Businesses across the country are embracing remote work options in record numbers. In the last five years alone, remote work has increased nearly 40% in the United States. Tech teams that transition to remote work options find that they are able to recruit better talent, boost engagement and retain employees for longer. However, moving to a remote workforce isn’t something you can do overnight. It requires planning and preparation in order to set the team up for success.

Put All Necessary Data on The Cloud

Before you can successfully go remote, you have to ensure that workers can securely access critical programs and data from anywhere. This may mean migrating to new programs, enacting new processes and providing ongoing training on remote network security. IT teams should understand the importance of security when it comes to remote work, but it is easy for professionals to become complacent, so ongoing training should be a priority.

Invest in a Messaging Communication System

IT teams need to communicate effectively but that communication becomes challenging when teams are geographically dispersed. Remote teams need reliable, user-friendly tools to make collaboration and communication simple and efficient. Google Hangouts, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Fuze, and Glip are all great tools for remote teams. Do some research and conduct some testing to find the mix of communication programs that are right for your team.

Maintain Company Culture

Believe it or not, company culture matters to remote employees. Virtual workers need to feel like part of the team in order to maintain engagement. Remote workers should be invited to the office for important meetings or teambuilding events, meetings should be conducted over videoconference rather than teleconference, and remote teams should have their own channels on communications platforms to make them feel like they are not alone.

Hire The Right People

The great news about opening up your IT workforce to remote possibilities is that your candidate pool literally expands across the globe. However, not everyone is well-suited for remote work. Remote employees must be self-motivated, independent yet collaborative, reliable and trustworthy. Your hiring and interview processes will have to be revamped for remote workers so that you are hiring the right people.

Are You Ready to Build a Remote Tech Team?

If you are ready to build a remote IT team, PEAK Technical Consulting can help. We will connect you with the best talent in the business, quickly. Contact us today to learn more about the ways we can help you achieve your tech recruiting goals.