Your remote or hybrid business is a collection of thousands of individuals.
As a team manager, you are looking for a one-stop shop for remote team communication.
However, getting the right information on how to manage your team’s communication can quickly become a struggle.
The good news is you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, you will learn about remote and hybrid internal team communication. You will also learn how different roles in an organisation can keep team communication going.
Let’s dive right in.
What’s unique about remote/hybrid team communication?
It is how you approach the two setups.
While the terms are interchangeable, they need two different communication styles.
In a remote setup, all the employees work from different online locations.
In contrast, in a hybrid format, some employees work from a central office while others are remote.
This requires teams to prioritise communication because:
- Co-workers can develop strained relationships if they are not communicating.
- People in the office win leadership positions rather than those working remotely.
- Employees can miss performance goals and develop high-stress levels.
- Your team can start creating stagnated ideas and working in silos with low communication.
Why is effective team communication important?
One core benefit of effective internal team communication is a healthy workplace culture. A culture powered by mitigating conflicts and increased employee engagement.
For example, suppose you ask one team member to work 5 hours a day. And give another person in the same position a workload that pushes them to work 9 hours a day. Naturally, the latter employee may feel cheated.
But you can change the perception. Explain exactly to your employees how the work needs to be carried out. You will end up sharing the information evenly with both employees. And also avoid conflicts.
Reaching out to both employees also opens communication channels for your employees. They can register any concerns about their work. It shows them that you understand and recognise their skills individually.
On the other hand, your employees can see the goal you are trying to achieve with their work. This motivates them to work efficiently, leading to better revenues for the company.
To improve team communication impacting revenue, try the following:
- Use project management software to keep every project open and transparent.
- Be open to feedback- even if it is negative.
- Do fun stuff to boost morale.
What are the challenges with remote/hybrid team communication?
As easy as it may sound, internal team communication is not about happy people talking to each other.
Some genuine challenges associated with remote/hybrid team communication include:
- People across different time zones may be unable to coordinate projects and activities.
- Team members may have different cultural sensitivities and language barriers.
- Team members may develop ambiguity due to Inconsistent communication channels.
- Employees may feel unmotivated and unproductive due to low employee recognition.
- Leadership may fail to measure the impact of internal communication channels.
- Leadership may delegate communication, making goals and vision unclear to remote/hybrid employees.
- The remote team may get sidelined due to the above problems. This leads to further disengagement.
How can you know your team communication is poor?
One way to create effective team communication is to encourage casual information sharing. Your team’s onsite and remote employees can do this.
You can achieve this by hosting informal meetings online. Or start discussions with casual catch-ups about every employee.
As employees feel ‘seen’, they engage with the organisation. Such employees also find warm connections they can further interact.
Knowing how to create good communication helps identify poor communication. Check this out:
- If you feel like there is a lot of “You” usage with directives, this is a red flag.
- No feedback means low interest. Look out for a lack of feedback when you give a presentation in a meeting.
- Your team focuses on problems. You have a severe problem if your team is more interested in focusing on not providing answers.
- If you have a passive-aggressive team member, it does not help professional communication.
3 examples of remote companies with enviable team communication
Let’s explore three organisations that have remote teams and happy employees.
GitLab
GitLab is an open-source code repository used by projects worldwide. So, it is no surprise that all the 1,500 team members at GitLab across 65 countries are remote.
What makes GitLab unique is that it has no headquarters (except for postal and legal purposes). GitLab’s employees can choose to work from anywhere.
Also, the organisation’s employees work across all time zones. There are no predetermined hours for anyone.
Hiring, onboarding and firing take place remotely. The only event where the employees get together is the yearly “Contribute” event.
GitLab keeps team communication public and asynchronous using Slack. Team members can post information to Slack that the team leaders monitor. Team members are appreciated for the work they deliver instead of the hours they put in.
Team members are also encouraged to have informal communication. This builds a formal structure of trust between the employees.
Automattic
WordPress is one of the most sophisticated products to come out of Automattic. The organisation employs 1000+ employees in 75 countries, speaking 90+ languages.
Automattic allows team members to connect over meetups and Zoom-based calls. They can discuss work and share their interests.
Also, the HR team at Zoom organises monthly gatherings. This is where speakers can present anything HR or diversity-related.
Automattic approaches each remote team’s needs differently. It caters to the skills that can add to the organisation’s value.
Buffer
Buffer’s team lives in 15 different countries. The company strives to provide its employees with a work-life balance. As a result, many employees at Buffer have shifted to a 4-day work week.
Buffer uses retreats and mentorship programs to foster team communication.
The company uses Slack and Notion to communicate within the organisation. They have laid down some rules that all members are familiar with now.
The organisation uses simple communication tools. It is not overtly focused on making life about notifications and responses.
What are some mistakes SMEs make about remote/hybrid internal team communications?
Many organisations, especially SMEs, make mistakes. Their communication mistakes usually look like this:
- Not having an internal communication strategy in place: With unpredictable communication, employees disengage. They forget that a channel exists. Provide a clear path so employees view communication as a benefit.
- Not knowing what mode of communication your employees prefer: Do your employees like to read? Or are they comfortable receiving calls and audio messages? Choosing the right tool is essential for the success of your communication strategy.
- Not considering modern communication tools: Does your organisation still rely on sending faxes? Do you still care about printing and filing documents? You are doubling your employees’ work and wasting their time. Going paperless and using online project management tools help your team stay aligned.
- Assuming communication standards: When messages are too complicated, they open doors for rumours. Similarly, sharing information on a need-to-know basis guarantees selective knowledge. Setting the same standard for everyone from top to bottom simplifies the route.
