Over the last few years, we’ve seen a major shift in workplace culture. Zoom has replaced the conference room. Coffee break chats have been swapped with a #random Slack channel. Whiteboards are out, screenshares are in. And what was once passing by someone’s desk is now a scheduled check-in call. Hybrid team communication strategies are now more important than ever.
In this article, I’m sharing what we’ve learned here at HerBusiness to help you create a seamless communication system for your hybrid team—no matter where they are in the world. From overcoming time zone challenges to staying connected and closing information gaps, these strategies will help your team work together productively, despite the different log-in times.
The Three Biggest Communication Challenges for Hybrid Teams
With hybrid and remote teams, communication is key to productivity, morale, and overall team connection. Here are the main challenges hybrid teams face and my best tips to deal with them.
1. Managing Time Zones
Time zones can be one of the most intimidating aspects of hybrid work. If you’re managing a global team, finding a time that suits everyone might feel impossible. For example, at HerBusiness, we have team members in the United States, the Philippines, and Australia, so we are constantly navigating time zones.
Tips for Managing Time Zones:
- Set Clear Expectations: From the hiring stage, set clear expectations about meeting times and required overlap hours. For example, when hiring globally, make sure candidates are aware of any mandatory team meetings so they can plan accordingly.
- Use Asynchronous Communication: Encourage team members to communicate asynchronously whenever possible, using shared documents or Slack channels that don’t require instant responses. For example, if an urgent question arises, make sure it’s labelled “URGENT”; otherwise, it can wait until each member’s regular work hours.
- Plan in Advance: Hold regular daily or weekly check-ins where questions and updates can be addressed ahead of deadlines. This approach helps team members avoid unexpected late-night tasks.
2. Closing Information Gaps
In a hybrid setup, team members aren’t sitting in the same room, which makes it easy for details to slip through the cracks. Without clear communication, misunderstandings can crop up, and tasks might be delayed.
Tips for Closing Information Gaps:
- Organise Your Communication Channels: Use a tool like Teamwork or Slack to house all updates and status reports. At HerBusiness, we use Slack channels organised by project or campaign, so team members can find all relevant information in one place.
- Document Everything: For each project, you want there to be a detailed brief that includes goals, deadlines, and roles. This way, even if someone misses a meeting, they can find what they need in the project folder.
- Create Shared Knowledge Bases: Using Google Drive or Notion, create a shared space for policies, FAQs, and workflows. This helps team members find the answers they need without disrupting others.
3. Maintaining Team Connection and Morale
Remote work can sometimes feel isolating, which means low team morale. Studies show that remote workers often experience increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and even depression. Building a strong team culture virtually requires intentional effort, but it’s absolutely possible.
Tips for Building Connection:
- Schedule Time to Connect: Beyond regular business meetings, create space for personal check-ins. For example, each week, we kick off our team meeting with two prompts: “What I feel like saying” and “Acknowledgments.” This gives everyone a chance to share life updates and recognise one another’s achievements, which lets us connect as actual, real humans—not computer screens.
- Celebrate Milestones: Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and work achievements. This doesn’t have to be elaborate—small recognitions go a long way in making team members feel valued.
- Encourage Social Interaction: It’s also a great idea to have a Slack channel for non-work-related conversations, like sharing weekend plans or pet photos (we actually have a thread dedicated to #HerBusinessPets!). These little connections make a big difference in remote environments.
Core Components of a Great Hybrid Communication System
Once you’ve tackled the main issues that come with hybrid work, it’s time to set your team up with the right tools and processes that really work for everyone. At HerBusiness, we stick with a few trusted tools that make up the backbone of our communication.
Slack keeps our day-to-day conversations organised with dedicated channels for each project, campaign, and announcement, so everyone knows where to go for the latest. When we need a bit more face-to-face interaction, Zoom is our go-to, especially for team check-ins and meetings. And for keeping projects on track, Teamwork is fantastic for assigning tasks and making it clear where everything’s at.
Documenting everything is key here, too.
A shared knowledge base is a lifesaver for the whole team, whether that’s Google Drive, Notion, or any other platform that suits your team. This is where we keep everything from policies to project briefs, so no one has to chase down information or rely on old email threads. And by keeping these updates in specific Slack threads, our team can catch up quickly without sifting through random messages. It makes staying informed and aligned so much easier.
Our regular meeting schedule is another core part of our system. We keep things simple with daily huddles for quick check-ins and weekly team meetings for a deeper dive into current projects. These meetings come with an agenda, helping us stay focused and making the most of everyone’s time.
Building a Culture of Open Communication
The heart of a thriving hybrid team is an open, supportive communication culture. We’ve found that making sure everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and feedback leads to more trust and better collaboration.
This culture of openness is strengthened by our feedback loops—weekly check-ins where everyone has a chance to talk about what’s working, what could be better, and what might need tweaking.
To keep our conversations real and meaningful, we’ve added structured prompts to our weekly meetings. We start with “What I feel like saying,” which gives everyone space to share life updates or how their week’s been, and then we move into “Acknowledgements” where we recognise wins, big or small, and give each other a well-deserved shout-out. This approach keeps everyone connected, even if we’re working from opposite sides of the world, and it’s a fantastic way to celebrate everyone’s hard work.
When this sort of routine is in place, it gives team members confidence in knowing how to communicate, what to expect, and the assurance that they’re seen and valued in the work they do. It makes for a culture where everyone can really bring their best to the table.
Our Secret to Staying Organised: The Slack Emoji System
Our Slack “emoji-language” is one of our best tools for keeping communication clear and efficient. Because when you’re remote, you don’t ACTUALLY know if someone has read your message to them. Maybe it got swept away in all the notifications, or maybe you forgot @ a certain teammember.
This strategy makes it easy for team members to communicate “Yep, I’ve heard you,” or “On it!” without having to draft a full response back.
Here’s how it works:
- Thumbs Up means “I’ve seen your message.”
- The Eyeballs mean “I’m looking into this now.”
- The Checkmark ✅ means “Task completed.”
- Red Exclamation Points ❗ indicate urgency or “Prioritise this, please!”.
- Prayer Hands or Uplift Hands show gratitude.
This system has been a game-changer, helping us track conversations, acknowledge messages, and keep everyone on the same page without needing endless back-and-forth messages.
Feel free to steal our system, it works GREAT.
Want to Get Support While You Grow Your Business?
Building a seamless communication system for hybrid teams takes intentional effort, the right tools, and a supportive culture. With clear strategies for managing time zones, keeping communication organised, and building a connected team, your hybrid team can be just as efficient—if not more so—than an in-person team.
As you grow your business, your team grows with it—meaning there are more and more strategies that you’ll have to learn as the business owner.
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