How to Build a Collaborative Remote Culture for Support Teams [Expert Opinion]
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Do managers of remote customer support teams do anything differently to maintain team morale?
Well, it’s one thing when you have to manage a support team where everyone is working from the same office, but it’s a completely different ball game when your team members are remote. It becomes even more tricky when your team is located across different time zones.
But, Chloe Shill, Director of Operations at Flight CX, believes remote support teams have an edge about them.
She believes that when everyone brings something different to the table, the whole team gets better at solving problems and helping people.
I wanted to dig deeper into this viewpoint of hers. We spoke at length at what it takes to build a collaborative culture for remote support teams.
1. What are the benefits of having a culturally diverse remote support team?
I think the benefits of diverse teams are endless. For starters, diverse teams bring diverse perspectives –varied cultural backgrounds foster creativity and innovative solutions which ultimately allows for better decision-making.
Also, with remote teams, you have access to global talent, which allows you to not only expand your coverage, but also improve customer relations with better understanding, empathy, and communication.
2. What are some effective strategies for encouraging collaboration and communication among remote support team members?
Success starts at the top—you need to model and document how your teams will communicate and collaborate. This process is dynamic and requires ongoing attention. First, identify communication tools (e.g., Slack) and collaboration platforms (e.g., Notion, Asana) your team will use. These tools will set the foundation for effective communication and alignment on projects.
Next, on a more detailed level, set clear expectations, goals, communication guidelines, and processes for giving and receiving feedback.
3. What role does technology play in building a collaborative remote culture?
I believe tools play an important role, but you don’t need to invest in the most expensive products to create a collaborative team. Often, less is more. The key is for leadership to carefully select the tools, and then fully commit to using them. Trust that you’ve chosen the right tools for a reason and focus on mastering them. Challenges will arise, but that doesn’t mean you need to constantly search for new tools. Instead, adapt by refining existing systems or creating new processes with what you already have.
4. How can businesses adapt their support strategies to accommodate different cultural backgrounds within a remote team?
To accommodate diverse cultural backgrounds within a remote team, businesses should focus on cultural awareness, flexible communication, and inclusive policies.
This could take form in several ways. For example, you could create a habit where you invite teammates to share about local holidays, encourage Lunch and Learns about different cultures or cuisines, and even have an internal communications channel where folks can share pictures of where they live/travel.
It’s important to establish a very clear, simplified, and consistent process for communication and include examples and even “keys” to definitions of org-specific abbreviations or references. More importantly, respect time zones and offer flexible scheduling. Rely on asynchronous communication when possible to promote inclusivity.
5. What advice would you give to companies just starting to build or expand their remote support teams?
Firstly, congrats! You’re embarking on an exciting journey in your organization. Remote teams are unique and so valuable! I’d specifically encourage them to trust the process as they work to build out their team – to not rush it.
Set out clear expectations, wants, and desires for your team. For example, are you looking to hire in a specific state, country, or region? What type of qualities are you looking for? For example, while we do require support experience, we also look for folks who have remote work experience, are self-driven, and with a high level of empathy.
6.How can remote support teams maintain high levels of productivity and engagement while working across different time zones?
Support leaders can maintain high productivity and engagement by implementing flexible work schedules that respect time zone differences. For example, we avoid assigning overnight shifts as we believe it’s neither healthy nor sustainable for long-term productivity and engagement.
It’s also essential to use effective communication tools that enable both real-time and asynchronous collaboration, and to set clear, documented goals and expectations.
Regular check-ins, virtual team-building activities, and recognition of achievements help keep the team motivated and connected across cultural boundaries. One approach we use is our diverse Slack channels that cater to various interests, such as #pets, #music, #plants, #gaming, #beauty, and #book-club.
Conclusion
My discussion with Chloe has been quite enlightening. She talks about:
- Using diverse backgrounds of support team members to improve creativity and customer connections.
- Choosing communication tools that fit well with the team’s actual needs, not just the most high-tech options.
- Building a sense of community among geographically dispersed team members to keep everyone connected.
For anyone looking to build or improve remote support teams, you can use her tips to create a more integrated and responsive environment that capitalizes on the strengths of its diverse members.
And if you’re looking out for a customer support tool that helps your remote support team collaborate on customer queries efficiently, check out Hiver. It integrates seamlessly with Gmail and Outlook and helps you manage all your critical support channels with ease. The platform is super easy to use – teams can get started with minimal training.
