Clear communication and expectations boost remote team success

Originally published by HR Daily, 22 June 2026

Myriad issues can undermine the performance of a remote or hybrid team, but usually, "communication is the biggest piece", according to an advisor with extensive experience.

Unscripted HR founder Kath Harris says that when remote work doesn't work, many leaders are quick to blame the model.

The real problem, however, often lies with the organisation's approach. Common issues include unclear expectations, inconsistent communication, weak onboarding, poorly designed workflows and ill-equipped managers.

"Communication is the biggest piece for me," Harris says; this includes communicating expectations around output, and around communication itself.

Setting clear expectations

Employees need to know how a team communicates, and why, and when, Harris says.

Team members, and their manager, should talk about how they'll work together. Both parties can ask, "What do you need from me?" and say, "This is what I need from you".

If things aren't working well, or when there's a change of manager, it's useful for teams to discuss the ways of working and communicating they've found effective, and areas where there's room for improvement.

The result will be a kind of "team charter" that sets expectations, including, for example, how quickly people should respond to emails or messages.

"Those are the things that can frustrate people," Harris notes, particularly when expectations around what's reasonable aren't aligned, or work is being blocked.

Ensuring clarity around what a person is expected to deliver in what time frame, and that they feel equipped to do so, is important groundwork for accountability, she adds.

"You've got to give people responsibility and accountability, but you've got to give them clarity as well... If someone isn't getting there, isn't reaching those goals, or they're struggling, then talk to them about it early or be upfront and transparent... Feedback and communication is really at the core of all of it."

All of this is subject to change, and changes must be communicated. "I had a manager say to me the other day, 'I'm checking email less and less, so Kath, you need to send me a chat'," Harris says by way of example.

"Where I've seen it not work well is where there aren't those systems, those expectations made clear to people, or those tools set up well."

Information overload is a significant risk, but it's not always easy to walk the line between ensuring people are included when information is relevant to them, but excluded, for their own sake, when it's not. It's important, however, to keep reassessing as work progresses or the scope changes, Harris says.

She notes that while some flexibility on an individual or case-by-case basis might be needed, consistency is key – it's important to be open, honest and transparent, and give context around "why we do things this way", so people understand why it matters.

Meeting cadence depends on the team

A successful meeting approach might include a daily huddle of up to 15 minutes where team members meet online and tell each other what they're working on, what challenges they're facing, and what support they need, Harris says.

These allow the team to connect and focus on the day, and can reduce the number of emails and messages they need to exchange.

There might also be a longer, more structured team meeting with key agenda items once a week, as well as a 30-minute one-to-one with a direct line manager once a fortnight or once a week. "That cadence might change depending on the person and where they're at in their role," Harris notes.

They also need to know which communication tools to use, and when, from email to chat to video calls.

When it comes to the latter, punctuality is key to avoiding frustration and wasted time. If a person is running late, they should forewarn the person or team they're meeting, and when they do meet, their camera should be turned on, Harris says.

"People feel disconnected when [they're] not looking at someone," she notes, so while there might be the odd exception, 'camera off' should not become the norm.

Hiring the right people from the start

Asking prospective employees about their lives outside of work can provide a good indication of whether they'll perform well in a remote role, Harris says.

Long before COVID made the practice widespread, she realised certain types of people were better suited to working remotely.

Now, when hiring for remote roles, she'll often ask candidates how they like to communicate with people, what they need from their manager, and how they connect with people and community outside of work.

Someone who says, "I make sure that I go and sit in a cafe for a couple of hours every Monday to get that external stimulation," for example, might be less likely to struggle with isolation, Harris says.

Other positive indicators lie in answers to questions about people's passions, or how they manage stress, she adds; they'll often say, "I get up, I go to yoga in the morning" or, "I've got my running group".

"I think there's actually some validity in identifying [that] as part of your hiring process: Is this someone that is going to work well in a remote situation?"

Setting new hires up for success

Onboarding processes for remote workers directly influence the effectiveness of individual and team productivity, Harris says.

She recommends keeping in touch in the lead-up to a new hire's first day, whether that's via email, or phone, or a virtual coffee meeting.

A leader might also invite an incoming employee to sit in on a call before they start, to "meet" everyone ahead of time, and give them a checklist for their first week so they know what to expect.

Providing access to online learning from the get-go, setting up meetings for their first week, and explaining which topics they might want to learn in advance can also help a new hire to hit the ground running, Harris says.

Further, an employer could organise "an hour with HR, or an hour with someone working through logistical things, like, 'this is where our files are saved, this is how you log into this system'".