Remote Work Enablement: A Guide for Global Teams

Remote work is just business as usual. The number of people working off-site is still steadily rising five years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to send everyone home.

As remote work is still relatively new, many businesses are experiencing teething problems. Some struggle to manage teams when everyone’s working off-site and scattered across various locations. Others keep finding gaps in security and compliance, leaving them open to significant risks.

For every challenge that arises, a solution isn’t far behind. Global services like Deel IT are constantly innovating ways to support remote working arrangements and cross-border collaboration.

That’s why the Deel team has compiled this guide to remote work enablement for international teams based on experience and insights. We want to show that almost any company can implement a robust remote work policy with the right strategy and support.

What is remote work enablement?

Remote work enablement refers to the tools, processes, and strategies organizations use to support employees working from outside traditional office environments. It involves ensuring that remote teams have seamless access to the resources, equipment, and support they need to perform their tasks effectively while maintaining productivity and security.

Key aspects of remote work enablement include:

• Provisioning devices and tools: Supplying pre-configured hardware and software to employees so they can begin working immediately.
• Ensuring secure access: Implementing measures such as VPNs, multi-factor authentication, and endpoint protection to safeguard company data.
• Establishing efficient workflows: Creating clear processes for collaboration, communication, and task management tailored for remote setups.
• Maintaining compliance: Adhering to regional labor, tax, and data protection laws while managing distributed teams.
• Providing ongoing support: Offering technical assistance, device maintenance, and policy guidance to address challenges unique to remote work.

Benefits of a remote work-ready team

Having the infrastructure to support flexible working arrangements gives you a clear edge. In a recent survey, remote-first companies said they were leveraging the policy to tap into foreign hiring pools and fill critical skills gaps.

As the global talent shortage shows no signs of abating, the power to hire from anywhere could be key to business success. You always have the right people to move projects forward and keep operations running smoothly.

Plus, job seekers are more likely to accept remote positions. They value the convenience and seven in ten say location flexibility would improve their productivity. When they can choose where they work, they don’t have to worry about office distractions or juggling personal obligations.

Even when you have a surplus of talent and there’s no push for location flexibility, support for remote work is good for organizational resilience. You can adapt more quickly to challenges like natural disasters and political instability with fewer ties to physical offices.

9 steps to enable a productive remote work environment

A comprehensive strategy can help you maximize the benefits of flexible working arrangements while avoiding the pitfalls. Here’s what top remote-first companies are doing to stay ahead:

1. Equip workers with everything they need from day one

Start by discovering what equipment new hires need and ordering it early during the pre-boarding stage. This ensures they’re set up ahead of their first shift so you avoid derailing the onboarding process over a late laptop. Better yet, you can give them a great first impression of you as an employer.

However, provisioning equipment is easier said than done when your employees are strewn across multiple countries. Local vendors aren’t always reliable, leading to some deliveries getting lost or stuck.

Partner with a reputable global provider like Deel to guarantee equipment arrives on time no matter where you hire workers. We cover over 130 countries and promise delivery within three to five days of your order. All you have to do is confirm a few details and we coordinate the rest with each employee.

By outsourcing equipment provisioning, Deel customer Voiceflow has saved over 60 admin hours and $10K in costs.

2. Standardize your remote onboarding process

Developing a repeatable process makes remote onboarding more predictable and therefore easier to manage. You can leave employees to navigate most of the steps independently.

Automation can help everyone follow the same process even without someone physically present to guide them. You can develop workflows with custom triggers and actions to account for variables. All your new hires have to do is click through and complete all the instructions.

Deel allows you to automate many aspects of the onboarding process including document management and device allocation. When you add a new user to the system, we invite them to select equipment from a pre-approved catalog. We also prompt them to upload any essential documents like IDs and qualifications and add their e-signature to contracts.

3. Keep policies fair without losing sight of individual needs

Avoid assigning resources on an ad-hoc basis as it can cause confusion and lead to disparities. Instead, decide who gets what equipment based on criteria like:

• Role requirements
• Location
• Tenure
• Seniority
• Accommodations needed

Document all your criteria in a policy and share it with your team. Employees can understand your rationale and appreciate your transparency, meaning they’ll be more likely to support your decisions.

Deel IT lets you create policies with a few clicks via the dashboard. You can decide fine details like budgets, peripherals, and approval workflows to get fine control over the allocation process. Plus, you can access unlimited policies so you can account for even the most complex organizational structures.

4. Take care of software setup and updates

Download and configure all the required software before you ship devices. This allows employees to focus on work instead of getting bogged down with the setup process. If you’re outsourcing IT to a leader provider like Deel, they should handle all this configuration for you.

As platforms release new versions of their software, Deel IT also lets you apply all the updates from afar. You can ensure everyone has the right setup to do their jobs without distracting anyone from their regular duties.

5. Make security a top priority

As part of the setup process, have your IT provider configure all the security settings on devices. Many employees may lack the technical expertise to manage this task themselves and unwittingly expose your company to cyber threats.

Security features may protect against many threats but they can’t prevent all unauthorized access to your system. Provide ongoing training to staff so they understand best practices like:

• Never leaving devices unattended in public
• Sticking to known and trusted networks
• Using complex passwords
• Avoiding clicking on unfamiliar links
• Keeping credentials private

Old devices pose a significant risk as hackers can still use them to access your system. To prevent this threat, collect equipment from employees and dispose of it securely.

