Do you care about any kind of communication or do you only care about deliverables on a certain date?

What is clear to me is that if you don’t state what is expected, then it won’t happen.

My preference is to have some kind of daily update, usually in the morning and afternoon, and weekly and monthly reports including KPIs.

Once you have figured out what you want your team’s communication to look like, there are a number of platforms that can help you.

Top Communication Platforms for Remote Teams

Some of the most common platforms are WhatsApp, Slack, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Loom (for screenshare videos).

And of course, email and phone. I think the key here is to educate your team in terms of what medium of communication should be used and when.

For example, I think WhatsApp is great, but sometimes if something is urgent, you want someone to call you immediately.

That might seem obvious but it doesn’t always happen, in my experience.

Also keep in mind that people of different ages and backgrounds are more comfortable using certain forms of communication over others.

This means that you won’t always receive communication in the desired way, unless you take the time and make the effort to establish how things should work in your team, something that is well worth doing!

Virtual Coworking Platforms

A virtual office platform is a great way to improve team communication.

These apps provide a kind of online office, with different spaces (such as your desk and meeting rooms) so that you can move around, interact, hop on calls etc.

Some of the more recognized providers include Gather, Kumospace, SoWork, Frame and Eve Virtual.

How to Manage a Remote Team

Managing remote teams is not easy (neither is managing any team!), but with a clear plan you can do a great job as a manager.

With remote teams there is often a big concern:

“How do I know that my team is working if I am not able to see them?”

While this is a valid concern, in many cases remote teams are more productive than office-based teams.

My first recommendation is to focus on deliverables, or what someone actually achieves, rather than counting the exact time they are spending on a particular task.

If you have full time employees, then you expect them to work full time, and that’s understandable, but the reality is that you will be more successful by focusing on deliverables.

How can you achieve this?

Well, first of all it is important to understand what you expect from a particular team member in a specific time frame.

For example, a cold caller might make 200 calls a day or a content creator may produce 5 blog posts a week.

These are not exact numbers, but numbers that you need to work out for your business – every situation is different!

There are other remote team members for whom you might not be able to evaluate this as easily. There are roles where things are more complex than simply saying “how many” of something in a particular week.

For these roles, I suggest still reviewing deliverables, even if they vary each week. This will give you a good idea of what someone is actually contributing to your team.

“What about time-tracking software?”

There are a number of different softwares on the market that enable you to track an employee’s time.

HubStaff and TimeDoctor are two well-know ones, and of course there are others. These softwares measure activity levels and can also be set up to take screenshots, so you can see what a particular team member is working on. It also allows you to see when they logged on and when they finished work.

My experience with these tools is mixed.
First of all, remote talent does not like using them because they feel that they are being monitored.

However, in some ways it is no different to how employees are monitored in a different office setting.

If you turn up later, you boss will notice and if you’re not working very hard in an office, people are also going to notice.

In any event, you can use such tools but you need to be aware that they are not universally popular.

Finally, time tracking software does actually have benefits for both managers and team members. It ensures fairness for everyone, as people are paid for their actual time and effort.

It promote transparency and can lead to a better allocation of resources, helps identify which tasks take longer than expected, avoids payment disputes, and helps to give everyone confidence in the remote setup.

What really matters? Micromanaging will not help

What is really important is that your team is getting things done and moving in the right direction, completing tasks in a reasonable time frame and enabling you to focus more on the strategic part of your business.

Productivity Monitoring

Some managers like to get daily check-ins, for example a short message in the morning from each member stating what they are working on that day and then another one at close of business with an update – what they managed to achieve and what is still pending.

This can be coupled with a more detailed weekly report, sharing their successes and failures for the week.

Both of these reports can be useful, but you need to make sure you are actually reading and commenting on them, or they will soon become repetitive (think copy-paste) and lose their value.

I also like to ensure that these reports include KPIs – monitoring someone’s numbers on an ongoing basis (so you can compare one month with the previous month, for example) is a surefire way to ensure things stay on track.

It’s not all about the numbers

Having KPIs is very powerful, but if you don’t take time to develop a friendly and collaborative culture, then your team of remote professionals will feel more like a “resource” than a “team member” and over time the results will fall accordingly.

This is why it is important to have some other check-ins, perhaps a weekly one-to-one meeting or team meetings via Zoom, but meetings where there is a bit of humor and time taken to connect with people – so that it’s not 100% about numbers and results.

Celebrate the Wins

As a manager, sometimes it’s all too easy to focus on the things that went wrong or the areas that need correcting. It makes sense to some degree, why spend too much time on talking about things that are going well?

Actually, this can have a big impact on your team’s success. Team members will really appreciate receiving praise for a job well done, and you should make this part of your weekly routine. Praise publicly and criticize privately is old, but good, advice.

Create a Culture of Feedback

You should encourage feedback for 2 reasons: remote team members who are encouraged to give feedback are more likely to buy into your processes, and the feedback that they give can lead to positive outcomes for the team as a whole.

