The number of virtual teams of employees – those who work from their home or another non-traditional location, and those who work closely with team members in other locations – has increased substantially over the last two decades, with a 2016 study by RW3 CultureWizard finding that 85% of respondents worked on virtual teams and felt it was critical to their success.
Factors like project management software, video chat, high-speed internet access and VPN phone lines have made it easy to collaborate and communicate with team members and carry out complex tasks.
Many of these same factors have led to the rise of online learning in organizations wishing to upskill employees and provide continuous education. A natural conclusion would be that through online learning, one can help develop and educate a productive virtual team, but there is an art and science to recruiting the right individuals to work remotely together. We are finding that although they are evolving over time, the HR functions of recruitment and selection are still essential to building out a virtual team.
Going Virtual
Companies today face a mountain of new challenges that require a creative solution. From motivating a millennial workforce to visa requirements for foreign staff and keeping up with the latest technology, the landscape continues to change, and rapidly. In many cases, virtual teams can help solve these issues. And, counterintuitively, virtual workers actually tend to be more engaged with their team members.
It’s clear that people are spending less and less time in traditional offices, and leaders are riding the virtual wave in increasing numbers, from starting off with just a few trusted virtual team members to creating entirely virtual business.
Launched in 2010, Toptal is a talent scouting company that searches out extraordinary freelance web designers, engineers and other tech-related candidates. The candidates are then screened and provided access to the company’s clients, who hire them as freelancers. Toptal is operated by a virtual team of more than 400 employees in 60 countries worldwide.
Other large companies that have adopted an entirely virtual format include AnswerConnect, InVision and Automattic, but with over 43% of employees in the United States alone reporting that they work from home for some amount of time, it’s clear that even businesses who haven’t established an entirely virtual format are keeping up with the trend; particularly in the fields of insurance, real estate and finance.
Popular virtual roles include everything from virtual executive assistants to programmers and even project managers. We have graduated to an age in which anyone with a laptop, WiFi and phone can carry out their duties; an age in which distance is relative, where a cubicle wall may as well be a separate floor, another city, another country or an ocean away.
The benefits of well-managed virtual teams for businesses are ten-fold, ranging from cutting costs on real estate to minimizing sick days and having a more diverse staff. They also make companies more attractive to future candidates, who value flexibility.
Virtual Learning
Alongside the shift to virtual teams is the advent of online learning programs, which are becoming increasingly in-depth and responsive.
Online learning can be used to keep current employees up to date in the digital age, providing training on new software, helping to update existing skills and make staff more productive. It is also a practical solution for upskilling both top performers and staff with lower contributions to the operation, making each group more valuable to the company.
Many online courses, such as those from Coursera and top universities including Harvard and Oxford, follow traditional curriculums but in an online format. Guided by experts, they include quizzes and final exams, with plenty of feedback and chances for Q & A along the way.
Sought-after courses in 2018 include not only technical studies like data management, programming and web design but practical learning as well, such as time management.
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About the Author
Declan Moloney works for recruitment consultancy Nova.ky in the Cayman Islands. Since graduating with a BA in English and Creative Writing, Declan has gained eight years’ experience in recruitment marketing, working at leading graduate job boards, advertising, and recruitment agencies in the UK. During this time, he has delivered numerous multi-channel campaigns specializing in digital media and websites.