Deel IT can handle the entire recovery and disposal process for you. Our local teams arrange for collection, erase system data, and discard of the device according to local laws. If you wish to reuse the device, we can also clean it and have it sent to the next employee.

6. Let workers know how to access support

Show your remote team where to get help for all their problems. When teams are working online, it may be less obvious who to contact for support. There’s an increased that issues will take longer to resolve or even slip through the cracks.

You could offer a range of support options including:

• A contact list for key support roles
• Weekly open hours with HR
• Regular check-ins with managers
• Dedicated Slack channels
• A knowledge base with FAQs and guides

You may not have the in-house expertise to resolve all issues. For example, many small companies don’t always have IT personnel to handle troubleshooting for technical issues.

In these cases, outsource support to a trusted third-party provider like Deel. Our IT experts are available 24/7 through live chat, ensuring your team gets help regardless of their time zone or working hours. We diagnose problems and either provide solutions or begin arranging repairs as needed.

7. Encourage communication and collaboration

Give everyone opportunities to connect throughout the working week. You can combat feelings of loneliness and disconnect while ensuring they’re all working together effectively.

For a comprehensive approach, introduce a combination of the following communication and collaboration activities through Slack plug-ins:

• Weekly check-ins: Arrange for managers to have a quick chat with every report to gauge how they’re feeling and offer support with any issues
• Clubs: Let employees form groups based on interests or hobbies and assign them a dedicated Slack channel
• Shoutouts: Openly celebrate wins with the entire team so employees can see you recognize and value their contributions
• Coworking sessions: Arrange focus times during the week when employees can work together on camera and chat during their breaks
• Games: Start departmental meetings with icebreakers so everyone can bond and feel more connected

These activities work best when used alongside standard business communication. While online meetings have their drawbacks and limitations, they’re often the most effective way to deliver important information and discuss it with your team. Around half of employees still agree they’re a great way to stay connected with their team.

8. Measure and monitor productivity

Tracking perfomance is a key part of workforce management. Following trends gives you the insights needed to spot issues, optimize your processes, and capitalize on opportunities. However, it’s challenging to collect the data when employees are working from remote locations.

Leading global solutions like Deel collect HR, payroll, and IT data on your behalf. All you have to do is log into the dashboard to check metrics like headcount, hours worked, or engagement levels. We even keep you updated about device health so you have a chance to upgrade work equipment before it stops functioning properly.

9. Support a range of flexible working arrangements

Learn which type of remote working arrangement your team would prefer and see whether you can incorporate them into your policies. Research suggests most people would actually prefer to work in an office environment for a couple of days a week.

Some may appreciate how remote work gives them the opportunity to travel without taking PTO. That might be the occasional workation or hopping from place to place as a digital nomad. Now businesses can even take their support a step further and assist with visas as many global HR solutions like Deel now include immigration services.

There’s no need to worry about how manage remote workers on the go. Deel IT can arrange shipment and recovery from their current address and adjust settings to the local compliance standards. If you use Deel Global Payroll, we can even adjust tax rates and benefits.

Challenges of remote work for global teams

Many companies experience growing pains when implementing or extending remote work policies. Here are some of the common pitfalls:

• Expenses: Most companies cover the costs of remote work, including hardware, software, and office furniture. While these expenses are often balanced by savings on rent and utilities, ineffective management can lead you to go over budget
• Extra complexity: Managing a dispersed team means you must account for logistical challenges like differing time zones, language barriers, and limited local resources
• Lack of oversight: Without a physical presence, it’s harder for managers to monitor progress and check on workers. Issues can go unnoticed for longer, leading to reduced productivity
• Compliance risks: If you hire from further afield, you must guarantee all your employment policies and practices comply with local regulations. Any violations can incur significant penalties, whether they were intentional or not
• Security threats: Remote work leaves you more vulnerable to issues like data breaches and ransomware as you have less control over who has access to company equipment. If an employee leaves their work laptop unattended, for instance, someone could use it to log into your system
• Inefficiencies: Without the right tools, workflows can become fragmented and lead to teams wasting time sending messages back and forth
• Employee engagement: One in ten remote workers say they struggle with loneliness and demotivation, leading to them becoming less effective at their jobs
• Limited scalability: Certain operations, such as onboarding and IT setup, can be more challenging to scale with a remote workforce. You may find they delay processes and hinder your company’s ability to grow

How Deel IT supports remote work enablement

Developing a comprehensive strategy helps you overcome common obstacles related to remote work. The trick is to balance flexibility with the need for structure and preparation.

Global solutions like Deel IT let you build this flexibility into your processes. We take care of all the variables like locations, role requirements, and local regulations so you can focus on building a strategy.

Deel IT offers all our customers:

• A choice of over 200 devices
• Equipment delivery and recovery
• Pre-approved catalogs
• Unlimited IT policies
• Tracking via a centralized dashboard
• Notifications and alerts
• Remote setup and monitoring
• Automated workflows
• Ongoing maintenance and repairs
• Refurbished devices at a discounted rate
• Centralised, 24/7 expert support
• Access to the core Deel HR module

Looking to introduce or extend a remote work policy for your team? Book a consultation with Deel now to see how we can help.