Nevertheless, it is important not to become set in your ways and convince yourself that your way is the right way. That is probably not the case, at least not in everything, and therefore you would be well advised to encourage, first of all, and then actually listen to and implement feedback.

How do you create this culture?

Well, really by your words and actions.

If someone does try to change everything immediately, say thanks but guide them into understanding that change comes one thing at a time.

Set up specific feedback meetings, perhaps once a month, to create a space where comments and ideas are encouraged.

Once a team member’s innovation has been implemented, take the time to congratulate them in public.

Take time to focus on your team members’ career growth

No one wants to join a company to to do boring tasks on repeat with no prospects of moving up in the organization.

Many people are looking for progress, the opportunity to take on more challenging tasks and grow professionally.

Be sure to give this opportunity to your team members. Not everyone will be capable enough, and not everyone will be ready for a promotion right now, but it’s your responsibility to lay out the path so that those who capable and hard-working are able to follow it.

Understand Cultural Differences

If you are working with remote team members from different countries (which is highly likely) then you will need to take some time to understand cultural differences.

Something that just might not seem that important to you (a holiday you’ve never heard of) can be very important to someone else in another country.

Take the time to understand a little bit about the culture of your remote professionals and then a little more time to actually appreciate that and integrate it into the way your country works.

Thanksgiving week is the most-celebrated holiday in the US, but elsewhere it might be Christmas or Easter week and other holidays may still have great significance. You don’t need to adjust your schedule completely to take into account everyone’s preferences, but it would be wise to have some understanding and adopt a bit of flexibility.

Monitor Well-being

As manager, it’s your job to keep an eye on your team. All the stresses of modern life, and in some cases the isolation that comes with working remotely can lead to mental health issues and burnout.

So, what can you do to help?

Regular check-ins with your team members can certainly help, but it is perhaps the underlying company culture that you help to create that is the most important here.

Are you fostering an environment that prioritizes mental health and work-life balance?

On a day-to-day basis small things can help, like giving someone the afternoon off after they have completed a project, or allowing them to change their schedule temporarily.

Also, by having some kind of social meet-up (think “Coffee Fridays” or something like that), you can help team members to bond and really feel part of the team.

Finally, you can provide access to Employee Assistance Programs, or Apps such as BetterHelp, Talkspace, Headspace, Calm, Happify, Thrive Global and 7 Cups.

Data Loss Prevention for Remote Teams

With remote team members based in different locations and using different (often their personal computers, not those provided by the company), concerns can arise related to the security of your company information, especially when sharing passwords.

What can you do to improve your data security?

Here are some suggestions. Implement just a few of these will put you ahead of most people, but implementing all or most of them will give you a secure online environment that protects you against many issues.

VPN

Employing a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will mean that your internet connection is encrypted, protecting your team from hackers.

This is especially relevant when connecting to public WIFI, so your remote team members  should definitely be using a VPN when connecting from coffee shops and hotels, for example.

It can also change your browsing location to make it appear as though you are connecting from a different location.

This can be particularly useful for virtual assistants based in Latin America who need to connect to apps in the US – sometimes there will be a location restriction that prevents them from connecting and using a VPN enables them to get around this.

2-Factor Authentication

Make sure all of the apps and softwares you use are set up to require Two Factor Authentication.

This gives an extra layer of protection and means that if someone has one of your passwords, this on its own will not be enough for them to obtain access.

DLP Tools

With employees working in different locations, it can be easy for confidential files to be uploaded or sent to the wrong place.

A DLP (Data Loss Prevention) software can help prevent this by identifying when someone on your remote team tries to upload or send certain information and either issues a warning or blocks it altogether.

Antivirus and Anti-malware software

You should make sure that your remote employees have antivirus and anti-malware installed. This will give you and your team protection against viruses and malware such as spyware or ransomware. Paid versions are not expensive and there are even some free solutions such as Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Free. Do not miss this step!

Regular Password Changes and Access Reviews

You should change your passwords regularly and remind your team to do so. I also suggest that you review who has access to what on a periodic basis, as sometimes when passwords are shared, they can end up on everyone’s computer, and this forms an unnecessary security access.

Password Managers for Remote Teams

Password managers can help remote teams improve both security and efficiency.

First of all, I would suggest that you select a reliable provider such as LastPass or 1Password.

Then you can store all of your passwords in one place, which is very convenient. Password managers also offer some added benefits, as follows:

You can set organize password into shared vaults for different parts of your remote team (for example, operations, marketing etc.) This ensures team members only have access to the credentials they need for their work.

Password managers can be helpful in generating strong passwords, rather than using those which you come up with yourself, which are likely to be weaker.

You should also take advantage of the encrypted backup features offered by the top password managers so that you can always have access to your credentials

Device Encryption

Asking remote workers to encrypt their devices adds an extra degree of security.

A password on a laptop offers some protection, but if someone steals your laptop they will still be able to access your information by removing the hard drive, unless it is encrypted.

Encryption is straightforward and can be done using BitLocker on Windows and FileVault on Mac.

Role-based Access

Many Apps (like Hubspot and WordPress, for example) offer role-based access.

