In a virtual team, people work together to achieve common goals, but they do not necessarily work at a shared location. Instead, they communicate and cooperate in virtual teams via the Internet and other digital channels. The technical expertise of the members of virtual teams plays a central role here. The following characteristics distinguish virtual teams:

• Temporary or permanent
• Orientation toward common goals
• The team members are distributed across regional, national or company boundaries at different locations, possibly at different times.
• Communication takes place via specific media (video conferencing tools, cooperation tools such as Slack or Miro Board)

Virtual working is becoming more popular as it allows employees to work from anywhere in the world as long as they have a good internet connection. Working in virtual teams has many advantages but also some disadvantages.

Some of the advantages are that it allows collaboration over long distances, increases flexibility and saves costs.

Some of the disadvantages are that it can be more difficult to maintain communication and team spirit in a virtual environment and employees may receive less support and help from managers and colleagues.

For managers, virtual teams pose a major challenge, as new, specific skills are needed for what is known as "remote leadership."

Glossary