Updated 1 August 2026. First published in 2021.
Remote and hybrid work is now simply how many teams operate. However, working apart only works when communication is clear, routines are steady and everyone trusts the tools they use.
So how do you forge successful remote team communication that keeps your business moving, and keeps your clients' information safe?
Post summary
What is a remote team?
Remote working today
How to build successful remote team communication
The tools we use, and why
Why privacy and security matter for remote teams
Frequently asked questions
What is a remote team?
A remote team is a group of people who work outside a traditional office. They work from home, cafes and co-working spaces, often in different countries and time zones. Hybrid teams split their time between home and an office.
For businesses with no office at all, remote working is the only way the team collaborates and serves its clients.
Remote working today
Remote working is no longer a temporary fix. In the USA, Gallup's tracking of remote-capable employees shows that most now work hybrid, around a quarter work fully remotely and only about one in five work fully on-site. When Gallup asked the same group what they would prefer, only 6% chose to be fully on-site.
Europe has moved the same way. Eurofound's 2024 European Working Conditions Survey found that 22% of EU employees worked from home at least sometimes, up from 8% in 2015. Sweden and the Netherlands were among the leaders at 38%, with Luxembourg highest at 41%.
There are plenty of benefits that come with remote working.
No commute. You save time and money, and can use those hours to finish projects, take on more work or squeeze in some personal development.
Fewer interruptions. You won't be asked for as many "quick favours" as you would in an office, so it's easier to stay focused.
Flexibility. You can plan your work around your life, and work anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
Access to talent. Businesses can hire the best person for the job, wherever they live.
Remote working is how we've worked at Blu Mint since I started the company in 2016. Today our team of senior contractors works from Estonia, France, Sweden, the UK and the USA. You can read more about how we built it in our guide to building a startup team and culture that scales.
Remote team communication is nothing new for us. However, we'll be honest. Even with our multicultural backgrounds and many languages, we've got it wrong many times.
Here's what we've learnt.
How to build successful remote team communication
1. Create early rapport
Remote teams lose many of the signals we rely on every day. Body language, tone of voice and even a simple wave hello don't always come across.
The ability to mute your mic or turn off your camera adds to this distance, and there's even less connection when you're working through chat or email. Even the odd emoji doesn't always help.
Make room for rapport. Create a social group or channel, separate from project threads, where people can chat as a team or directly to each other. People who are more expressive and chatty often find remote work hardest, so give them space.
On calls, you could try the following.
Practise and teach active listening, so everyone stays focused and engaged. It helps avoid misunderstandings and offending others.
After each part of a meeting, ask whether anyone needs a point clarified, and offer to follow up personally at the end.
Managers and leaders should set the tone of the call, however they should limit their own talk time so everyone is included.
2. Build routines
Remote teams work differently, even when everyone is working on the same task.
When working from home or a coffee shop, people choose the environment that suits them. They've got their peace, their playlist, their favourite podcasts and a drink close at hand. And then there are the daily distractions, from laundry and the school run to the pets and the children who appear during a video call.
Flexibility is what remote workers love most about their roles. However, independence from the office doesn't automatically mean productive discipline. For people new to remote work, those distractions can easily swallow the day.
At Blu Mint, people work the hours when they're most productive, as long as the work is done well and on time. To make that work, we use Asana to track every task and Signal for quick questions. Everyone can see how far along a task is, and we can spot a bottleneck before it holds anyone else up.
For project managers and leaders, keep checking when tasks will be finished, and support team members who are struggling by helping them set up routines.
Routines are useful. If you have the school run or childcare to fit in, block those times in your calendar so the team knows when you're away. Keeping a structure helps you get back on track quickly.
3. Set expectations and build trust
Remote work is all about flexibility. However, truly successful remote work needs clear expectations, combined with trust in every team member.
Everyone works differently, and while that can be stressful for leaders and managers, the guidelines for getting work done must be the same for everyone.
If one person slows down, it affects everyone else trying to finish their tasks. Make sure your whole team knows how they're expected to work and how their work affects others.
Even more important is defining what isn't acceptable. That can sound direct, even authoritarian. However, when you can't use body language to get your message across, it's necessary.
Questions we ask include the following, although the list isn't exhaustive.
Which forms of communication do we use, and why?
What information can be shared, and with whom?
Which tools are approved for client information, and which are not?
What processes do we use for accessing and sharing information?
In what format do we share critical information?
What do we aim to achieve in a team meeting?
How will we communicate between meetings?
How will we monitor the team's progress?
How available must team members be, and how do we signal our availability?
How can we collaborate to create team records?
How do we mark communications as confidential?
It's much easier to put guidelines in place when you have a clear set of expectations for everyone to follow.
Choosing the right tools
The biggest challenge for any remote team is tracking progress and communicating it. There's a plethora of tools that promise to help. Choosing between them is the hard part, and for us it started with our clients rather than with features.
