The world is changing, technology is changing, and the way we do work is changing. The most valuable thing for anyone today is Time. Time is limited, and people prioritize on what they would like to spend their limited time. People spend their 9-5 every day at work. They have to commute, long distance or short, to reach to their office. Wouldn’t it be nice if you don’t have to leave your bed or your Sofa? Virtual Team is a team who are not located in the same location but work together for the same objective. They are the team of people who work in a different office or remotely from their home.

As defined by Wikipedia, virtual team usually refers to a group of individuals who work together from different geographic locations and rely on communication technology such as email, FAX, and video or voice conferencing services in order to collaborate.
With technological advances, the term virtual team has become more popular. Increasing number of businesses are looking for a team especially the small business. Getting a team reduces the cost associated with hiring a staff (Office space, holiday allowances, office equipment). Additionally, it offers flexibility at work. A company can look for a  team if their work is highly independent. E.g., website building, content writing, Bookkeeping, Data entry. Many tech companies are hiring tech talent virtually.

FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHILE CHOOSING A VIRTUAL TEAM!!

So if you are willing to opt for a virtual team for your company, here are five most essential things to look out for:

1. The Right People:

It’s necessary that you select the right people for your team. A successful team has common traits such as excellent communication skills, ability to work independently and ability to work in a chaotic situation. It is essential to understand their personality individually before grouping them into a team.

2. The right size of a Team:

Once you hire some right people, you should think carefully about how much people you want in a team. Research has shown a team of not more than ten people is effective for a company. The more people in a team, the less responsible they are towards the output. Therefore to increase efficiency, you need to group the right amount of people on your team.

3. The right leadership:

When you have the right team, it is important you play the role of a proper leader, leading the team toward the company’s objective. In the early stage, leaders should encourage the team to talk to each other and share the professional or personal news. Once you build trust with each other in a team, there will be an open dialogue for all. Open dialogue encourages more ideas and perspectives. When people don’t work together, the gossiping and the dirty politics won’t take place, but there can be certain awkwardness that comes in people who don’t work physically together.

4. The right point of contact:

There are certain circumstances when all the member of the virtual team needs to come together in person. Firstly, during kick off of a project, it is essential everyone in a team needs to have a face-to-face meeting if possible. This will help to strengthen trust, setting expectations and clarifying goals and guidelines. Most importantly, it is essential to continually meet through face to face conference or meeting in person after an achievement. To motivate the team members, emails and phone calls are not enough. The team might feel disconnected and less engaged. So it’s good to celebrate achievements with the virtual group who help achieve them.

5. The Right Technology:

A talented team with the finest leadership and frequent meetups can still fail to provide the expected result in the absence of the right technology. A company should use technology that integrates all types of communication. The system should have a simple platform for conference calls, direct calling or messaging and discussion forums. A comfortable platform to communicate will help in increasing efficiency of work for the virtual team.

With these essentials, companies can boost their productivity and go beyond the targeted goals with the help of a Virtual Team and right Virtual Assistant Service.