How I Build and Lead My Remote Teams

I currently lead a UX team at AstraZeneca that is spread across five countries, with my direct responsibility covering the UK and India. Managing teams across time zones and cultural contexts has been an incredible learning experience. I have worked with remote teams within the UK for some time, but leading a team in a completely different part of the world is relatively new to me and has taught me a great deal.

When we first opened up roles in India, I realised just how important it is to truly understand the local market you are hiring in. In the UK, I have strong networks and can often get a good sense of candidates quickly. In India, it was very different. I had no connections and no deep familiarity with the UX market or the typical candidate backgrounds. I quickly learnt that UX education and career paths in India differ from the UK. Many candidates come from graphic design backgrounds, often working in large consultancies with limited in-house experience.

As I progressed through the recruitment process, I had to reshape my expectations. Rather than looking for a carbon copy of a UK UX designer, I learnt to look for potential and adaptability. It took most of the year to hire just three people, but it was worth the effort to find individuals who were excited about working in a global team.

Lessons From the Recruitment Process

One of my biggest takeaways from recruiting remotely is the importance of not approaching it naively. Initially, I thought I would simply find UK-style designers who happened to live in India. I quickly discovered that understanding local culture, market dynamics, and typical career paths was essential.

Building relationships with our recruitment team in India was also key. They were stretched thin across multiple roles, so I had to stay actively involved to ensure my positions got the attention they needed. I also learnt to dig deeper during interviews to assess not only skills but motivations. I wanted to understand whether candidates were truly passionate about UX or more focused on visual design, and whether they had the mindset to work effectively in a small, global team.

How I Support New Remote Team Members

Once new team members joined, I discovered that onboarding remotely is much more challenging than I expected. With our Chennai office, these were the first UX hires in that location. There was no existing team or local colleagues to help them settle in. On top of that, the five-and-a-half-hour time difference meant that mornings were the only real window for live interaction with me and the wider team.

I made a conscious effort to be available during their mornings and to provide plenty of materials they could explore independently while waiting for the rest of the team to come online. I also realised that structured weekly one-to-ones are not enough in those early weeks. Frequent, informal catch-ups help new hires feel supported and give them a chance to ask questions they might not otherwise raise.

Communication is everything. I encourage my team to message me freely on Teams, and I make a point of having regular contact with them. We also ensure that conversations go beyond work. Personal chats about weekends, families, and hobbies help build trust and create a sense of connection across distances.

The Ongoing Challenges of Managing Remote Teams

One of the hardest aspects of leading a remote team is building a genuine sense of team spirit. You miss those informal moments in the office — grabbing coffee, chatting over lunch. I have learnt that you need to be proactive about creating those connections remotely.

We hold regular team meetings and maintain shared chat channels, but I also encourage informal conversations. At Christmas, we ran a simple activity to help the team learn more about each other’s lives outside of work. Encouraging this personal connection makes a big difference in helping people feel part of the team.

It is also important to embrace and celebrate cultural differences. I love hearing about how my colleagues in India spend their weekends, celebrate holidays, and experience life. These insights enrich our team culture and help us appreciate each other as individuals.

What Has Worked Well for Me

If I had to highlight the key strategies that have worked for me, they would be:

• Keep communication open and frequent. A weekly one-to-one is not enough. Be available for questions, encourage ongoing dialogue, and make it easy for team members to reach out.

• Foster personal connections within the team. Help team members get to know each other as people, not just colleagues. This builds trust and makes collaboration easier.

• Embrace cultural differences. Celebrate the diversity in your team and create space for everyone to share their experiences and perspectives.

My Top Three Tips for New Remote Team Leaders

For anyone new to managing remote teams, here are my three top tips:

• Learn from others. When I started, I spoke to as many people as I could who had experience leading remote teams. Their advice helped me avoid common pitfalls and gave me confidence to try new approaches.

• Keep an open mind. Do not try to force one model of what a great team member looks like. Different markets and cultures bring different strengths. Be open to new ways of working and new perspectives.

• Prioritise communication. When you are not bumping into each other in the office, it is easy for people to feel isolated. Over-communicate in the early days, set clear expectations, and ensure your team knows they can always reach out.

Communication Habits and Pitfalls to Avoid

One simple but important habit I have adopted is scheduling messages to avoid contacting colleagues outside their working hours. For example, if I need to message my Indian team members and it is late in my day, I will schedule the message to arrive in their morning.

I have also learnt to be very clear about expectations. Early on, I worried this might come across as patronising, but I found that clear communication avoids confusion. Explaining what success looks like, what behaviours are expected, and how we work as a team helps everyone feel aligned and empowered.

Final Reflections

It is easy to focus on global teams and overlook those who are remote within your own country. I manage a UK-based team in Macclesfield, and although we can meet in person occasionally, I apply the same care and attention to nurturing those remote relationships as I do with my India-based team.

I am also conscious of avoiding an "us and them" mindset between locations. I want every member of my team to feel equally valued and included, no matter where they are based. Fairness and consistency in communication and opportunities are crucial to making that happen.

This time last year, I was the one seeking advice on how to lead a remote team. It is great to now share what I have learnt, and I hope these insights help others who are navigating the same challenges.

Thank you to Anne Stevens for generously sharing her leadership insights with the Flux community. If you are a member with knowledge to share, the Flux team would love to hear from you.