Building trust with remote IT teams: tips for tech leaders

As workplaces keep changing, leading or managing remote IT teams has become an important skill for any technical leader. Whether you operate a completely distributed workforce or manage a remote subset of employees in a hybrid format, building trust is at the center of collaboration, productivity, and long-term success.   

But how do you create those meaningful connections in the virtual world? Here are some actionable strategies that will help build trust and overcome some common challenges when managing remote employees. 

Trust is the bond that keeps any team together, but it becomes even more crucial for teams working in remote settings. Lacking physical interactions with team members makes it hard for them to connect with one another or the organization entirely. This tends to lead to miscommunication, decreased productivity, and disengagement.  

For technology leaders, managing remote employees is much more than being buddy-like with them. It involves straightforward communication, consistency, and accountability. If you can create an environment of trust, then your team will be able to own their work, collaborate openly, and perform even from miles apart. 

By focusing on key strategies, tech leaders can create a culture of collaboration and mutual respect that helps their teams thrive. Below, we’ll explore 6 practical ways to strengthen trust and ensure your remote workforce stays engaged and motivated. 

Set expectations from the beginning

Setting clear expectations is one of the major steps in successfully managing a remote employee. Your team should know about their roles, responsibilities, and the outcome they are working for. Ambiguity will create confusion and may breed mistrust, so clearly outline:  

• Deadlines and deliverables: Clearly define project timelines and what exactly "done" looks like. 
• Communication norms: Outline preferred tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom) and expected response times. 
• Working hours: Try making working hours as transparent as possible, especially if you have a team that works in different time zones.  

By aligning on these must-haves, you set up your remote IT teams for effective and confident work, so you won’t have to worry about meeting project milestones anymore. 

Pro Tip: Use project management tools like Asana or Trello to track progress and keep everyone accountable. 

The crux of the matter is that communication brings trust, and when remote IT teams are involved, this becomes more conscious for leaders. It can no longer be over a cup of coffee at one's desk or during informal brainstorming sessions. 

 Here's how you can foster transparency while managing remote employees:  

• Regular check-ins: Hold one-on-one weekly or bi-weekly meetings to help handle concerns and provide support. 
• Encourage team-wide updates: Host virtual stand-ups or team meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. 
• Use collaborative tools: Platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack help streamline communication and keep conversations accessible.  

Also, be transparent about company decisions and changes. Sharing updates on business goals or project challenges shows that you value your team's input and helps keep everyone aligned. 

When working from home, it’s easy to miss all of the little instances of recognition that happen organically in an office. As a leader, it's your job to make sure that contributions don't fly under the radar. Celebrating wins big and small can go a long way toward boosting morale and building trust. 

Showing appreciation could be done by giving shoutouts during meetings or on messaging apps. Give some kind of incentives, such as bonus money, extra time off, or even professional development. Share your constructive feedback along with positive reinforcement that will help your team grow. 

Providing opportunities for your remote IT teams to interact on a personal level helps develop friendships and increases trust. Virtual team-building activities can break up the monotony of work and give employees the opportunity to get to know each other outside of work-related topics. Here are some virtual team-building ideas:  

• Game nights: Host virtual trivia, virtual escape rooms, or multiplayer games. 
• Coffee chats: Pair up team members for informal video calls. 
• Skill-sharing sessions: Have the employees teach something new to others, anything from coding tips to cybersecurity hacks.  

Though small-sounding, these activities may highly influence how your team is communicating and collaborating, so they are definitely worth trying out. 

Trust starts at the top. As a technology leader, your actions set the tone for the behaviours of your team. Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and empathy in your daily interactions to encourage the same from your team. Some key behaviours to model urge you to:  

• Be reliable: Follow through on promises and meet deadlines. 
• Be approachable: Create a safe space for employees to voice concerns without fear of judgment. 
• Show vulnerability: Admit mistakes and share lessons learned to foster openness. 

Leading by example helps remote IT teams view you as someone they can look up to for guidance, and this will undoubtedly inspire them to build trust among themselves. 

Managing remote employees poses frequent challenges. Proactive steps in addressing these issues provide strategies to support your team's well-being. 

For example, one of the major challenges faced by all remote IT teams is feelings of isolation. Employees feel out of touch since in-person interactions are often crucial to getting the assistance they need. Don't forget to promote available mental health resources and encourage your team to take breaks while balancing their work with their private life. 

Other challenges of virtual work include burnout and miscommunication. To address this, you must regularly check in regarding workloads to ensure people are not feeling overwhelmed and give flexibility when deadlines or personal struggles arise.  

 To prevent communication gaps, provide training on effective virtual communication skills and ensure clarity and active listening. The upside of taking proactive steps in solving these issues is that your team does a better job and it reassures them that you care about their success and wellbeing. 

Building trust in remote teams requires effort and premeditation, but it pays off in the long run. Creating clear expectations, encouraging open communications, appreciating achievements, and leading by example makes for a very successful virtual environment. It's not something that happens overnight; as it takes continued responsive leadership. 

Looking to enhance your team’s capacity?  Bertoni Solutions specializes in IT solutions tailored for distributed teams, so contact us today to learn how we can support your business!