This means that you can retain access as a “Super Administrator” or “Owner” and still grant access to other team members so they can perform different tasks, but without giving them access to admin features.

This is really useful as you can feel more confident about giving access, enabling tasks to be completed without taking unnecessary risks.

Home Network Security

You can improve the security of your remote team’s home internet connections by taking a few simple steps.

First, the name of the network should not reflect the name of the person using it – “SmithFamily247” is not a good network name.

Router firmware (a type of software that controls hardware – in this case the router) should be updated regularly and WPA3 or WPA2 encryption should be used (not the outdated WEP which is insecure).

Data Backup and Recovery Plan

Make sure you are backing up data on a regular basis. If you have a WordPress website, you can download all of your files from your hosting company. Then, if anything goes wrong, this can be easily restored.

You should also have an offline recovery plan.

For example, if the internet is down, do you have all of your client phone numbers written down somewhere so that you can call them? It is amazing how many businesses do not have these simple steps in place – get them set up for your business and protect yourself.

Best Tools & Software for Remote Teams

There are so many different tools available to help you manage a remote team. For me, some of them are essential and I use them on a day-to-day basis (Zoom for example). Others I use less frequently and your choice of remote team tools will depend on your exact needs.

Here are 10 Remote Team Tools I’ve used that I suggest you take a look at:

Slack: Simply the king of communication tools. I just love the way you can tag people, easily create conversations with the right person or group and even hop on video calls.

Loom: Amazing for recording screenflow videos and sharing instantly. I used to use Camtasia, but then saving the video and uploading it to Vimeo and sharing the link was all a bit of a hassle. Loom just makes the workflow so easy.

Asana: Really nice project management board with the “sticky notes” concept so that you can move things from left to right as you progress.

Figma: Great for mapping out websites and other design ideas

Hubstaff: One of the best time tracking softwares, with lots of different features.

RingCentral: An easy-to-use dialling system that makes it easy for remote talent from Colombia and the rest of Latin America to call clients and providers in the US.

NordVPN: Reliable and affordable VPN

WeTransfer: Excellent for transferring large files when other methods just aren’t working.

DocuSign: Virtual signing tool for contracts

Otter.ai: Transcribing software that also works as a meeting notetaker.

There are many, many others of course. One aside though – in this day and age of automation, not everything is worth having an app for.

Sometimes if you need to write a list, for example it’s just easier to write a list in a Google doc or even on a piece of paper. You need to be smart enough to figure out when to go for the app (which often costs money) and when to go for a simpler solution.

Best Hardware for Remote Teams

What hardware do remote teams need. Well, apart from a good computer (at least 8Gb of RAM these days) and a high-speed internet connection, some of the other essentials include:

Webcam

Image is important. A high quality webcam makes all the difference. I have always found Logitech to be a great option.

Headphones

There are lots of possibilities here: on-ear, over-the-ear, buds, those that come with a microphone (headset).

If your team member is going to be on the phone a lot, then I recommend a noise-cancelling headset.

Microphone

A separate microphone is not needed if one comes built in to the headset. If you do go for a separate one, then a USB mic is going to be sufficient for most people’s needs.

Second Screen

Makes a huge difference in productivity and doesn’t need to be expensive.

Legal and Tax Considerations for International Remote Teams

“Can US companies hire remote workers and work with international remote talent companies legally?”

Absolutely! I am definitely not going to give financial or legal advice, but this type of arrangement can be set up easily and legally.

You can either hire an individual as an independent contractor or go through a virtual assistant company like There is Talent.

In our case, for example, we are able to provide any necessary tax documentation for compliance with IRS requirements.

Team Building Activities for Remote Teams

There’s a lot more you can do nowadays rather than just having a “bring a drink” virtual get-together (although there’s nothing wrong with doing those!)

From virtual scavenger hunts and online escape rooms, there is a wide range of activities that you can participate in with your team.

My advice? Do something, and make sure you culture is not 100% about work and results, it’s always good to have a bit of fun!

Cultural Challenges and Solutions for Remote Team

When working with team members from different countries, the first thing to keep in mind is awareness – you are not going to understand their culture as well as they do, but you should take the time to learn about it and be aware of the issues, holidays, traditions and working practices that are important to them.

By doing so, you are in a good position to create a harmonious team environment, with amazing talent working towards a common goal from different locations.

There are going to be challenges, mainly because of the wonderful fact that people are different, and think differently, but bringing this diversity to your remote team is only going to have a positive effect in the long run.

Conclusions

There is quite a lot here about remote teams, I hope you find it useful. Please reach out to me via the contact form if you would like any help setting up your remote team.

Additional Resources

Remote Work Podcasts

1. The Remote Business Growth Podcast
2. The Remote Show
3. 21^st Century Work Life
4. The Collaboration Superpowers Podcast
5. Long Distance Work Life

Remote Work Books

1. Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hanson
2. Surviving Remote Work: Sharon Koifman
3. Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker
4. Remote Works by Ali Greene and Tamara Sanderson
5. Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in a New Era of Work by Sophie Wade