MAS Recruiting-Executive Search Blog

Emma Grace Brown is a guest writer for our blog.  She wrote a great article and I wanted to share it with our readers.

Internet technology is a field that lends itself well to remote work. Techies can collaborate from virtually anywhere on the globe. Of course, it’s not just about how people work together – you also have to consider their qualifications, experience, and ability to work in a remote team environment. Managed correctly, a remote team can be composed of the best of the best in your industry.

Who Do You Need?
As part of the pre-launch business planning process, give thoughtful consideration to the type of employees you need to hire. This might include a mixture of project managers, team leaders, contractors, and freelancers. Write a job description for each role that outlines necessary qualifications and responsibilities in the position. Also consider the traits that make for a good remote employee – the ability to manage time well, juggle multiple competing priorities, and be a self-starter and good communicator. Sketching out these details in advance of interviews will help, whether you go through an online job board or a recruiter or ask for referrals in your industry.

Finding the Best People
One of the best things about hiring a remote tech staff is that location is not an issue – you can hire the absolute best people in the world without asking them to relocate. Of course, time differences and language barriers need to be taken into consideration to ensure good communication and the ability to co-work, but the bottom line is that using remote workers opens your hiring pool by a significant degree. You might also ask colleagues, trusted advisors, mentors, and even your alma mater for recommendations. Industry organizations are also useful for finding top talent, especially in niche tech fields.

Managing Your Team
To effectively manage your remote team, schedule regular team meetings, one-on-one discussions with direct reports, and regular virtual checks-ins regarding progress and updates. Your staffers should feel like they can reach out to you for guidance at any time.

Also consider the benefits of using an online payroll platform that offers features like automatic payroll scheduling, same-day deposits, and tax filing.  Using a smartphone payroll service that’s compatible with both iOS and Android gives you the ability to manage payroll directly from your smartphone.

Developing Best Practices
Since communication is essential for a remote team, make sure everyone is on the same page from the start. Develop training manuals and best practices around project management and client interaction, and set expectations about group tasks. A project management or tracking program can help ensure everyone is sharing information and working from the same data sets and deadlines. Your best practices should also touch on cybersecurity, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to ensure your company, employees, and clients are protected. This should include information on how information is collected, stored, used, and shared, and detail who has access, rights, and permissions to various areas of operations.

Hiring a remote team offers a lot of benefits and gives you the chance to hire the best professionals in your industry. According to CIO, you can keep staffers happy by providing opportunities for growth and development, and foster relationships between team members so they work as a cohesive unit. Invite feedback as well – diverse opinions and inputs can help your company grow and evolve in positive and meaningful ways.

If you’re in the market for tech professionals, MAS Recruiting can connect you to top performers in the field. Reach out for additional information.

Photo by Pixabay​

Sharon Wagner reached out to me and wanted to be a guest writer on our blog.  As a senior herself, Sharon Wagner understands that an older body and mind impacts the daily lives of many seniors. She created SeniorFriendly.info to offer advice geared specifically toward seniors to help them make healthier choices and enjoy their golden years.

I wanted to share it with my readers as well.

​Do you plan to work after retirement? You’re not alone, and you could be making a very smart move for your retirement income. That’s because recent research shows that seniors who work after retirement, whether it’s in their dream job or in a gig position, tend to have more financial resources to help reduce stress and boost quality of life during their golden years. Figuring out which job will be best for you and how to start your post-retirement career can be tricky, though. If you want to work after your retirement, the following tips—which include examples of part-time jobs and ways technology can boost your job efforts—can help.
 
Explore Insurance Industry Options
 
Working in insurance can open up a variety of employment opportunities for seniors. If you think this may be the best bet for your post-retirement employment, you should start your job search by using sites like Glassdoor to research insurance companies. Glassdoor is a great resource for job seekers in any industry, since this site makes it easy to find in-depth information about specific companies and even check out employment reviews from current and former staff members. In addition to all of these helpful tidbits, you can also use Glassdoor to search for current job openings. These helpful features make websites like Glassdoor one-stop shops for job-seeking seniors.
 
Boost Income With a Smartphone
 
When you work as a freelancer or in sales during retirement, you need a smartphone that will help you communicate with clients and track your schedule. Getting an upgraded phone is ideal if you want to get tasks done on the go. You may even be able to find deals that will give you hundreds of dollars off your new device. Having a powerful smartphone is crucial for most jobs these days, but your phone can make you money in other ways, too. You can take surveys, scan receipts, or even sell your old stuff for some added income, and you can complete all of these simple money-making tasks from a smartphone.
 
Find a Job With Health Benefits
 
Working after retirement can supplement your income but it can also require more considerations regarding your Medicare benefits. If you plan on working full-time after your 65th birthday, for instance, you may decide that delaying Medicare coverage is a smart move for your finances. You could rely solely on your company-provided health insurance plan, or you could combine that coverage with Medicare to give yourself more care options. If you choose the latter, just be aware of which policy kicks in first for specific healthcare costs. Even if you do not want to work full-time, there may be companies that can offer you additional healthcare benefits. Companies like Lowe’s, Starbucks and Best Buy all provide benefits to part-time workers.
 
Think About a Part-Time Position
 
Finding a part-time position that also offers healthcare coverage can be tricky, but as you can see from the paragraph above, it is possible. Most of those positions will be in the retail or food service sector, which can severely limit your employment choices. If you do not want to work in retail or food service, and you do not need insurance benefits, there are other part-time jobs to consider. You can earn some extra retirement income by walking dogs, preparing taxes, or tutoring students. The benefit of these part-time positions is that you can also do most of them from the comfort of your own home. You will want to set up a functional home workspace before you start, though, since working from home can come with some challenges for your productivity.
 
Working in retirement can provide some big benefits for your finances and your overall well-being. So whether you are looking for a boosted income, an improvement in health, or just looking for other benefits, try to find a job that will help you make the most of your golden years. As much as those benefits can matter for your financial stability and your health, having the time to enjoy your retirement is equally important for your overall quality of life.