Putting together and managing a global team can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges.
One of the biggest factors to consider is how to manage different time zones effectively. If your company is collaborating with international talent, you know that handling time zone overlaps can either enhance productivity or introduce new hurdles.
Luckily, there are many strategies you can utilize to manage these issues.
One great way is to carefully consider the countries that you are considering in terms of their time zone alignment. If you are a US-based company, many Latin American countries might be a good option.
If you decide to go for a Latin American developer, such as one based in Brazil, Trio might be a good option for you to consider. We have a myriad of highly skilled developers on hand for outsourcing and staff augmentation.
Our focus on developer well-being and our efforts to promote continuous developer satisfaction and performance have allowed us to retain top developer talent long-term, ready for you to access.
Let’s take a look at eight strategies to manage time zone overlap in your team and how the US time zones overlap with Brazil, making collaboration easy for US companies.
1. Choose Countries with Aligned Time Zones
One of the biggest challenges when working across opposite time zones is managing schedules that don’t align well.
For example, if you are in the US and working with a team in Eastern Europe or China, there may be minimal overlap, making meetings difficult to arrange.
To address this, be strategic about meeting times and try to avoid scheduling them during someone’s personal hours too often.
One great way to manage time zones is by carefully selecting the countries you hire from based on their time zone alignment.
If you are a US-based company, many Latin American countries might be a good option.
Countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia are in time zones that are very close to those in the US. This makes hiring developers from Latin America ideal for companies that need real-time collaboration and easy communication with skilled talent in US time zones.
Hiring nearshore developers allows for real-time collaboration while reducing costs compared to hiring locally.
2. Schedule Meetings Strategically
Scheduling meetings across matching times can be tricky.
It only becomes more difficult when working with two or more time zones due to time differences. But if you take advantage of overlapping time zones, it becomes much simpler.
Start by establishing a fixed window during the day that works well for most of your team. For example, overlapping hours between Brazil and the US make it easier to schedule morning or early afternoon meetings.
You will need to remember to take into account any changes in which you may experience an overlap in working hours.
The most common reason for this that we’ve noticed confuses people is the transition to daylight savings. Using a shared calendar where everyone can see availability can also help streamline planning regardless of time.
3. Leverage Tools for Asynchronous Communication
Even though overlapping hours are ideal for collaboration and communication, we have found that it’s not always possible – especially with a global team.
In those instances, asynchronous tools like Slack, Trello, or Asana can be a great help. We even use tools like these in our own remote workforce here at Trio!
They allow your team members to document conversations, maintain transparency on projects, and track progress to keep everyone informed and ensure everyone is working on the right stuff without needing to be online at the same time
4. Create Overlapping Work Hours with Remote Team Members
We always find it best to discuss work hours upfront with your remote employees.
Think about creating shifts that maximize time zone overlap. When exactly this is will depend on where your time zones intersect.
For example, team members in Brazil might adjust their schedule slightly to align better with the Eastern Time Zone.
By establishing preferred work hours and allowing for flexibility, you make sure that everyone is available for important meetings or collaboration during part of the workday.
Choosing the Right Tools for Real-Time Communication
Selecting the right tools for real-time communication is key. Ideally, you’d use tools that your team is familiar with already. But you also need something that fulfills all your requirements.
Consider whether you just need a messaging platform or something that could do video calls as well.
Popular communication tools and platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet make it easy to maintain frequent check-ins, no matter where your team members are located.
We’d highly recommend that you consider a platform that allows video meetings, even if you don’t think you’ll need it all the time. When overlapping hours allow for it, video meetings can help create a sense of closeness and build trust among team members.
5. Balance Synchronous and Asynchronous Work
While overlapping hours are a huge plus, it’s also important not to overlook the value of asynchronous work.
The key is finding the right balance.
During overlapping hours, focus on tasks that require active collaboration, like brainstorming or decision-making. Outside of those hours, your team members can work on individual tasks and use asynchronous tools to keep everyone updated.
6. Encourage Transparent Scheduling and Communication
Most communication tools will give you some indication as to when you may experience aligned time zones. It’s important to encourage team members to use overlapping hours for critical discussions.
Team leads and supervisors should plan their schedules transparently so that everyone knows when real-time interaction is possible.
Creating a culture of collaboration helps ensure that team members share their progress and challenges during overlapping hours, keeping everyone in the loop.
7. Use Project Management Tools Effectively
Effective coordination across different time zones starts with clarity. Set specific timelines for projects that account for the varying work schedules of each team member.
For a development team, overlapping hours can be crucial for real-time problem-solving and collaboration.
Break tasks into smaller steps and clearly assign deadlines so that everyone knows when their part is due. This level of organization keeps projects moving smoothly, regardless of where team members are located.
We can help you with transparent project management here at Trio. We won’t just set you up with a developer and stop working with you. After all, your success is our success.
Using Project Management Tools Effectively
Project management platforms like Trello, Asana, and Jira are vital for global teams. You’ll notice that we have mentioned some of these platforms before; this is because they can serve more than one purpose and are quite comprehensive.
