Master the Art of Asynchronous Communication

If you need something done urgently or want your co-worker to make a decision ASAP, pick up the phone and talk it out. Remote workers can come from anywhere in the world, which means they have unique perspectives to share with their colleagues. When you’re working in a distributed fashion, learning to be an effective async communicator is going to be the biggest factor in your success. This means that if one team member works while another is sleeping, it does not mean they can’t communicate or collaborate with each other effectively (unless this pattern repeats itself for several weeks).

Being able to select the best talent regardless of the location is one of the main factors that impacted the entire movement in the first place. Synchronous communication, or real-time communication between teams, is still necessary for team development, bonding, brainstorming, and celebrating project achievements. Teams exchange messages with one other without expecting a response right away. Employees can give each response the time and attention it deserves when they take a break to check their messages. Employees may work independently, uninterrupted, and more productively as a result of this.

Reserve dedicated hours for flexible schedules

This way, there will always be someone available to help out with more time-sensitive matters when you have finished your working day. For teams https://remotemode.net/, it can be tempting to respond to notifications that come in after your normal working day has finished. That’s particularly true when your input is essential to the progress of a project. By making sure the same people aren’t always being inconvenienced, you can avoid the perception of a ‘core team’ in one location whose needs are always put first. Switching up the times of your meetings will help to ensure everyone in your team feels equally valued. If only part of your team works from a different time zone, it can still be useful to have every individual attend meetings via video calls.

• These negatives aren’t helpful for retaining employees or building a positive company culture.
• „If you’re working two timezones that don’t overlap much, why not split your shift into two instead of doing the same number of hours consecutively?” asks Kelly.
• While it may seem overkill to hire a person solely dedicated to this, it’s a mistake to think that you can simply take what was working in the office.

Zapier are on a mission to make automation easy and accessible to everyone at work. With over 400 remote employees spread across 30 countries, Zapier is one of the largest fully remote companies. They know what they’re doing and write great guides on how to get the most out of remote work. Flexible workers hours have been proven to reduce burnout, stress levels, and psychological distress while increasing job satisfaction. They can also unlock more productivity by allowing team members to work when they’re most productive whether that be in the morning, afternoon, night, or a mix. The need to be online at specific hours on specific days means people don’t have control over the structure of their workdays, and never-ending meetings can force people to work longer hours to get work done.

Communication Gaps

By eschewing the constraints of traditional 9-to-5 schedules and instead empowering team members to align their work hours with their peak productivity periods, businesses unlock a plethora of benefits. Not only does this approach foster a profound sense of autonomy and trust among employees, but it also cultivates a work environment where individuals can optimize their productivity and creativity. The resulting increase in overall efficiency not only enhances project outcomes but also contributes to heightened job satisfaction and employee well-being. This strategic embrace of flexibility acknowledges the unique work-life balance needs of remote team members across different time zones, ultimately nurturing a happier, more engaged, and highly productive workforce. In the digital age, a plethora of online tools and applications have emerged, offering seamless time zone conversion capabilities that effortlessly bridge the gaps between geographically dispersed teams. To successfully utilize key principles of asynchronous communication to their advantage, distributed teams need to prioritize efficient, written communication.

Having teams across time zones is the greatest investment any company could venture into. Different perspectives and broad ideas can move the company’s vision forward and scale up the business by a considerable margin. There are certain disadvantages or challenges that come with having a team across time zones. SMB leaders should be mindful about choosing the communication methods that work best for their company overall, and managers should do the same when it comes to how best to communicate with their individual teams. Working across time zones can yield benefits for both employees and employers, from improving work-life balance to widening the talent pool for new hires.

Diving into a dispersed workforce

She too has found that working this way can allow more flexibility to structure your day. The benefit, according to Maral, of sticking to your own 9-to-5 schedule while your company or client is on their 9-to-5 is that you have more uninterrupted work time, free of meetings or messages on Slack or Teams. To learn more about key aspects of working with international or remote teams, check out these blog posts on hosting virtual working remotely in a different time zone meetings, working with global teammates, and international communication tips. Remote companies that embrace multiple time zones must rely on asynchronous communication. For background, async communication happens when information is exchanged without the expectation of an immediate response. Managers and decision-makers are the ones facing the harshest challenges when working with teams who operate across time zones.