What are some mistakes enterprises make about remote/hybrid internal team communications?
Moving on to Enterprises, here is how they go wrong with communication:
- Traditional communication hierarchies: Bigger enterprises tend to rely on paper, fax and email. However, in a remote/hybrid setting, such methods create bottlenecks.
- Using jargon: Relying on jargon can put off team members who do not understand them. Worst of all, you might have little luck conveying a message if your message is full of jargon.
- Expecting all real-time communication: In-house teams tend to respond to every communication promptly. This may not be possible in remote/hybrid teams due to timezones, distractions or ill health.
- Not incorporating employee feedback: most information flows downward in enterprises. Even with the right tools, your employees may have problems communicating with someone. Listening to their feedback will enhance your system and remove roadblocks to productivity.
What should every CEO know about internal team communication?
As the CEO, you should know that any message to your remote/hybrid team is of prime importance.
Use this advantage to work with your team on the communication strategy of your business:
- Help define work priorities for the team.
- Show your team how your defined preferences connect with the organisation’s larger vision.
- Remember, you communicate to your team by saying and doing. So, once you set out the priorities, exemplify them to create a ripple effect in your team.
- Highlight people who fulfil those priorities.
- Measure and share your team’s success.
- Give a voice to leaders who can challenge how work is done, which can set your team on track to progress.
What should every Head of Human resources know about internal team communication?
If you are the HR head of your organisation, you have complete information about who works where.
You can tell where employees are located. You also know the time zones they work in and what departments they are assigned to.
Unfortunately, most department heads do not have this visibility, especially if it is a large multi-tiered organisation.
Do these if you fall under this category:
- You can onboard your CEO and management to create a formal communication strategy.
- You can help ease the wrinkles in communication as and when they occur.
- You can also identify champions who can promote your messaging.
What should every Head of operations know about internal team communication?
Imagine having over 50 remote employees and reworking each time someone miscommunicated something. Sounds like a lot of work.
As the Operations Head, you know that work gets done based on effective communication.
Here is what you need to do:
- Devise an internal communication strategy before remote/hybrid teams are hired.
- Receive and apply clear policies on crisis communication.
- Apply policies on change management.
- Apply policies on employee engagement so that your teams can function smoothly.
What should every Head of internal communication know about internal team communication?
The policies you design will be used inside your organisation to disseminate information. Therefore, you must know what tools to employ and what markers to look out for.
As the Head of Internal Communications, everyone in the company relies on you for communication. Additionally:
- You can draw from the experience of the CEO, Head of HR, Head of Operations and the Project Lead. This experience will help you build a communication strategy.
- Your employees will use the strategy you design. Performing periodic audits for your communication plans is essential to avoiding miscommunications.
What should every project lead know about internal team communication?
As the Project Lead, you embody all your team will achieve. If your team fails, you will be responsible. If they succeed beyond expectations, you will be glorified on a pedestal.
This means your communication with your team needs to be smooth and error-free.
You are also a bridge between the management’s policies and employees. For example, there is a policy of using Slack for communication, and your team does not know how to use it. It is your responsibility to inform the management about a training need.
Additionally, you identify key players in your team who can become communication champions.
How do you improve team communication in an SME?
Today, more SMEs exist than at any other time in history.
One reason for their unprecedented rise is the ability to have a remote base. They usually start inside homes and garages. The second is customers preferring to buy locally and home-produced.
With heightened customer demand comes a responsibility to serve – and serve well.
There are multiple ways for your SME to improve internal communication:
- Use appropriate channels for communication: Small teams can use simple means to communicate. Use simple applications like Talk Magnet to help you keep track of your team and manage them.
- Remove barriers: A recent study found that barriers to collaboration ranked as the fourth communication pain point right after inefficient coordination. The cost of such a barrier can be very high for a small business. Try to remove all collaboration barriers employees encounter actively.
- Set meeting agendas: No one likes meetings that drag and do not get results. Try to keep your dialogue short. If your meeting has no agenda, cancel it.
How to improve team communication in an Enterprise organisation?
It is imperative to have a strategy for internal communications. Or have all hell break loose.
Some of the top large enterprises worldwide have departments dedicated to internal communications.
Here is how your enterprise can up its game:
- Create a communication plan: Layout when executives must contact the employees. Define how and when the employees will reach out to the senior positions in the organisation.
- Use an internal communication tool: Small teams need simple means to communicate. Team collaboration apps like Talk Magnet help you keep track of your team and manage them.
- Incorporate futuristic methods of communication: Remote/hybrid teams are moving fast into the future. Use periodic online events and workshops to create a collaborative atmosphere. You can also create a company podcast to help your employees learn new information fast.
Tools to improve team communication
An average employee switches multiple apps to complete tasks.
The least one needs is email apps, file-sharing apps, and team communication apps.
Talk Magnet is a secure, simple, light and BS-free team instant messaging.
It is a communication solution for hybrid or remote businesses. It helps boost employee engagement. It builds employee bonds and makes work more enjoyable.
Unlike Slack and Microsoft Teams, Talk Magnet is not complicated or exhausting.
You can find the information you seek without a steep learning curve. It gives you and your team that feeling of chatting with a friend.
The next step for your team
There you have it!
Everything you must know about strong remote/hybrid internal communication.
Unfortunately, team communication is often taken for granted. But what if we told you, you can improve internal communication with simple software?
Talk Magnet can help you build high-spirited teams.
Through simple, secure and fast internal communication, it enables you to hire and retain remote/hybrid teams.
As a result, it will not only put your strategy into practice but also help to create an engaged workforce.
Book a demo with our team, or sign up and get started now. We’re waiting to serve you.
