How Deel Does It: 16 Tips for Staying Connected, Efficient, and Organized as a Global Team
Deel’s not the first globally distributed team to face the challenges of remote work. Like others, we’ve had to find the best way to book meetings with colleagues in different time zones, navigate unfamiliar cultural norms, and minimize distractions while working from home.
Over time, we figured out what works best for us—and now, we’re sharing the top tips from Deel team members with you:
Collaboration tips
Let attendees move meetings in your calendar
“My tip is to activate your calendar’s ability to have meetings moved by attendees without your approval. It saves me a great deal of time when I have to move meetings, especially my team one-to-ones. I just pull up their calendar to see when they can fit it in.” — Alex Arbuthnot, head of revenue operations (UK)
Book regular one-to-one meetings
“At these monthly meetings, my goal is to listen to my team members to learn how they’re feeling and if they’re comfortable at the company. This way, I can better understand what I can do to improve their experience.” — Gonzalo Buszmicz, EOR onboarding team lead (Argentina)
Use collaborative, cloud-based applications
“Gone are the days where we have to download a spreadsheet, hope it’s in a format the other person can use on their computer, and send it back and forth via email. We have thrived in a distributed environment by using tools such as Google Sheets and Slack where we can collaborate on projects together, and information can be shared so much more conveniently.” — Deel team member, senior people analyst (UK)
Team and culture tips
Be conscious of different cultural norms
“Cross-cultural/virtual communication can lead to misalignment or hurt feelings. Try to remember that the person you’re speaking with may communicate differently than you. Ask questions, be open, summarize your understanding to ensure alignment, and don’t jump to conclusions based on your own set of norms.” — Sia Mahajan, expansion operations associate director (US)
Normalize the reality of WFH parenthood
“It’s perfectly fine for your kid to walk into the room while you’re on a call. Yelling, ‘I’m on a call! Get out!’ brings a lot of tension to our relationships at home. You can say, ‘Just a sec,’ answer your kid nicely, and even introduce them quickly to your colleagues. Nobody will get mad for this interference.” — Gilad Novik, infra and IT director (Israel)
Ask how to pronounce someone’s name if you’re unsure
“A simple, ‘Can you tell me how you pronounce your name, please? I don’t want to mispronounce it’ can foster respect, belonging, and openness, as well as validate the importance of someone’s identity, culture, or family background.” — Jordan Racklin-Costello, client onboarding team lead for NAM (US)
Focus on relationship building during the first three months
“Building relationships in a new remote work environment will help everything progress faster. Tasks can be completed three times faster and more efficiently by just knowing whom you can reach out to for advice and support.” — Mohamed Tantawy, global lead of HR experience (Egypt)
Technology tips
Automate your schedule planning
“Every Friday, I have a recurring task that reminds me what I need to do to prepare for the next week. This automatic reminder helps me remember information and includes details about projects and tasks to work on.” — Tural Nagiev, financial crime operations team lead (France)
Optimize your Slack channels and notifications
“Grouping messages and setting the group to show Unread is great for channel management. Likewise, replying to Slack messages isn’t always productive work. Set some focus hours and mute Slack notifications.” — Anthony Li, data science and AI lead (UK)
Use your email signature to communicate availability
“Signal that you are considerate of other people’s time zones and work hours by adding a simple note to your email signature. Mine says: My working hours may not be your working hours, and I am looking forward to your response when you are next working.” — Jolanta Aerts, creative director (US)
Work-life balance tips
Use your calendar as a shared to-do list
“I use my calendar as a to-do list, especially when I’m super busy, so that I can allocate time directly for specific tasks. I also share calendar invites with my partner to make sure we cover our kids’ needs (pick up and drop off, time with kids, taking them to swim class). Juggling between family, work, and social life—it’s all about time allocation.” — Deel team member
Make time for your mental and physical health
“For me, exercising daily is non-negotiable. Working in a fully remote environment, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what you need for your mental and physical health is crucial. No matter how busy I am, I find the time to move for at least 30 minutes per day (my favorite is walking outside with a podcast), and then I will get back to work after.” — Nadia Alaee, senior director, HR business partners (US)
Establish a morning routine
“Wake up early, exercise for ten minutes, have a quick shower, get dressed, and start your day at a desk. (I used to work in my pajamas sometimes which did not help.) Have a daily goal so you can celebrate your achievements every day.” — Gaelle Khoury, sales development team lead (Lebanon)
Time management tips
Merge tasks to multi-task effectively
“If you want to make the most of your time, identify tasks that can be merged—that means you can do more without decreasing efficiency. If you have a listening activity, look for an activity that involves your hands but has no audio, such as listening to a meeting you aren’t participating in while organizing your desk. The important thing is that your senses don’t overlap.” — Danica Ristic, senior people development program manager (Serbia)
Set small, achievable goals
“Set a number of small goals or tasks instead of a big one. You can easily track progress, and you feel more productive.” — Maciej Szturo, senior data analyst (Poland)
Solve one problem at a time
“In remote work, productivity is based on two fundamental factors: routine and focused work. Focus on one problem to solve, and your results will be better.” — Nilda García, senior legal counsel for LATAM (Israel)
Sound like your kind of team? Great news—we’re hiring! See open positions here.
