Remote Team Chemistry

by Kiley VanGilder

Did you know the groundwork to build remote team chemistry starts before you even have a team?

Seems odd, right? How do you build remote team chemistry without a team? Hear us out.

Hiring a team can be an extremely exciting, yet nerve-wrecking time. From questions around the paperwork, writing and posting a job ad, reviewing candidates resumes, actually meeting the candidates, and don’t forget all of the what-ifs popping into question.

• What if the employee doesn’t work out?
• What if I don’t manage the right way?
• What if my team doesn’t get along? 

These are all valid and thoughtful questions that you should be thinking about during this phase!

And if you are, then you’re right on track! If you aren’t, then this is your sign to start asking the tough questions. The health of your business depends on the health of your employees; and the health of your employees depends on the health of the business. If your team is not healthy in the sense that they are not engaged, happy, feeling fulfilled and secure in their jobs. Then your company may not feel healthy in the sense that it’s running like a well oiled machine, pushing out qualitative and quantitative work. 

So how to do you ensure you’re building a healthy remote team?

So glad you asked. Building a healthy team requires you to ask yourself honest questions at the beginning stages.

• What is my team company culture like?
• What are my employees like?
• What do I need out of my employees to thrive in each role?

You need to think about hiring a team that will be engaged, have chemistry, and be able to piggy-back off of each other if needed. There needs to be a sense of trust and open communication between everyone. 

You can’t hire an employee and expect them to be compatible with everyone nor should you hire based on your guess of team compatibility.

That’s not practical, nor is it really any of your business.

If you start a professional relationship concerning yourself more with someone’s ability to be your work bestie than the quality of work they do, you are setting yourself and your team up to be built on a toxic and inappropriate work environment.

For one, you likely won’t truly get to know the employee until you’ve spent many Zoom hours with them. And secondly, you should be looking for the most skilled person to fill the role. Of course, you’re looking at how they interact and engage with you during the interview process. But you’re not hiring based on if you think they will be best friends with Martha in Marketing. That’s what Bumble BFF is for.

So how can you build a remote team that has chemistry AND the required skills to do the best job? 

First, you lay the foundations of your business before you build your team.

Make sure you’re clear about your companies mission and core values in the job ad and interview. And make sure to ask the right questions in interviews! It’s so important that you have a clear understanding of what your company culture looks like (or will look like) and you have a clear mission, vision and values that your employees can see within the work the are delivering.

After thats done, then you set up policies that align with these values.

Creating intentional policies around your foundations, and ensuring your team is aware of them from the very beginning, will make sure your team has a clear understanding of the company and the company culture. This helps to create a safe workspace which fosters learning, collaboration, and team chemistry. When an employee feels safe and engaged, you’re going to see that well-oiled machine we mentioned earlier. 

What’s more is that when you get everyone bought-in and everyone is aware of the mission they are trying to accomplish, you create teamwork, cohesion, and strong team chemistry. When everyone knows their job duties and who to lean on when it’s outside of their realm, your team will thrive.

Laying the foundations to build a team with intention and integrity will take you so much farther than trying to hire people you *think* would get along.

We all have lives outside of work. We’re all unique and different and personalities might not always align. But when your employees clock in and are aware of their role in the company and the mission, you’ll find strong team chemistry. 

Feeling like “ahh how do I even start?!” We’ve got your back! Learn more about how we can help you lay the foundations with intention to build that dream team with our honest 90 minute Start A Team Workshop!

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