Pros and Cons of Virtual Teams

Is it possible to own a business without having a physical office? Is it feasible to provide services to people by running a company virtually? Or are these questions hypothetical statements and nothing else? Well, the world has changed a lot and tech trends have transformed the way things get done. Economical IT solutions are being brought to the world of the technology. In this post, we will talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of having virtual teams for a company. If you’re thinking of starting a virtual team, continue reading: Pros of Virtual Teams Let’s have a look at the plus points of virtual teams.
  • Flexibility happens to be one of the main advantages of virtual teamwork as the team itself decides the working schedule and employees are in charge of managing their time. The autonomous time management and flexible environment also let organizations change the team if needed.
  • Companies can hire people from different countries by taking advantage of their virtual team plan. People from different countries with great talent and skills to offer are easily available depending on their time-zones.
  • Employees save lots of time (since no time is wasted in using transportation) and are able to be more productive and efficient while working from different locations.
  Cons of Virtual Teams There are two sides to every story. Having mentioned the advantages of virtual offices and teams, let’s now consider the drawbacks and challenges entrepreneurs can face with a virtual team.
  • Depending on the locations employees are situated in, connectivity issues can cause communication issues. Some examples can be delayed email responses, phone discussions, video conferencing etc. Connectivity can cause serious lags in communication, hindering the completion of work.
  • Virtual teamwork demands even more well-managed tactics and team leading qualities. Keeping the whole virtual team on one page can be troublesome for some managers since there is no clear vision of goals, poorly defined roles and less visibility of conducting official operations.
  • Maintaining a balance between work and personal life is very important. There needs to be a strict separation between the two when working from home. Depending on where they are working, employees might get distracted by personal commitments.
These were the pluses and minuses of virtual teams. How are you running your business and how effective is your strategy? Have you tried or been a part of a virtual team? Leave a comment below and let us know! Read more: The Best Startup Ideas in 2016