Building a Highly Effective Remote Workforce

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.

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