5 Ways to Build an Effective International Workplace

In 2025, international teams aren't limited to large corporations. Whether you lead a global organisation, or a small team spread across two countries, supporting your people effectively requires practical strategies that encourage collaboration, innovation, compliance, and engagement. Here are five straightforward ways HR managers can help international teams work better together. 

When colleagues work in different countries, informal conversations and unexpected connections matter just as much as structured team building. Diverse interaction opportunities help teams understand each other better, improve communication, and build stronger working relationships. 

For example, the SD Worx Spark JOYner programme enables employees from across the 26+ countries where we operate to collaborate on special projects and meet in person. Anna Burda, International Payroll Lead, describes the impact: 

• Schedule virtual coffee breaks or informal cross-team chats. 
• Use messaging platforms or collaboration apps to encourage spontaneous interaction. 
• Celebrate together regularly on birthdays and work anniversaries. 

Ensuring compliance in international teams can feel challenging, but clear communication reduces uncertainty and builds trust. Compliance isn’t just a legal necessity—it’s an opportunity to demonstrate respect for each team member’s local environment. 

Ways to spark success: 

• Provide clear, accessible guidelines on data protection, payroll, and employment regulations relevant to each region. 
• Offer compliance training regularly, using simple, everyday language. 
• Create easy-to-use processes for teams to ask questions or raise concerns. 

Multilingual teams have a natural advantage—they can communicate more authentically with international customers and colleagues. Encouraging the active use of multiple languages also builds confidence and improves team effectiveness. Stéphanie Ansay, recruiter for Belgium, France, and Luxembourg at SD Worx, shares her own experience: 

Ways to spark success: 

• Encourage colleagues to communicate openly in their preferred languages when possible. 
• Provide language development resources or training. 
• Recognise and reward multilingual skills within your teams. 

Shared experiences help international teams feel more connected. A sense of belonging makes remote collaboration easier and more meaningful—even if colleagues never meet face-to-face. 

Ways to spark success: 

• Regular virtual team-building events like quizzes, creative workshops, or informal competitions. 
• Shared celebrations of international holidays and cultural events. 
• Regular communication of shared goals, successes, and milestones. 

Flexibility is increasingly important to employees, particularly in international contexts. Remote working or ‘Workation’ options not only help attract talent but also improve productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. 

Ways to spark success: 

• Clearly outline your company’s policies on remote work and flexible locations. 
• Support managers to handle flexibility fairly across diverse locations. 
• Regularly review flexible working arrangements to ensure they're effective and inclusive. 

Bringing international teams together 

Building effective international teams doesn’t have to be complicated. By focusing on informal connections, compliance clarity, multilingual strengths, shared experiences, and flexible working, HR managers can significantly enhance collaboration, engagement, and productivity.