They make it easy to assign tasks, track progress, and keep visibility across teams.
To make these tools effective, everyone on the team should use them consistently, especially those in management and leadership positions. Doing so ensures that nothing falls through the cracks and that deadlines are met.
Ensuring Accountability in a Distributed Team
Accountability is crucial in a distributed team, and it becomes easier to manage with transparency.
Regular check-ins – both synchronous and asynchronous – help maintain momentum.
When you have overlapping hours, real-time accountability is possible, while asynchronous tools ensure that everyone is informed, even when direct communication isn’t happening.
Working with global talent, especially in regions like Brazil that offer overlapping work hours, presents a great opportunity for US companies.
By taking advantage of time zone overlaps, using the right tools, and understanding cultural nuances, you can foster seamless collaboration and significant productivity gains.
Whether you’re hiring new developers or managing an existing distributed team, these strategies can help you get the most out of your global workforce while minimizing the usual challenges.
8. Maintain Team Morale Across Different Time Zones
Keeping morale high in a team that doesn’t have overlapping work hours can be difficult. So, how do you encourage developer well-being and improve long-term developer satisfaction and performance?
Team members may feel disconnected, especially if their schedules rarely match up.
Scheduling regular virtual team-building activities at a time that works for everyone can help build a sense of connection and camaraderie, even across different time zones.
Similarly, team leads should check in regularly, even if it is just through a simple message to provide encouragement.
What is Time Zone Overlap, and Why is it Important for Remote Teams?
Understanding Time Zone Differences
Time zones might seem like a barrier to effective teamwork in remote work, but they also offer opportunities.
As you most likely already know, when you move East or West, your time zone changes.
When we talk about time zone overlap, we mean that despite different geographical locations and a sometimes substantial time difference, some hours of the workday overlap for team members.
These overlapping hours make it easier to schedule meetings, respond quickly to issues, and maintain real-time communication.
For example, if you’re in New York, you share almost the entire workday with most cities in Brazil, like São Paulo.
This makes working with Brazilian team members nearly as convenient as working with someone in another US time zone.
On the other hand, teams that are 13 hours apart face challenges with availability for meetings, while overlapping time zones mean that both parties can work simultaneously for a significant portion of the day.
The Impact of Time Zone Overlap on Productivity
Having a window of shared work hours can make a huge difference in productivity.
When people are working at the same time, real-time discussions and virtual meetings become easier, which helps solve problems faster, reduce delays, and keep things moving smoothly.
You don’t always need 8 hours of overlap, but when you can align schedules even partially, you create opportunities for uninterrupted collaboration, which means fewer delays in getting things done.
Benefits of Working with Teams in Similar Time Zones
Working with teams in time zones that overlap with US business hours – like those in Brazil – offers several advantages.
As we have briefly alluded to above, when you share time zones, it allows you to run meetings, clarify project requirements, and make decisions without having to wait overnight for a response.
This proximity encourages real-time feedback and seamless communication, which keeps projects on track, minimizing the risk of misunderstandings and eliminating long back-and-forth email chains.
This is one of the many reasons why we also emphasize considering time zones when we are matching our clients with experienced developers for collaborative software development.
Many Brazilian software developers also have experience working in similar situations – whether they have worked remotely for someone in the same country or been part of a nearshore development team – so they have experience dealing with potential issues.
What Are the Strategies for Hiring Remote Developers in Latin America?
Understanding Latin American Time Zones
Latin America presents a great opportunity for hiring remote talent, thanks in large part to its advantageous time zones. But, to take advantage of this, you will need to focus on understanding LATAM time zones to benefit as much as possible.
Countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia are in time zones that are very close to those in the US.
This makes hiring developers from Latin America ideal for companies that need real-time collaboration and easy communication with skilled talent in US time zones without the need to account for working across multiple time zones.
Benefits of Nearshore Hiring
Hiring remote developers from Latin America offers many advantages for US companies, many of which we have already mentioned.
Not only do you benefit from significant time zone overlap, but you also gain access to a workforce that has strong cultural similarities with the US.
This makes it an attractive region to outsource talent, which we can help you with here at Trio.
Outsourcing to Latin America allows you to maintain real-time collaboration while reducing costs compared to hiring locally.
We have found that this, along with similarities in general work culture, allows for effective client communication, ultimately leading to better efficiency.
How to Access a Competitive Edge with Latin American Talent
When you hire talent from Latin America, you tap into a highly skilled workforce with deep expertise in tech.
Brazil, in particular, has made major strides in tech education, providing companies with capable developers who can work during overlapping hours.
If you’re ready to explore this talent pool and enhance your team’s productivity, don’t hesitate to contact us for guidance on finding the right fit and start building trust in software partnerships.
This ensures that your development projects progress efficiently, with team members ready for collaboration when you need them.
If you are interested in hiring a Brazilian developer or getting advice on how you can manage your distributed teams working across time zones, reach out to us to schedule a free consultation.
At Trio, we have extensive experience in connecting companies with skilled talent in Latin America. We are eager to help you build your team for cost-effective software development.
