How to Pull Together a Remote Team That Boosts Your Business
by Tina Martin
March 8, 2021
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Are you thinking about jumping into hiring remote workers, but you’re not sure how to realistically make that happen? This booming trend offers big benefits to both employers and workers, but actualizing it is not always a straightforward process. Here’s what you need to know about both assembling and managing a remote team that gives your business a boost.
Starting With the Cream of the Crop
As Business.com explains, there may be some situations in which freelancers are a better hiring solution than other types of staff. This option allows you to search for top talent at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise. You can search for unique qualifications, and thanks to online freelance platforms, you can find all the talent you could want in whatever skill set you need, on-demand. Need a new commercial for social media? Search for a proven video marketer to tell your story and attract new customers.
There are also potential drawbacks that can go with hiring freelancers, such as missed deadlines, ineffective communication, and lack of commitment. As you research your candidates, examine evaluations from previous employers, and prepare a list of questions to ask each potential hire. In addition to qualifications, finding out things like what sort of tech they are using, what hours they normally keep, and whether they work in a fee-based or hourly mode will tell you a lot about how well they can fulfill your needs.
In the end, one of the perks of freelance workers is the opportunity to test drive them, and if things don’t work out, you can always move on. And if they do work out, you have the option of wooing them into a permanent position. It’s always preferable to hire a worker who is a relatively known quantity, and when you find a gem, it’s a great way to ensure they stick around.
Taking the Helm from Afar
When you aren’t used to overseeing remote workers, it’s easy to feel like a fish out of water at first. After all, if they aren’t clocking in and out and you don’t actually see them doing anything, things can feel complicated quickly. Thankfully, with the growth of remote work, appropriate tools have flourished. From communication platforms such as Slack to document signing apps, you can do all the things you need to do from near or far. For instance, you can use Slack to create project-specific channels for your team members to keep everyone on the same page.
Beyond basic software tools, you should also embrace some different management techniques. For instance, clear deadlines are a must with your freelancers, and you need to have some recourse when those deadlines aren’t met.
Another must-have is firming up your employment arrangement and how the relationship will be structured. This can come through the hiring platform, or you could draw up a contract that outlines your agreement. Ultimately, it’s a benefit to both you and the worker to have things spelled out one way or another since you eliminate uncertainties on both sides of the equation.
Building Team Spirit
An essential element in any well-run organization is team spirit. You can cultivate your team’s culture through repetitive group actions, accountability, and maintaining an open environment. Keeping things judgment-free yet structured allows your workers to grow and develop both within the team and within their individual roles.
Regular meetings are an opportunity to reinforce company culture with remote team members. Because there aren’t face-to-face interaction throughout the workday, get-togethers provide everyone a check-in, with each other and with the organization as a whole. Think virtual coffee breaks, happy hours, and holiday parties. These events are a chance to talk about wins and losses, celebrate accomplishments, and get to know each other.
An effective remote team can be a boon to your business’ future. Select the right workers, add effective tools and techniques, and build a healthy team spirit. With your smart strategies, you can pull together a team that helps your company blossom.
For help developing remote-friendly management practices and facilitating your remote team’s growth and success, connect with Lead2Goals today at (949) 202-5763!
Tina Martin | Personal Fitness Instructor, Life Coach
After leaving her early career in business administration, Tina Martin turned her professional efforts to building a career in sectors that inspired her. Now a personal fitness instructor and life coach, Tina has found that her life quickly changed for the better once she made the decision that her ideas matter and that she is the author of her own life story, and finally that she can, and should be, her own inspiration. She believes that “if we all took that same approach to life, we’d all be much happier, and the world would truly be a better place for it!”
Her website, www.ideaspired.com, is a side project in an effort to reach a wider audience and encourage people to put their dreams first. She says, ” if you want to truly be happy, be your own inspiration!
Are you thinking about jumping into hiring remote workers, but you’re not sure how to realistically make that happen? This booming trend offers big benefits to both employers and workers, but actualizing it is not always a straightforward process. Here’s what you need to know about both assembling and managing a remote team that gives your business a boost.
Starting With the Cream of the Crop
As Business.com explains, there may be some situations in which freelancers are a better hiring solution than other types of staff. This option allows you to search for top talent at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise. You can search for unique qualifications, and thanks to online freelance platforms, you can find all the talent you could want in whatever skill set you need, on-demand. Need a new commercial for social media? Search for a proven video marketer to tell your story and attract new customers.
There are also potential drawbacks that can go with hiring freelancers, such as missed deadlines, ineffective communication, and lack of commitment. As you research your candidates, examine evaluations from previous employers, and prepare a list of questions to ask each potential hire. In addition to qualifications, finding out things like what sort of tech they are using, what hours they normally keep, and whether they work in a fee-based or hourly mode will tell you a lot about how well they can fulfill your needs.
In the end, one of the perks of freelance workers is the opportunity to test drive them, and if things don’t work out, you can always move on. And if they do work out, you have the option of wooing them into a permanent position. It’s always preferable to hire a worker who is a relatively known quantity, and when you find a gem, it’s a great way to ensure they stick around.
Taking the Helm from Afar
When you aren’t used to overseeing remote workers, it’s easy to feel like a fish out of water at first. After all, if they aren’t clocking in and out and you don’t actually see them doing anything, things can feel complicated quickly. Thankfully, with the growth of remote work, appropriate tools have flourished. From communication platforms such as Slack to document signing apps, you can do all the things you need to do from near or far. For instance, you can use Slack to create project-specific channels for your team members to keep everyone on the same page.
Beyond basic software tools, you should also embrace some different management techniques. For instance, clear deadlines are a must with your freelancers, and you need to have some recourse when those deadlines aren’t met.
Another must-have is firming up your employment arrangement and how the relationship will be structured. This can come through the hiring platform, or you could draw up a contract that outlines your agreement. Ultimately, it’s a benefit to both you and the worker to have things spelled out one way or another since you eliminate uncertainties on both sides of the equation.
Building Team Spirit
An essential element in any well-run organization is team spirit. You can cultivate your team’s culture through repetitive group actions, accountability, and maintaining an open environment. Keeping things judgment-free yet structured allows your workers to grow and develop both within the team and within their individual roles.
Regular meetings are an opportunity to reinforce company culture with remote team members. Because there aren’t face-to-face interaction throughout the workday, get-togethers provide everyone a check-in, with each other and with the organization as a whole. Think virtual coffee breaks, happy hours, and holiday parties. These events are a chance to talk about wins and losses, celebrate accomplishments, and get to know each other.
An effective remote team can be a boon to your business’ future. Select the right workers, add effective tools and techniques, and build a healthy team spirit. With your smart strategies, you can pull together a team that helps your company blossom.
For help developing remote-friendly management practices and facilitating your remote team’s growth and success, connect with Lead2Goals today at (949) 202-5763!
Tina Martin | Personal Fitness Instructor, Life Coach
After leaving her early career in business administration, Tina Martin turned her professional efforts to building a career in sectors that inspired her. Now a personal fitness instructor and life coach, Tina has found that her life quickly changed for the better once she made the decision that her ideas matter and that she is the author of her own life story, and finally that she can, and should be, her own inspiration. She believes that “if we all took that same approach to life, we’d all be much happier, and the world would truly be a better place for it!”
Her website, www.ideaspired.com, is a side project in an effort to reach a wider audience and encourage people to put their dreams first. She says, ” if you want to truly be happy, be your own inspiration!
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