10 Best Practices for Working Across Multiple Time Zones

An inside look at the meeting ground rules used internally by Fellow.app, the top-rated meeting productivity software company. GitLab’s handbook is one of the most famous (and best executed) examples working remotely in a different time zone of how to build a fantastic employee manual and distributed workplace culture. At 2,200+ pages, it’s thorough, transparent, even allowing people who don’t work at GitLab to contribute.

  • In today’s interconnected world, companies are increasingly hiring diverse talent from around the globe, leading to a more inclusive and dynamic work culture.
  • However, having colleagues in all time zones makes it difficult to keep track of the time and create boundaries.
  • It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that sending someone a quick email will save them time, when it may actually end up wasting more of their day.
  • It will help if you switch meeting times weekly and make them more convenient for people worldwide to prevent burnout in one employee.
  • That could be fostered through social meetings thanks to video chat and conference calls.
  • 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.

These can be used as a reference point throughout the hiring process and as additional coaching with established teams. Similarly, the rest of the team should be comfortable working autonomously with minimum instruction and interference to ensure maximum productivity. For one, it threatens to disrupt the trust between team members, as there’s not sufficient information and knowledge sharing going around.

Plan occasional team get-togethers

For synchronous, everyone-at-the-same-time communication, we use Slack for written chats and Zoom for video chats. Possibly the simplest tip of all is also the one that can be the hardest to keep top of mind. Typically, we try to be mindful of what time it is for others when we use synchronous communication like video or Slack. This keeps us from asking a teammate to dive into a brand-new project if they’re just about to jump off for their evening, for example. When you’re working remotely or in a different location from other team members, you can’t easily turn to them, ask a question, or make conversation.

To start, companies should clearly and frequently communicate their purpose – employees want to know that they’re a part of an important and fulfilling mission. Additionally, during a time when the workforce is prone to burnout, an emphasis should be put on caring about each other’s mental wellbeing. And with 94% https://remotemode.net/ of employees reporting that they’d stay longer at a company if it invested in their careers, providing virtual mentoring opportunities can also be beneficial. Managers of dispersed teams should make a conscious effort to check in regularly and connect with individual team members as well as the group as a whole.

Flexibility is Important for Attracting Millennial and Gen Z Talent

Such split shifts might look like a less practical answer, as they might interrupt employees’ work-life balance. Nonetheless, with thorough planning, anything can be accomplished and made to benefit every team member in the best manner. The cornerstone of remote work is technology and it can do a lot more than just enable employees to log in and jump on video calls. There has never been a more interesting and challenging time for human resources (HR) professionals. If clear boundaries are the foundation for a team’s operations, then effective and scalable collaboration is the framework through which success is achieved. You’re not alone, the experience of leading a remote team can be tough when not approached properly from the get-go.