For example, writing an email, sending a Loom video, or leaving a voice message for someone so they can respond to it whenever works best with their schedule (and yours). Managing a global team is more complicated than managing one that works from the same office. You’ll need to account for different time zones, work styles, and cultural norms in your management style.

Sometimes it is too complicated to explain or too sensitive to do it over email. Some remote companies have completely flexible hours as long as you can adequately communicate with your colleagues and get the job done. To learn more about key aspects of working with international or remote teams, check out these blog posts on hosting virtual meetings, working with global teammates, and international communication tips. When working within different time zones, it is very important to be mindful of your teammates’ time zone. You should avoid scheduling meetings during the times that you know everyone will not be awake, but this isn’t always possible if you work with people across multiple continents.

Pros and Cons of Working With Teams In Different Time Zones

You might find that there’s no perfect time for your team, but at least you’ll find options that aren’t excruciating. Plus, you can add the correct time to your calendar in just a click, if you’d like. His solution was to have a coding partner, someone he’d bounce ideas off of and check in with about project progress. Work together, even if there is a time gap, and you’ll find that the old adage “two are better than one” is still true. Sometimes you need someone to hold you accountable or just to work alongside you.

If a teammate requests feedback from me, I record myself and my screen to save time typing long, convoluted paragraphs. Plus, that enables my team members to see what I’m referring to directly and takes the guesswork out. With time and practice, I became better at noticing those feelings creeping up and found ways to engage myself and my energy elsewhere. It surprised me when I felt shameful for asking questions in meetings. Or it was my fault for not being there when they discussed the answer to the question. That might mean you can move to a city where it’s easier to start a family, or extend your “vacation” to a few months on the beach each year.

MongoDB Developer Job Description (Template + Tips)

Choosing time zones is somewhat dependent on the type of remote work you do. One of the best things about Help Scout is that they publish how they work and their post on how to build a globally remote team that really works is a great example. Getting used to higher autonomy and async communication can be challenging, but there are more and working remotely in a different time zone more companies doing it–and doing it well. 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.

Following the above tips and practices will help you develop a schedule and a working model that will keep everybody happy and included while valuing the personal needs of each team member. Nobody said that working in different time zones is effortless, painless, and does not need sacrifices. The reality is that, often, somebody will have https://remotemode.net/ to stay up late for a meeting. Determine which meetings are work-related and mandatory and which are more cultural or social. That enables colleagues across different time zones to deal with their schedules, knowing they won’t be wasting time on a casual talk that could have been used working productively or catching up some sleep.

Watch: Microsoft’s chief brand officer, Kathleen Hall, says the company’s employees are its best product testers

To work more efficiently with distributed teams, you need to treat your team like they are all working together in one office building. While this may not be possible, it is the mindset you need to adopt to organize your time and responsibilities. This is easy for teams that work with people across two or three time zones that are all next to each other. However, it becomes more complicated when working with a global workforce (people who work on opposite sides of the world). For example, if someone works in Australia while another is located in the United States, it may be difficult to attend a meeting at the same time unless the Aussie gets up pretty early in the morning. The Head of Remote position sits on the organization’s leadership team and is responsible for building and maintaining remote company culture and employee experience.

• To work effectively with a time shift, you’ll also need to work in public.
• Let me know if there’s anything big or a small hack that you’re doing to make your remote work and life a little better in the comments below.
• While creating processes that allow employees to work in different timezones is logistically beneficial, on a deeper level, it also makes it easier for diverse global talent to join your team.
• Particularly if you don’t introduce new processes to manage a truly global team.
• This may not always be possible, but being mindful of international schedules ensures that all employees feel included and that their time is respected.

One of the first mistakes you may make when working remotely from home is to allow all of your favorite (or least favorite) items in the house to distract you. Hence, you should try to separate the place where you work from a relatively quiet place in your home. Everyone will have everything they need to get up and running as soon as they sign in for the day, regardless of what time it is.

Asynchronous Collaboration

We post thoughts and updates about team projects on Slack, regardless of who’s online. Plus, each department has a weekly video call to map out that week’s work, and every Thursday we’ll have an all-hands call in order to get everyone together. It’s possible to hire people around the globe and still have your whole team working 9-to-5 at your office’s time zone—after all, plenty of people work night shifts—but it’s not optimal.

But when working with a distributed team, communicating takes more effort. If you want to work remotely in sync with the North American economy, and you want to avoid time zone obstacles, we recommend Latin America. Elon Musk said that entrepreneurs spend too much time in meetings and too little time on making their service or product exponentially better. The Southeast Asian time zone is perfect for getting in that quiet, creative time in the morning. Culture, weather, internet speed and safety are important as well when determining where to live, and subsequently the time zone you’ll work from. Nomadlist is a great website for digital nomads to track these variables.