marketing, technology

4 Pillars for Building a Remote Workforce

remote-workforcePopularity of working remote has increased since 2005. Per Global Workplace Analytics, the latest in telecommuting statistics state that: “Regular work-at-home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 115% since 2005, nearly 10x faster than the rest of the workforce.”

Not only is it a popular job perk but there are several benefits of a remote team. They are:

  • Garner the best talent, regardless of location.
  • Ability to provide clients with more comprehensive support coverage. [24/7/365]
  • Increased flexibility may offer a better quality of life for some, like:
    • Lessening a commute
    • Flexible schedule for working moms and dads
    • Ability to work outside of general working hours

The following are 4 pillars to building out a top-notch remote workforce.

1.The Right Talent. Finding and on-boarding talent can be a challenge for any business. Finding the right talent for a remote workplace can be even more difficult.  There are specific skills to look for in a candidate as well as effective steps to on-board your talent that can makes things easier. When hiring the right talent make sure you ask the right questions to get an understanding of  their past work experience. Questions like,

  • Have they worked in a remote job before?
  • Have they ever been in business for themselves before?
  • Have they made lateral moves within the same company?

Get face to face with an interview and look for other signs indicative of a quality remote workforce candidate. Are they OK with asking for help? You can tell if they probe with questions seeking clarity during the interview. Setting clear expectations of the job role right from the get go during the interview will help you both understand if the partnership will be symbiotic.

On-boarding your talent is also another integral step. In order to ensure success, provide training opportunities on software used, provide playbooks for internal processes, SOPs (standard operating procedures) that must be followed, and any SLAs (service level agreements) that must be met. It will be important for your remote newbie to also have someone they can shadow for a brief period of time to help them get acclimated. A mentor so to speak, someone who will be there to teach them the ropes and someone they can depend on to answer questions in the beginning.

2. Align Company Culture. Build a culture of leadership and empower your remote workers by providing autonomy instead of micromanagement and ensure the management team is ready to provide that autonomy. Nothing’s worse than being overly directed from someone who is many miles away or wasting time to answer their constant questions. Which leads me to the next part. Provide some fun! Setting up event functions like going to a movie, the bar, or perhaps something that promotes team building like an escape room, can help bring people together for fun and provide an opportunity to break away and bond.

If remote workers are too far away from each other then try inventive ways to bring them together like, setting up an Xbox for your ‘gamer workforce’. This way they can play and challenge each other while enjoying some fun during their lunch breaks or after hours.

Encourage conversation and create a way to say ‘Thank You’. Set up a virtual water cooler. This will help manage moral and build comradery. Use group chat tools like Slack, Yammer, etc. to establish a friendly, casual place to post updates about work, life, and of course, memes. Because we all know a high-quality meme can bring a smile that may turn a day around. For minimal effort, you can create a sense of connection that can also preserve motivation.

3. Foster Effective Communications. art-communicationCommunication is a major key to remote workforce success. Anyone who has ever experienced working remotely can attest to this statement. Ensure you have the proper channels in place to streamline information and open the door for transparency and communication amongst all your workforce. Incorporate daily communication through the use of internal chat tools, quick check-ins, and visibility into each other’s calendars.

Process and documentation are super important factors of effective communication for a remote workforce. You cannot be efficient without process. When processes are well documented, trained on, and transparent, the bottom line can mean the difference between a customer and a raving fan. Ensure your remote workforce has a clear understanding of business processes. Set clear expectations of service level agreements and transparency of metrics and KPIs gathered.

4. technologyInvest in Efficient Technology. No doubt today’s technology can empower your remote workforce. Procure simple to use tools to help manage service delivery, communications, and your resources. Added bonus if you can obtain a suite of business solutions from a single vendor. The convenience of working with few vendors can enable your remote team to level up.

At the end of the day focus on the basics to ensure you’re getting the right candidates through the door, align your company culture, encourage communication and award for it. All these pieces along with using the right tools can set your remote team up for success.