One of the really cool things about the technology available today is that your team can be located around the world and still accomplish its objectives. It’s really not necessary anymore for the team leader and team members to be sitting together in cubes to get the job done.
But having a virtual team that is located in several different places can be a challenge. Adding a new team member to the team – and helping them be a successful team member – can be particularly problematic. Here are a few things you can do to make the change successful for your new team member and your existing team.
- Prepare for the hire. Before the first interview, define the goals of the position. Outline what characteristics are important for the team member to demonstrate to be a successful member of the team.
- Get your team ready. Involve current team members in the interview process. Allowing team members to “get to know each other” before the hire will make the integration process smoother.
- Make the first day special. On day one, have the new team member start their employment at an office where other employees work if at all possible. It will help them begin to make connections within the company that will be invaluable.
- Pair up for success. Assign a “buddy” to the new team member to help them become a part of the team. This will be their “go to” person while they are learning about the ins and outs of your organization.
- Create an integration plan. Map out the first six weeks of the new team member’s employment including who they will meet, what aspects of the business they will be exposed to, and how they will report back to you. You’ll want to include daily check ins with you during the first week and at least weekly check ins the following weeks.
Taking these steps to lay the ground work for a successful team member integration will pay off for you in the long term.
What do you think? Do you have some special steps you’ve taken when bringing a new virtual team member into your team? Please leave a comment below and we’ll talk about it.
About Denise O'Berry
I have been with the company for 8 years working as a bldg manager for 17 bldgs. Recently there were some changes in the company organization and they switched bldgs around and I ended up sharing my bldgs with one of the other managers. How could there be two managers in charge? we work as a team where we do everything together and make decision together, but I doubt the company can afford two people for one position.
Nadia — it does sound unusual, but maybe the company sees different strengths from both of you that they value in the position. It might not hurt to have a heart to heart discussion with your supervisor to find out what the long term plans are for your unit.
From my experience, there are some free and low-cost tools that are available help make virtual teams able to connect more efficiently. Gotomeeting and skype are just two examples of tools that allow you to see and talk with colleagues. And of course many cell phone and technology devices do the same. I have found one very important piece about virtual team building is to ensure that everyone agrees to the methods of communication being used, whether it is phone, email, texting, etc, so that an expectation is set and followed well across team members.
Great advice Ariel. Technology has surely enabled more ways for teams to communicate. Thanks for stopping by to share your thoguths.
Hi, certainly good tips for integrating a new member to the team. Unfortunately, it doest work everytime. I worked with a company for 11 months and it felts that I was working on my own. My interview and induction was in the main office but all my team members were working from their virtual offices around the country and the world. I think the idea of working virtually is great and has its many benefits but strong leadership and management is required so that teams working virtually are efficient.