Guest Post by Tina Martin from Ideaspired.com
Are you thinking of expanding your workforce by adding a remote team? When you’re used to your team members being within your physical workspace, hiring a remote team may feel strange. However, with a handful of wise strategies, you can find first- rate additions. Plus you can manage them in a manner that helps everyone on your team prosper.
Compensate for Weak Spots
Even the largest, most successful corporations have weak areas. And one of the smartest ways you can strengthen your overall company is to identify skill gaps in your staff. You can do this in two ways. This can be accomplished in terms of individuals or in terms of the company as a whole. Whether it’s with a specific project or the bigger picture, either can help point you toward how to address any weaknesses. Conduct your skills gap analysis , and from there, decide what specific roles are needed to pick up the slack.
Seek Out Assistance
With your assessment results in mind, try covering your needs through freelancers instead of a full-time remote team. Thanks to the growing gig economy, there are highly skilled freelancers available to fill virtually any niche. From architects to IT specialist, freelancers have your small business needs covered. To hire a quality remote staff, consider checking with a job board that specializes in freelancers. You may even decide to bring the freelancers on permanently or keep referring to them for ongoing support.
Another idea is to connect with a staffing agency. Similar in concept to a high-quality job board, these organizations qualify candidates so you can be certain of their abilities.
Stay on the Same Page
Before you choose candidates, you should assemble a plan for how you will manage everyone. Think about things like how you will share meeting information when your remote personnel can’t be there.
Try using a transcription service to make meeting conversations available for anyone. You can have a file prepared with notes verbatim from your meeting recordings. It’s more convenient than asking an attendee to take minutes. Which allows all those in attendance to stay engaged with the conversation at hand, rather than writing down that conversation.
Make sure to schedule meetings when all are available and utilize online meeting software to stay in touch. There are video, audio, and screen sharing options. Plus, some even allow you to record meetings so your remote staff still enjoy optimal flexibility.
Establishing communication standards and tools ensures your whole team – in-house and remote – stays on the same page. Think through what is best in your situation, and make plans and adjustments accordingly.
Screening Candidates
Regardless of which direction you choose, Cio notes well-developed interview questions can help you find your best candidates. For instance, find out how much remote experience they have, what tools they use, and what their workspace is like. Knowing how prepared prospects are tell you a lot about them.
- How serious they are about the position.
- How much dedication they will have to the team.
- If you’ll be happy working together.
Ensure Best Practices
Once you select your ideal candidates, the trick to managing them is to establish a strong connection with them. Remote teams can feel isolated and disengaged. But you can change this. Making sure they’re fully informed of business tasks at all times and actively listening to them will help them stay engaged.
Sharing meeting information is one great step toward inclusion, but it doesn’t stop there. Ensure all have appropriate opportunities to provide input and feedback. Remain available and responsive to inquiries, and whenever possible schedule face-to-face interactions. This could be in the form of lunch meetings or an all-hands meeting once or twice a year. Take into account distances and budgeting, and decide how to apply the concept to your business.
With good planning, remote workers can fill in your business’s weak spots. Search for first-rate candidates and manage them in a manner they feel included. Ensure your team has the information needed to be successful. Even if you’re used to in-house staff, with smart strategies you’ll ensure a prosperous venture for all involved.