Virtual teams are becoming more and more common in light of the pandemic and studies of how it boosts productivity and better work life balance. Some businesses have embraced it while others are still skeptical about how it can work in the long run.

The question of trust in virtual teams is a concern most employers bring up before they make the decision to hire. It’s a valid one, after all most of us were used to working in an office until recently. Building trust already takes time in face-to-face situations, what more in a virtual setting?

Can you really rely on your team to do the work if you physically can’t see them the whole time? Is productivity really higher without constant supervision and the office environment stimulation?

With these strategies listed below, the answer is yes!

Be transparent

Building trust within your virtual team starts with you. By being transparent with company goals and communication, you’re telling your team you trust them, which encourages them to be open and honest with you and each other.

Transparency also boosts productivity, morale, and efficiency because your team feels empowered, valued, and free to make decisions on their own.

You can practice transparency by:

• Sharing company goals
• Having open communication channels 
• Using project management software
• Creating a shared work calendar

Practice what you preach

Some employers claim they’re approachable and want you to have a work-life balance, but nothing about their actions say this is true. Integrity is essential for building trust.

Make sure that whatever you tell your team to make them feel relaxed and look forward to working with you, your actions match your words. If you want them to have work-life balance, respect boundaries and don’t contact them after hours and on weekends. If you want them to approach you about anything, don’t balk if it’s feedback about you.

Organize weekly team and monthly individual meetings

Setting regular weekly meetings to check in with goals and results is a good way to know where your members are thriving and where they may be stuck. These weekly check-ins also hold them accountable because they have to show what they accomplished from the previous week.

Supplement weekly meetings with monthly face-to-face video calls with each member of the team. These calls are for getting in touch with them to ask how they are, how they’re liking the work, and if there’s anything you can help them with. This is important because not a lot of people are comfortable sharing within a group. Checking in also shows you care and are willing to listen, which builds trust.

Recognize your team’s achievements

Feedback is very effective in building trust in your virtual team. Praising team members lets them know that you see their hard work and how important they are to your company.

Keep these in mind when you’re recognizing individual and team efforts:

• Do it in a timely manner. Once you see good work, commend it. 
• Be specific about what they did right and why it matters so it has a bigger impact.
• Make your praises appropriate for the work that was accomplished. 

You can even take it a step further by rewarding them with gift cards or bonuses, and it incentivizes the whole team to keep working better as well.

Support employee wellbeing

The world of work is definitely changing. Aside from shifting to virtual teams, workers are also more aware of and steadfast in the kind of treatment they deserve and expect from their employers. Perhaps they’ve realized that life really is short because since the pandemic, there has been a rise in employees quitting their jobs to focus on their mental health. 

Taking an interest and investing in your team’s wellbeing is a win-win strategy for building trust. They perform better when they’re physically and mentally at their best, take less time off work, and you reduce turnover.

An easy way to do this if you’re still a small company is to allow a flexible work schedule. This gives your team time to focus on personal matters and errands, and ultimately reduces stress and makes them happier. A flexible schedule is also especially helpful since virtual teams are most likely going to be from different timezones.

Ready to form your virtual team now?

Creating your strong remote team and achieving peak performance is easy with Remote Workmate. We not only help you form teams but manage them as well, with scheduled monthly evaluations up to six months after hiring.

Take the first step by scheduling an obligation-free call with us today!