Tips on How to Make a Remote Team Thrive – From a Team that Knows.

Okay so we’re not located globally (yet), but we are spread across three time zones in the US. So, how do we all stay on the same page and remain such a tight-knit team with that much variation? Keep reading to find out!

It all begins in the hiring process — we look for team members with past leadership experience or well defined leadership skills. Having this type of skill set allows our Customer Experience Managers to feel empowered to make tough decisions on their own. This comes in handy when you might be the first person working that day and are faced with a challenging question or request.

Our second secret is the distribution of our team and hours that they work. We always ensure that each CX-er, from each time zone overlap a minimum of 2-3 hours each day. Having this kind of overlap allows team members to catch up, ask for help, and update each other on any issues or questions that have come up that day. Further, our team gets together for a quick scrum every Monday morning. Each of us share what’s on our plate that week, what we might need help with, and even what kind of help we can offer.

We try to make communication as easy as possible which is why we use HipChat (https://www.hipchat.com/) not just to communicate with other members of the CX team but this includes our CEO and VP of sales who happen to work remotely too!  The webcam functionality really makes all the difference in that remote team member connection.

Finally, with all the technology we’ve discovered there really is nothing like meeting face-to-face. Our CX gets together a minimum of once a year at our headquarters in Seattle. While we do tend to hold our company-wide meeting during this time, we also try to have a lot of downtime where CX-ers can work as usual. This allows the remote members to work together with those in the office, further facilitating that team bond.

Do you have team members that work remotely, across multiple time zones? if so, we’d love to hear what works for you!