Adding remote staff via outsourcing is a popular choice with companies for a variety of reasons. It allows businesses to adjust during busy times, effectively schedule projects for new clients, or even automate day-to-day operations. However, one of the most complex things to consider is how to manage remote staff when outsourcing.
This is particularly true when you plan on adding teams of outsourced employees to assist your in-house staff. In this article, we share some useful tips for managing remote staff effectively, keeping everyone on the same page!
1. Share Your Expectations in the Hiring Stage
Stating your expectations of remote staff as early as possible is one of the most effective ways to manage them. If you have a specific project flow in your company, or use a particular app to keep things organised, introducing this to prospective employees can help you to find staff that match your criteria.
2. Keep Communication Lines Open
The next thing to consider is how you stay in touch with remote staff. Each worker will likely have their own preferred method of contact, however, it’s essential to keep things manageable on your end. We would recommend finding a middle-ground app, such as Skype, to keep all your conversations in one place.
Other tips for staying in touch with employees could include:
- Setting up a group chat with all remote workers
- Hiring individuals that are in the same time zone as your in-house team
- Scheduling weekly (or monthly) 1 on 1 meetings with employees
- Don’t be afraid of small talk
3. Hire a Manager For Larger Teams of Outsourced Staff
If you want to make the process easier, hiring a manager to oversee larger teams could be something to consider. There are many ways of doing this, however, it may be useful to have an in-house member of staff take care of this. It allows them to report back to you directly so that you’re always in the loop.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that one member of staff must become a permanent manager. It could be added to their list of responsibilities, with something less important being delegated elsewhere.
4. Be Willing To Adjust
When hiring remote staff, it’s important to remember that everyone has a unique way of doing things. These individuals will likely be chopping and changing throughout tasks daily, so they have come up with their own processes to optimise time.
By being open to these different routines, you can enable your remote staff to complete the required work in a time-effective way. It could also be worth discussing each worker’s schedule and method during the interview stage, to get a better understanding of how each task will be fulfilled.
5. Provide Valuable Training Resources
Finally, having a host of training resources available to remote staff will help them to work effectively. It will also free up some of your time, with fewer questions being asked. Remote employees can simply refer back to the provided resources, should they be stuck during any part of a task.
Some methods of training outsourced employees could include:
- Putting them in touch with in-house staff.
- Providing them with access to tools or software that streamlines the process.
- Creating and uploading guides for them to follow.
- Finding useful resources on websites such as YouTube and creating a playlist.
Remember, the goal of training remote staff should focus on providing information in bitesize chunks, while also respecting their time.
Hire Talented Remote Staff With BOST
Looking to hire talented remote staff? We got you covered. Our experienced team can help you to find employees that match the requirements of your company. With a comprehensive outsourcing to Macedonia service, we can help your business to save time and money, without sacrificing quality. Book a free consultation with us today!
