Building Engagement in Cross-Border Teams: What Nearshore Leaders Can Learn

As your business grows and expands beyond one office or one country, keeping employees engaged across borders becomes a new challenge. You may have a team in Singapore working closely with a nearshore partner in Vietnam or the Philippines. Everyone is working towards the same goal, but sometimes it can feel like they are not part of the same team.

As your business grows, having a strong engagement strategy becomes essential. When done right, it helps your team work better together, improves retention, and builds a stronger organizational culture. Below are some key situations and practices where leaders can strengthen engagement across borders.

1. When your team starts feeling like two separate groups

It is natural for people to feel more connected to those they meet in person. If your nearshore or remote team feels left out of daily updates or casual conversations, they will slowly disengage.

To prevent this, make sure communication flows both ways. Schedule regular all-hands sessions that include nearshore updates, encourage cross-location project ownership, and ensure everyone understands how their work contributes to the company’s mission.

Areas of focus for leaders

• Regular leadership check-ins across locations

• Shared communication channels and updates

• Transparent decision-making process

• Recognition of nearshore team contributions

2. When your nearshore team handles delivery but lacks visibility

Many nearshore arrangements start with the local team focusing mainly on execution, while strategy and decision-making remain with the headquarters. Over time, this structure may cause employees to feel disconnected or undervalued.

According to McKinsey’s State of Organizations 2023 report, 39 percent of respondents across seven countries indicated plans to leave their jobs within the next three to six months. The finding points to a growing urgency for leaders to strengthen visibility and recognition, as employees who cannot see their impact tend to disengage faster than expected.

Visibility and inclusion play a key role in sustaining engagement. Involve nearshore leaders in planning discussions, recognize their achievements in company communications, and provide autonomy in managing local operations. When employees can see how their work contributes to business outcomes, it builds pride, ownership, and accountability.

Areas to focus on

• Leadership inclusion in planning

• Local empowerment and recognition

• Cross location project ownership

3. When communication turns transactional

When every meeting becomes a checklist discussion, team connection starts to fade. Over time, conversations revolve only around deliverables and deadlines, leaving little space for ideas or genuine interaction. 

Encouraging leaders to bring empathy into daily communication helps restore that connection. Ask open questions such as, “How is your team doing this week?” or “Is there any challenge we can help with?” Balance task updates with genuine conversations that help teams feel supported rather than managed.

Research has shown that democratic leadership, that characterized by open communication and tailored support, can sustain engagement and productivity even in remote settings. 

Areas of focus for leaders

• Regular pulse check-ins (not just project meetings)

• Informal team activities or bonding sessions

• Open communication platforms for casual sharing

• Team buddy system across borders

4. When engagement surveys show a drop in morale

A dip in engagement score is often an early sign that the team feels disconnected. This can happen after a rapid growth phase or when there are few opportunities for learning and recognition.

Leaders can use the survey findings to co-design initiatives with nearshore employees. This creates a sense of ownership and ensures that solutions reflect local culture. Small consistent actions matter more than one time events.

Areas of focus for leaders

• Company-wide engagement framework

• Quarterly pulse surveys with local action plans

• Cross-office project opportunities

• Clear communication and escalation channels

5. When your HR systems do not fully support remote or nearshore staff

Sometimes engagement problems come from processes, not people. For example, onboarding, learning, or recognition systems that were designed for in office employees may not work well for nearshore ones.

Review your HR processes from the perspective of an employee in another country. Does onboarding include introductions to all key stakeholders? Do they get access to learning platforms? Is feedback collected fairly across all offices?

Outsourcing part of HR administration or engagement design to specialists can also help ensure consistency across borders.

Areas to focus on

• Onboarding experience

• Learning and career development

• Recognition and feedback systems

6. When you are planning the next phase of growth

As your cross border setup matures, you may be ready to expand again or add new functions. Before you scale, ensure your engagement foundation is strong.

A nearshore HR consultant or engagement specialist can work with you to review policies, align culture narratives, and design people programmes that support new growth. This preparation helps prevent culture dilution as you grow.

Areas to focus on

• Culture alignment

• Talent management

• Leadership capability building

Conclusion

When your teams are spread across different countries, the gaps are not just physical but emotional. These gaps, if left unchecked, can slow down innovation and weaken collaboration.

Strong engagement starts from leadership intent. Leaders who take the time to align purpose, empower local managers, and invest in cultural integration will see stronger performance and lower turnover across their nearshore operations.  

When engagement is done right, your nearshore hub becomes a centre of excellence that contributes new ideas, nurtures future leaders, and strengthens the overall business culture.