Many modern businesses can only function because they use remote employees to help them get their work done. Because it’s often cheaper to hire people to work remotely, businesses think that this option will be easier than having to bring in employees to a centralized location. And while this can be the case, some businesses have found that working with and managing remote employees can be very challenging in unique ways. So to help you navigate this unfamiliar terrain, here are three tips for running a business with remote employees.
Know Exactly What You Need Before Hiring
Just knowing that you need additional help isn’t enough to ensure that you get the employees you need when hiring remotely. To ensure that you get the right people on board with you, you need to know exactly what you’re looking for before you being the hiring process. According to Jeff Rose, a contributor to Inc.com, personality matching is just as important with remote employees as it is with in-house employees. Knowing this, it’s crucial that you know the personalities that you want to be working with for remote employees, like those that are self-starters, can follow directions well, and are great communicators. When you know this information before you hire, you’ll have a better chance of making a solid hiring decision from the get-go.
Set Appropriate Expectations
Because you won’t be seeing or even speaking with your remote employees on a daily basis, it’s vital that they’re aware of what’s required of them for their job. This means you’re going to have to take on the responsibility of setting appropriate expectations. According to Nathan Oulman, a contributor to Shopify.com, this includes detailing things like contracts, scheduling, and workflow. As long as the right expectations are set, you should feel confident in your ability to work effectively with remote employees.
Train Employees On Your Processes
Once you get to the point where you need to start bringing on remote employees, you’ve probably figured out what it takes to get the work you need done in a timely manner. To help your remote employees figure this out, Emily Morgan, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you teach your processes to your remote employees. This will help to ensure that they’re doing their work the way you like and that they can keep up with whatever workload you have ready for them.
Working with remote employees can be a great way to accomplish work at a fraction of the price. To make sure this endeavor happens successfully for your business, consider using the tips mentioned above the next time you’re working with remote employees.
Originally posted on May 21, 2018 @ 1:29 pm