These days, it’s common for remote workers to work alongside team members in different locations. Even highly structured teams like marketing agencies often assume a distributed structure with employees working from various places. As a remote worker, it’s common to work with team members in different time zones. This poses challenges, but there are also simple strategies you can adopt to get the most out of working with teams in different time zones.
Working remotely offers a lot of benefits for employers (more control, less overhead, no commute, etc.). But working remotely can also present challenges, specifically when working with remote teams at the same time-zone. If you’re going to be working remotely, you need to be prepared to deal with time zone differences. In this guide, you’ll learn how to avoid time zone problems when working remotely.
Figure out the time zone difference
The ability to work remotely is becoming increasingly desirable, but working remotely, especially internationally, requires making sure that time zones don’t become an issue. If you’re working remotely from another country, make sure the other person you’re working with is in the same time zone as you, or is in the same time zone as you as well, if possible. This will help you communicate more efficiently and will also allow you to know when it’s best to work.
Schedule group meetings with multiple time zones
Scheduling group meetings with multiple time zones can be challenging. Luckily, there are scheduling tools that make the process much easier. Fortunately, there are many useful scheduling tools that can simplify scheduling meetings for multiple time zones. Google Calendar is an easy-to-use and widely-used tool. Users can create and edit calendars, meetings and events, share and collaborate, and more. Google Calendar provides users the ability to add multiple timezones, such as “Europe/Berlin,” “Pacific Standard Time,” or “Hawaiian Time,” which allows the user to show multiple time zones on a Google calendar.
Set expectations and priorities
In order to be an effective remote worker, one must set clear expectations and priorities. If a remote worker does not have clear goals and expectations, he or she will not know what projects to delegate or focus on during particular times. Likewise, if the remote worker does not have clear priorities and deadlines, he or she cannot focus on the most critical tasks.
Use pre-written responses
For remote workers, time zones can be a huge problem. When working remote, you need to coordinate your schedule with others, and you’ll need to get on the same page with daily tasks. Being able to easily communicate and share files is important for remote workers. You can’t always rely on face-to-face communication, so using pre-written responses is important for remote work in different time zones. Going outside time and distance, pre-written responses are useful in many other situations, such as when you are dealing with customers and clients, and when you have to give presentations.
Communicate asynchronously
Communicating asynchronously is important as it allows for remote work in time zones that are different from one’s own. Asynchronous communication allows for flexible scheduling, allowing people to work during convenient hours. It also allows people to work from a comfortable location, allowing them to work anywhere they are most comfortable.
Utilize tools
When working remotely in different time zones, it is important to utilize tools to stay in line with your team. Tools can facilitate communication and meeting scheduling. These tools help team members stay up-to-date with one another. And, if you work remotely, these tools also help your team stay on the same page.
Recognize when communication fails
Communication is important when it comes to remote work. It’s vital that your remote workers communicate with each other. Sometimes, communication fails. This is especially common when time zone differences come into play. The effects of time differences on communication are difficult to pinpoint. It’s important to recognize when communication fails. Since communication with other teams and individuals will need to be considered, it can be helpful to set up a communication plan.
Assign tasks
Assigning tasks in different time zones can be problematic. The different time zones create delays in sending and receiving messages. People might be sleeping or busy at the time of sending a message. Therefore, communication becomes delayed.
Time is money. To get the most out of your employees, it is important to assign tasks in a way that maximizes their productivity and efficiency. For instance, some tasks are better done early in the morning, while others are better done late at night.
Set a schedule
When you work remotely, it’s important to have a schedule or routine. It helps to have a routine, so you know what to expect and when to expect it. Also, when you have a schedule or routine, it will give you a feeling of security. If you usually have a conference call at a certain time, it will set your mind at ease knowing that you will know what to expect while you are working.
Maintain daily/weekly check-ins
Remote workers are often required to work long hours in odd or inconvenient times. This is especially true for international workers because working hours vary in different countries. Maintaining daily or weekly check-ins is important for remote work in different time zones to ensure that you do not run low on resources. Checking in daily or weekly can also let your coworkers know what you’re doing and where you are.
Set a Time Difference while working
It’s critical that you set a time difference while working remotely across different time zones. It’s easy to waste time working remotely, but don’t fall into this trap. Set a time difference and plan your time accordingly. For example, you may schedule specific times for collaboration, communication, and client meetings to ensure you’re being productive when you’re working.
Work in syncs
Working in a sync in remote work is essential, as different time zones make it difficult for two people to work at the same time. You can use tools to synchronize tasks and have a clear understanding of when a task should begin and when it finishes. So remote workers remain on track with a timely completion.
Summary
In summary, working remotely with colleagues in different time zones offers new challenges and opportunities. You’ll need to be organized, plan your communication strategy, and be proactive to ensure everything falls into place.