The First 90 Days Managing a Remote LATAM Team Member

You just hired someone from Latin America.

They’re starting Monday.

Now what?

Most managers wing it. They use the same onboarding they’d use for someone down the hall. Then they wonder why things feel off by the week five.

And those first 90 days? They decide everything.

Day One: Give Them Everything

Your new team member logs in on Monday morning.

Can they access Slack? Email? Your project management tool? The shared drive?

If the answer is “not yet” to any of these, you’ve already created a problem.

Nothing signals “you’re not really part of the team” like spending your first day waiting for IT to send credentials.

Set up access before day one. All of it.

Then share context. Not just “here’s how we use Slack.” Share the real stuff:

• How you think about hiring (if they’re in recruiting)
• How you make decisions as a team
• What good work looks like here
• Where things usually get stuck

One manager I know records a 20-minute video walking through the company’s approach to their work. New hires watch it before their first meeting.

Simple. Effective.

And it answers the questions people are afraid to ask on day one.

Weeks 1–4: Build the Foundation

The first month isn’t about output.

It’s about setting up patterns that will work for the next year.

Start with communication norms. Be specific:

• “When I message you on Slack, I expect a response within 4 hours during your work day. Even if it’s just ‘saw this, will have an answer by tomorrow.'”
• “Our standups are 15 minutes. Come with your update ready.”
• “If you’re blocked on something, tell me immediately. Don’t wait for our weekly check-in.”

This feels obvious when you write it down. But most managers never say it explicitly.

Then people operate on different assumptions.

You think 4 hours is reasonable. They think same-day is fine. Nobody’s wrong, but now there’s friction.

Set clear KPIs too. From day one.

And schedule frequent check-ins. I mean daily for the first two weeks.

Not hour-long meetings. Just 15 minutes: “How’s it going? What’s confusing? What do you need?”

These check-ins drop off naturally as they get settled. But in week one, they’re essential.

Weeks 5–8: Get Into Rhythm

By week five, the basics should be smooth.

Now you’re optimizing.

This is when you implement structured feedback loops. Weekly reviews of their work. Not just “good job” but specific feedback.

Use your overlapping hours strategically now.

High-collaboration work—planning, reviews, brainstorming—happens during overlap.

This is also when you build psychological safety.

• Celebrate wins publicly. When they do something great, tell the team.
• Normalize mistakes. When something breaks, focus on “how do we fix this” not “whose fault is this.”
• Encourage questions. The phrase “that’s a good question” goes a long way.

And introduce them to other team members. Cross-training prevents knowledge silos and builds relationships.

Weeks 9–12: Lock It In

By month three, you should see patterns.

Are they hitting their KPIs? Are communication rhythms working? Do they seem engaged?

This is when you course-correct anything that’s drifting.

Maybe those weekly check-ins can become bi-weekly. Maybe you need more structure around a specific process. Maybe they’re ready for more autonomy.

Ask directly: “What’s working? What’s not? What do you need more of? Less of?”

Then actually adjust based on their feedback.

This is also when you think about retention.

Competitive pay matters. But so do other things:

• Health insurance (this is huge in LATAM where it’s not always standard)
• Professional development budget
• Equipment stipend
• Flexibility around local holidays
• Public recognition of their work

Speaking of holidays…

The Holiday Calendar You Need to Know

This trips up so many managers.

You’re planning a big sprint. Then your entire team in Brazil disappears for Carnival.

Or you schedule a crucial deadline on September 16, forgetting that’s Mexico’s Independence Day.

LATAM holidays are different from US/UK/AU holidays.

Key ones to know:

• Carnival (February/March, especially Brazil): Basically a week-long shutdown in many places.
• Holy Week/Easter: Often 4–5 days off. The dates move each year.
• Independence Days: Mexico (September 16), Argentina (July 9), Brazil (September 7), Colombia (July 20). These often turn into long weekends.
• Christmas/New Year: Many companies shut down for two full weeks.

Put these on your shared calendar from day one.

And respect them. Don’t schedule deadlines around them. Don’t expect people to work through them.

This isn’t about being nice. It’s about being professional.

What Success Actually Looks Like

By day 90, you should have:

• A team member who knows what’s expected and delivers consistently.
• Communication patterns that work for both of you.
• Trust. They trust you to give clear direction and support. You trust them to execute without constant oversight.
• A relationship. Not just a working arrangement. You should know a bit about their life. They should feel comfortable asking questions. There should be some rapport beyond just task assignment.

If you have those things, you’ve set up something sustainable.

What Happens After 90 Days

The first 90 days are intense.

Lots of communication. Lots of adjustment. Lots of learning on both sides.

But if you do it right, month four gets easier. Month six is smooth. By month twelve, you can’t imagine your team without them.

I’ve seen companies build entire departments in LATAM. Start with one person. Nail the process. Then scale.

The ones who succeed don’t treat LATAM hiring as “outsourcing” or “offshoring.”

They treat it as hiring great people who happen to live in a different place.

That mindset shift changes everything.

Your first 90 days set the tone for that relationship.

Make them count.