Three Ways to Embrace Collaboration in Remote Work Settings

The modern office is always being redefined. In the wake of the pandemic, both recruiters and businesses alike — especially those across NYC and other large urban centers — are still experimenting to find the perfect balance between in-office, hybrid, and fully remote work models. 

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Here, we take some key lessons from recruiters, like Sales Talent Agency in New York City, to help your organization manage this international shift from in-person work. Specifically, we’ll be talking about ways to foster greater camaraderie and collaboration among staff even if they live far apart and don’t have many opportunities to meet in person.

Virtual Team-Building Activities

Organizing regular virtual events and activities can help any company, large or small, foster team spirit among sales staff. At the very least, plan time for socializing (through coffee breaks, online games, question rounds, and so forth) to develop a sense of unity and break the ice between colleagues. A ‘personal history exercise,’ for example, will encourage staff to share life experiences outside of a work context. 

Consider virtual sessions that simulate in-office interaction and competition — such as through sales pitch simulators or prompts to think of ways to overcome teamwork challenges. Make time to celebrate events around key sales goals and milestones and hand out awards and kudos when they’re due.

Collaboration Tools and Platforms

None of these activities would be possible without the right tools for the job. Sales teams need to share ideas, documents, and feedback. Programs like Slack or Microsoft Teams help create a digital watercooler; project management tools like Jira, Confluence, Monday, Connecteam, ClickUp, Trello, and many more offer real-time visibility into tasks and living knowledge bases through cloud-based computing (and for which you can implement organizational methodologies, like Agile and Scrum).

Ultimately, you don’t want to just replicate in-person experiences; you want to work intelligently within a digital medium. Investing adequately in the appropriate mix of project management software, messaging apps, video conferencing tools, shared digital workspaces, and more will be essential for your remote longevity.

For example, your team might use Microsoft Office for email, Salesforce for customer relations software, Slack for correspondence and chat, both a VPN and Sharepoint (or Dropbox) to share files, and Zoom for meetings — the precise mix doesn’t matter. Just make sure it fits and works for your sales staff.

Regular Check-Ins and Meetings

Sales managers should schedule routine check-ins and team meetings to help maintain connection and ensure everyone is aligned on expectations, performance, strategies, and goals. 

Such meetings should be recurring through Google Calendar or Outlook to ensure consistency. To keep meetings focused, purposeful, and efficient, managers can prepare and share agendas (via platforms like Google Docs) in advance; use Miro or Microsoft Whiteboard for real-time collaboration; and use Zoom or Slido for polls. After your remote check-in, sales managers should distribute a summary of the discussion along with clear action items and deadlines. 

Consider the power of peer support in remote settings as well. Peer support groups allow for knowledge exchange and provide a structured way for sales staff to support each other, share challenges, and celebrate successes. Experienced team members can guide newer employees, helping them integrate and understand team dynamics and tactics.

Companies that want to excel exhibit a willingness to adapt, integrating remote work into their organizational culture and embracing the tools and training necessary for remote efficiency. By doing so, they are not just adopting a business strategy; they’re attuning to a cultural shift that reflects the future of work.