While the advantages of remote work are evident–employers have access to a larger talent pool, and employees have more flexibility–cultivating a high-performance remote culture is challenging for organizations and leaders alike.
Navigating the intricacies of virtual collaboration, maintaining team cohesion, and fostering a sense of belonging requires innovative strategies to ensure that the potential of remote work is harnessed to its fullest extent.
When it comes to leading a global remote team, few know better than Shuo Wang, Co-Founder and CRO at Deel. Shuo joins the LEARN podcast to share how she and her team have built a high-performance team of over 300 employees across 100 countries.
In this post:
Running a global, remote-first company
Leading remote teams scattered across continents presents unique challenges where cultural nuances, time zones, and communication barriers are everyday realities. Shuo and her team have managed with finesse. At the heart of their strategy is a belief in talent, finding capable and experienced individuals who fit seamlessly into the company’s culture and pace.
“For Deel, we fully believe in talent because talent builds the culture, the foundation, the company, and how everyone can work together with everyone is key for us to scale and scale faster and execute faster,” Shuo says. “So what we did in the early days, Alex [Bouaziz] and myself interviewed every single employee.
“We make sure we’re culturally aligned and that they are fast learners and builders. And then two cultures we’re focused on at Deel are Deel Speed, which is fast at execution, and client-first. We care about our clients and focus on giving them the best experience.”
Shuo shared three criteria she looks for when interviewing sales reps:
- Whether they’re analytical
- Whether they’re logical, will they be able to explain a concept or a product they are selling?
- Is what they’re looking for aligned with Deels’ culture and mission? Can we grow and scale together?
Read more: How to Create High-Performing Remote Teams with Alex Bouaziz
Communicating across time zones
Since the entire company at Deel is remote, it can be challenging to coordinate everyone’s schedules. Still, communication is key to a high-performing workplace, and Shuo shares some of her team’s tactics to keep team members aligned.
“Slack is our office,” she says. “So I have to look at what is my response time for my team. If I’m on top of their problems and helping them and able to answer them within minutes or an hour or two, that shows that I care about them.”
Shuo also shares her one tip for operating successfully via Slack or other messaging platforms:
“Always reply,” she says. “If you can’t reply right now, that’s OK. There’s a good feature–’Save it for Later.’ By the end of the day, clean up your Save it for Later.”
Operating quickly and caring deeply
Believing in and practicing the company culture and values is even more essential for a remote team.
Deel lives by two mantras: keep things speedy and always care about who you’re working with, from employees to clients.
“The two biggest things we’re looking for while we’re focused on the value of Deel, number one, Deel speed, we execute fast, identify problems, find solutions, and then solve the problem fast, Shuo says. “Another one is care. We care for our own people. We care for our clients. We care for the talent that we’re sending payments to. So, make sure everyone is taken care of by Deel, and then we provide a really good service.”
Building a remote sales culture
For remote teams, the traditional dynamics of face-to-face interactions are replaced by virtual communication channels. From fostering effective communication to maintaining team motivation, Shuo shares her tips for building a strong sales team.
“I am still exploring; I’m still trying to learn to be adaptive and iterative,” she says. “One of the things that we’ve started to do is build a kudos channel. So, every time we see a good pitch or reps build a good presentation template, we share it in the kudos channel and make sure the team understands what is this deal? Why are we highlighting this deal? That is very important to apply the learnings and experience to the rest of the team.
“So we really encouraged that incentive-wise, that support internally and then the cross-regional teamwork. It kind of brings a lot of value and efficiencies.”
Read more: 15 Virtual Employee Recognition Ideas
Deel’s remote company culture is robust and intentional, with tools and practices that promote cohesion and belonging. Weekly all-hands meetings, ask-me-anything sessions, and a responsive Slack culture embody their virtual office, keeping the global team united. Creating a great sales culture, especially in a remote-first setup, involves recognizing and celebrating successes and ensuring all team members are in sync with the company’s strategic vision.
Listen to the full episode for more insights from Shuo, and subscribe to the LEARN podcast on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube to get expert advice from top leaders in tech.
Complete the form for a custom demo.
You might also like
Leveraging L&D to set your team up for success
Use these L&D strategies to future-proof your organization and retain skilled team members.
Simple steps to promote continuous learning and improvement
Check out these three actionable ways to expand and improve your L&D program.
What are the benefits of online learning?
When it comes to professional development and continued learning, online courses and programs offer several advantages over traditional in-person options.
Ready to Explore Online Learning Platforms?
Get in touch to learn how WorkRamp can help you achieve your training goals.
Request a Demo
