If you’re running an organization with all or part of the team working remotely, using the right productivity platform and tools is crucial to your success. Google Workspace is one of the most reliable productivity and collaboration platforms, offering nearly every tool your team will ever need in their everyday tasks. However, the effectiveness of this platform largely depends on how you set it up from the start.

Google Workspace comes with dozens of first-party apps and hundreds of third-party integrations that can further enhance its capabilities. You’ll need to take the time to configure and set up the most essential apps and features that your team requires to work securely and efficiently. 

To help you get started, I’ll Walk you through some key steps to take when setting up Google Workspace. I’ll also share the most important apps and how to set them up to make the most of Google Workspace. But first, let’s discuss why you might consider using Google Workspace in the first place.

Why Google Workspace?

Before getting into the details of setting up your Google Workspace, let me share why Google Workspace is the best choice for most organizations: 

• Seamless Collaboration: Google Workspace excels in real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to set up meetings, share through chats, and work simultaneously on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Integrated Communication Tools: Another key strength of Google Workspace is that it has all the major communication tools your team will ever need to exchange important information. Google Workspace brings together powerful communication tools, including Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Chat, allowing teams to switch between emails, video meetings, and chat threads without losing context. 
• Cost-Effective for Remote Teams: For remote or hybrid teams, Google Workspace provides great value. It offers most of the functionality of its major competitors, like Microsoft 365, while being more affordable, making it ideal for startups and small businesses that value every penny.
• Ease of Use: Another big advantage of Google Workspace is its user-friendly interface. Most users are already familiar with Google Workspace tools like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar, which significantly reduces the training required to get them up to speed.  
• Robust Security and Data Protection: Google Workspace places a strong emphasis on security, offering features like two-step verification, advanced phishing and malware protection, data encryption, and a lot more. When properly set up, these features can protect your business from different forms of cyberattacks. 
• Integration with Other Tools and Third-Party Apps: As I stated earlier, Google Workspace has dozens of first-party apps. However, it also seamlessly integrates with hundreds of third-party tools and apps like Slack, Salesforce, Trello, and Asana, making it easier to streamline workflows and manage projects without switching between platforms.

 

Getting Started with Google Workspace

Now that we have discussed why your remote team needs Google Workspace let’s explore some of the key steps you must take to get started using this productivity and collaboration platform: 

Step 1: What You Need Before Signing Up

Before you sign up for Google Workspace, ensure you have the following essentials:

• Credit Card: You’ll need a valid credit card to sign up. While Google Workspace offers a 14-day free trial, the credit card ensures that your service remains active after the trial period. It is also a must to share your card details before starting the trial period. 
• Email Address: You will also need an email outside of Google Workspace (like your personal Gmail account). This account is mainly used for security purposes by Google, such as account recovery if you lose access to your Workspace admin account.
• Domain Name: A domain is required to create custom email addresses for your business (e.g., support@yourbusiness.com). If you already have a domain, you can connect it during the setup process. If you don’t have a domain name, make sure to purchase one from providers like GoDaddy or Namecheap. 

Step 2: Signing Up for Google Workspace

• Visit the Google Workspace Website: Go to https://workspace.google.com and click the “Start Free Trial” button. 
• Input Personal Details: Provide your first and last name and email address.
• Input your domain: Select the option to either use an existing domain or purchase a new one, depending on your situation. 
• Create Admin Account: This will be your main account for managing your Workspace services. Choose a secure username and password that you will use to access your Google Workspace console. Preferably, you can save these details in the password manager of your choice to ensure a seamless signing-up process. You may also be required to share and verify your phone number. 
• Google Admin Console: Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be ready to log in to the Google Admin Console and continue setting up your Workspace.

 

Step 3: Verify Your Domain

Now that your Google Workspace account is ready, it’s essential to verify your domain with Google to ensure that your business has rightful ownership of the domain used for emails. You can do this by following these simple steps: 

• Open the Admin Console: Once logged in, Google will guide you to verify your domain. This option will appear on the very first page of the Google Admin Console when you visit admin.google.com and sign in with the details you created previously. 
• Domain Verification Method: Google will provide a TXT record, which is a small snippet of code used to verify domain ownership. You will need to add this code to your DNS records. The steps for this will vary based on your DNS provider. For most providers, this option is typically the “Manage Domain” section. 

5 Essential Google Workspace Tools for Remote Teams

Now that your Google Workspace account is fully set up let me walk you through the five major apps and the configurations you need to make right away to get the best from them: 

1.     Gmail

Gmail is the foundation for remote team communication. It provides a reliable platform for sending and receiving emails, organizing conversations, and staying updated on projects in your organization.

Key Configurations for Gmail

• Safety: Set up email and spam protection to safeguard team members from phishing and malware. Also, ensure that anti-phishing and spam filters are enabled.
• End User Access: Control who can access Gmail features and ensure only authorized personnel can send and receive sensitive emails. Set permissions for various departments (e.g., HR, IT) to control who can access critical tools in Gmail. 
• Default Routing: Configure routing rules for split or dual delivery if you use multiple email servers like Gmail and Microsoft Exchange. 
• Email Authentication (DKIM): Set up DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) settings to authenticate outgoing emails. This will minimize the chance of your team’s messages being marked as spam, which could hinder communication. 