We work with defence companies, governments and political parties. That means we need tools that protect what we say, who we say it to and where we are when we say it. These are the tools we've settled on.
| What we need | Tool | Why we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging and quick calls | Signal | End-to-end encrypted by default and designed to collect as little data as possible. |
| Team video calls | Google Meet | Reliable, runs in the browser and easy for anyone to join. |
| Projects and tasks | Asana | One place to see every task, owner and deadline. |
| Documents and photos | Cryptee | Files are encrypted on your device before upload, on European servers. |
| Booking meetings | Calendly | Shows when we're free, so nobody double books. |
| Client calls | Microsoft Teams | Only when a client already uses it. |
Messaging and quick calls
Signal is our main tool for messaging and quick calls. Every message and call is end-to-end encrypted by default, which means only the people in the conversation can read or hear it. Signal is run by a non-profit foundation and is built to collect as little data about its users as possible. For a team working with sensitive clients, that matters.
Project management
Project management tools are central for remote teams, because everyone needs one place to connect. We use Asana because it offers different project views, from lists and boards to timelines and templates.
Every team uses Asana slightly differently. However, it's flexible enough to allow that without getting in the way, whether that's a designer adding images or a writer adding links and files.
Document and file storage
For documents and photos, we use Cryptee, an encrypted storage service built in Estonia. Files are encrypted on your device before they're uploaded, so not even Cryptee can see what's inside them. It means our working documents stay private, even if an account were ever targeted.
Video calls
When you can't meet face to face, video calls are how you build relationships. For our team calls we use Google Meet. It's reliable, runs in the browser and screen sharing makes it easy to walk through a website or campaign together. For the most sensitive conversations, an end-to-end encrypted call on Signal is the safer choice.
Some clients use Microsoft Teams, so we join their calls there when asked. We don't use it for our own team, because we find it heavier than we need, and simpler tools keep us faster.
Meetings
When setting up meetings with the team or with clients, we use Calendly. It links to our calendars and shows when we're available in real time, so once a meeting is booked, nobody else can take that slot. It saves the back-and-forth of emails across time zones.
Why privacy and security matter for remote teams
When your team is spread across countries, your communication travels with it. Every message, call and shared file is a possible way in for anyone trying to listen. As we work with defence companies, governments and political parties, we're very concerned about hacking, and we choose every tool with that in mind.
Encryption is only part of the picture
WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted too, so the content of your messages is protected. However, WhatsApp is owned by Meta, and its privacy policy explains that it collects information about how you use the service, such as your device, your connection and your activity.
That information is known as metadata. It can show who talks to whom, when, how often and sometimes from where, even when nobody can read the messages themselves.
Metadata can be used for far more than targeted adverts. We work with partners and contractors in many countries, including some where communication data could put people at risk if it were exposed or requested. That's why we choose tools that collect as little as possible.
Security habits for every remote team
You don't need to work with governments to take this seriously. These are the habits we'd recommend for any remote team.
Use end-to-end encrypted messaging for anything confidential
Turn on two-factor authentication for every work account
Use long, strong and unique passwords, stored in a password manager. Our guide explains why long, strong and secure passwords matter.
Agree which tools are approved for client information, and which are not
Use disappearing messages for sensitive chats
Keep every device and app up to date
Don't forget to create fun
Building team spirit is hard when you work remotely, so remind your team that it's okay to have a little fun.
Remote teams can quickly fall into only checking on progress and asking what to do next. Managers need to actively encourage their teams to build some team spirit together.
Remote communication thrives when everyone feels connected, and that's about more than the project you're working on. It's also about sharing the funny memes and GIFs you find online. Just make sure what you share won't offend anyone.
Fun is about creating the right atmosphere for everyone. We still love the BBC News interview in which Professor Robert Kelly's children wandered into the room live on air. It's a reminder that remote work happens in real homes, and that's fine.
Children interrupt BBC News interview – BBC News
Final thoughts
Successful remote team communication varies from team to team and takes time to master. Start with rapport, routines and clear expectations, then choose tools that suit your clients as well as your team.
If you know of better strategies and solutions than ours, share them in the comments below. We'd love to hear them all.
Working with Blu Mint
We're a boutique team of senior specialists, working remotely across Europe and the USA. You work directly with the people doing the work, and we treat your information with the same care as our own. Find out more about us, or get in touch.
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The best tools are the ones your whole team will use and that protect your clients' information. We use Signal for messaging, Google Meet for team calls, Asana for projects, Calendly for booking meetings and Cryptee for encrypted document storage.
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WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, so their content is protected. However, WhatsApp collects metadata, such as your device, connection and activity. For confidential work, a tool that collects less, such as Signal, is the safer choice.
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Use end-to-end encrypted tools, turn on two-factor authentication, use long and unique passwords and agree which tools are approved for client information. Keeping devices and apps updated closes many of the gaps attackers look for.
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Create a social space separate from project work, practise active listening on calls and give everyone time to speak. Small moments of fun, such as sharing a good meme, help a team feel connected.
