Remote work is essential to the growth of businesses across industries today, and a global team of the right people can help you gain and maintain a competitive edge. However, there are many aspects to consider when developing successful global remote teams, including inclusivity, compliance, effective collaboration, and communication.

This ultimate guide to building global remote teams will cover the challenges of creating an inclusive work environment, best practices for developing a strong team, and specific strategies for getting the most from your operations.

Common Challenges of Global Team Inclusion

There are several challenges that you will need to overcome to build an inclusive workspace for your global remote teams:

Language and Cultural Barriers

One of the main problems affecting remote teams across the globe is poor communication. This can result from language barriers or a lack of understanding of each other’s cultural differences.

For example, simply using local sayings when discussing matters in a meeting could cause confusion for people unfamiliar with that language, e.g., “touch base” or “let’s call it a day.” From there, communication issues could become more complex, such as using direct communication or hand gestures that someone might find offensive. It’s always best to learn about each staff member’s culture and determine how best to communicate with your team at every level.

Different Time Zones

You may also need to account for different time zones when building inclusive global remote teams. Someone could have their peak work hours at the same time another member of your global team is asleep. Try to accommodate these differences with schedules that work for everyone.

Resource Limitations

Many businesses may struggle to establish consistent and effective team-building activities due to insufficient funds and other resources. If you don’t spend enough time fostering growth and a strong bond among your staff, it could leave remote teams feeling more disconnected. 

Proximity Bias

Even if they don’t mean to, some managers might place a higher value on in-house employees than on remote workers. In turn, remote teams may feel like they’re “out of sight, out of mind,” particularly if leaders do not interact with them regularly.

Best Practices for Managing Diverse, Distributed Workforces

To navigate and prevent these challenges when managing your global remote teams, follow these best practices:

Keep Language Simple

Avoid using any slang or local references that some team members might not understand. Instead, stick with clear and basic language rather than idioms that could confuse non-native speakers, as long as you’re not coming across as condescending. Also, be careful to avoid using any language that people of different cultures might find offensive.

Learn About Each Member’s Culture

Empathize with your global remote teams by learning about their cultural differences. You can do this by encouraging new members to share their unique work styles, customs, and national or religious holidays.

Taking this step can help you avoid inadvertently offending people from different cultures or creating conflict with them. It can also make them feel included and respected, which will drive engagement and loyalty.

Create a Space Where People Feel Comfortable Speaking Up

Make sure everyone on your team feels like they can openly express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Encourage each team member to ask questions or share their ideas without any fear of potential mistakes.

For instance, someone might need clarification when discussing certain topics or assigning tasks, in which case they should feel comfortable asking for more information or context. In turn, you should also be willing and able to provide more details or rephrase to make things clearer.

Enable Asynchronous Communication

Keep in mind that people in different parts of the world or even within the same country might not follow the same schedule. Facilitating asynchronous communication for your global remote teams can help keep communications consistent and projects on time using various tools. For example, you might use project management tools, emails, or shared documents to keep everything connected and allow each team member to respond to updates or requests during their specific work hours.

In addition, you can record meetings or other events and share the recordings with people who were unavailable at the time. This helps keep everyone on the same page regardless of their schedules.

Strategies for Improving Communication, Collaboration, and Belonging

The following are some effective strategies for building strong international teams through inclusivity:

Employ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs

DEI programs can organize your remote work environments to ensure inclusivity and encourage greater diversity and equity among employees.

Aspects of a DEI program for global remote teams could include:

• Virtual employee resource groups that create dedicated spaces for underrepresented team members to connect and communicate
• Asynchronous inclusion policies that accommodate all relevant time zones
• Digital mentorship programs that connect junior team members with senior leaders from diverse backgrounds
• Inclusive onboarding processes with tool introductions, accessible training formats, and multi-language video captions

Implement Global Workforce Management Platforms

The right workforce management solutions provide localized support and help maintain compliance and equity. Certain tools can also help you hire, onboard, and pay global remote workers using compliant processes without needing to set up a local entity.

Work With Cross-Cultural Training Providers

A good cross-cultural training provider can also develop and implement tailored programs to handle remote workforces. In the process, you can benefit from workshops and microlearning modules that empower management and make it easier to connect with team members across cultures.

Use Remote Collaboration and Employee Engagement Tools

Keep your teams consistently connected with collaboration and engagement tools that work for everyone. You can use Slack and Microsoft Teams for daily chat and specialized channels for virtual “watercoolers” and meeting summaries. 

Take the Right Approach to Building Global Remote Teams

To develop a truly inclusive global workforce, consider the above challenges, best practices, and strategies as you work to expand your company. Building a community that makes your remote teams feel included, engaged, and loyal will help you reap the full rewards of a global operation.

Want some help with expanding your remote workforce in Canada? Connect with BrightR today and discover what our experts can do for you.