2.     Google Chat

Google Chat facilitates quick, real-time communication. Remote teams can use it for one-on-one conversations or create dedicated chat channels for specific projects or departments.

Key Configurations for Google Chat

• Manage Spaces: Organize communication channels by creating dedicated Spaces for each project or team (e.g., marketing, sales, development, etc.). Also, ensure to assign moderators to manage the flow of conversations and monitor activity in these spaces.
• External Chat Settings: Enable or disable the ability for team members to communicate with people outside the organization. If communicating with external members is not necessary for your business operations, ensure to disable the option of external chats. 
• Chat Invitations: Decide whether users must accept chat invitations to prevent unnecessary or spammy communication. 

 

3.     Google Calendar

Google Calendar keeps remote teams organized, helps schedule meetings across different time zones, and manages availability for virtual meetings and deadlines.

Key Configurations for Google Calendar

• Sharing Settings: Set global sharing policies for primary calendars so that only appropriate team members can view or edit events. At the start, ensure external users can only see free/busy information, protecting privacy while allowing scheduling coordination with external teams if they are necessary for your operations.
• Video Conferencing Integration: Enable Google Meet links to be automatically added to calendar events, ensuring easy access to virtual meetings.
• External Invitations: Ensure to activate guest warnings when collaborating with clients or freelancers outside your organization to avoid accidental data leaks or unintended invitations.
• Resource Booking: If you have a hybrid team, make sure to add resources to your calendar for teams to book, such as virtual meeting rooms or project management slots. Also, set up resource calendars to manage shared equipment or virtual assets efficiently.

 

4.     Google Meet

Google Meet is essential for remote teams to hold face-to-face virtual meetings. Its features, like screen sharing and breakout rooms, are essential for effective remote collaboration.

Key Configurations for Google Meet

• Meet Video Settings: Adjust settings for video quality to ensure meetings are smooth and high-quality, even with bandwidth limitations. Also, ensure to enable automatic video quality adjustment to prevent disruptions during calls.
• Recording: Allow meetings to be recorded, especially for important discussions.
• Telephony: Enable dial-in and dial-out access for meetings so participants can join via phone when needed, especially for team members working in remote or low-bandwidth areas.

5.     Google Drive & Docs

Google Drive and Docs provide remote teams with a centralized location for storing and collaborating on files in real time. Shared Drives ensure that files are easily accessible to everyone while maintaining security.

Key Configurations for Drive and Docs

• Sharing Settings: Set global policies for how files can be shared both inside and outside the organization to maintain data security. Ensure to restrict sharing options to internal users only unless collaboration with external partners is required.
• Manage Shared Drives: Organize files by creating Shared Drives for different teams or projects. This helps ensure that all relevant team members have access to the documents they need. Also, assign specific permissions for edit, view, or comment access.
• Approvals: Allow users to request approvals on important files from stakeholders to control document changes and keep track of important revisions.
• Migration Settings: Control who can migrate individual files into shared drives to avoid confusion and ensure proper file organization. Set permissions for file migration to ensure files are moved only by authorized personnel.

Google Workspace Best Practices for Remote Teams 

Enable the Critical Security Settings

Implementing robust security settings is crucial for protecting your organization’s data. Some of the crucial ones include: 

• 2-Step Verification (2SV): 2SV or 2FA adds an extra layer of protection to user accounts.
• Use Security Keys: For even stronger authentication, use physical security keys.
• Set up DKIM, SPF, and DMARC: These email security settings prevent phishing and email spoofing.
• Restrict External Sharing: Limit sharing permissions to prevent unauthorized access to your organization’s sensitive data.

Effective User Management

Proper user management is key to maintaining a secure and efficient workspace. Some of the best practices for effective user management include: 

• Use Groups: Create Google Groups for departments or teams to easily manage email and file permissions.
• Delegate Admin Roles: Give only necessary permissions to admin users to limit access and reduce risks.
• Disable Inactive Accounts: Regularly review and disable accounts of users no longer in the organization.

Data Backup and Retention

Ensuring the safety of your data through regular backups and retention policies is vital for any organization. Setting up retention policies in Google Vault allows you to keep important emails and data for legal or regulatory purposes, providing peace of mind regarding compliance. 

Optimize Email Usage

Optimizing email usage can significantly improve communication efficiency within your organization. Some of the ways to effectively optimize email usage include:

• Email Aliases: Create email aliases for different functions (e.g., support@, info@, sale@, and more) instead of new accounts.
• Auto-responses and Filters: Set up auto-responses and email filters to stay organized and improve efficiency.
• Limit Email Forwarding: Disable automatic email forwarding to external addresses unless necessary.

Training and Support

Finally, providing regular training and support for your team is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of Google Workspace tools. By offering training sessions, you can help users understand how to leverage the various features of Google Workspace effectively, particularly in areas such as security and collaboration.