While hiring remote staff has benefits such as saving money and more importantly, time, there are a couple of things to watch out for.
These things can make or break your experience with remote staff, as you can see by the polarizing reviews on the internet. The majority of those reviews are either overly positive or overly negative, where they cite how much easier their lives have become, while others will rant about how they wasted their time and money. This is aimed at all those of you who are looking for a different solution for your financial needs.
DO – CHOOSE A PARTNER WHO YOU CAN TRUST
When you’re looking for a remote staffing company to handle the staff who will manage your finances, you want someone you can count on. Make sure you do your due diligence, do research, look at reviews, make some calls, contact the remote staffing company and make sure you know who you’re partnering with.
The same holds true for the actual work side of the partnership. If you’re partnered with someone who promises to take care of the HR, IT, and recruitment aspects of your remote staff, hold them to it.
DON’T – KEEP YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES IN THE DARK
Hiring remote staff will usually cause a wave of discomfort with your current staff. There will be concerns about being replaced. Explaining how the remote staff will affect them, is one way to keep everyone calm. Remote staff is there to make everyone’s lives easier, they take over all the non essential aspects of jobs so that your boots on the ground can focus on what they need to do.
DO – MAKE SURE YOU HIRE THE RIGHT FIT
As obvious as it sounds, you should hire someone who can do the job. Less obvious is that you should look for a candidate who also fits in well with your company and culture. Someone with the right skills can be plugged in right away and told to work, but if they don’t fit in with your company there is a chance they won’t last long. Someone with a like minded attitude and views is more likely to stay and be successful than someone who doesn’t share your company’s view and mission.
DON’T – FORGET WHERE YOUR REMOTE STAFF IS LOCATED
If your remote staff is from another country, chances are some of your idioms and slang will be missed on them. Using the US as an example, slang is different from state to state, culture is also different. This effect is much more prevalent when dealing with people outside your country. Culture is a huge part of who you are and it’s not something that is easily changed. Take this into account when you hire someone outside of your country. Oftentimes the remote staffing company you partner with will give you a crash course on this, if they don’t, try and ask for it.
DO – TRAIN YOUR STAFF
This one might seem weird as you should be presented with candidates who have all the skills you require. This is more on training your new staff on how to do things your way. An onboarding might be in order if you’re also going to introduce your new staff to the culture of your company as opposed to having them interact with your other staff. Eliminate the guesswork for your staff, have the culture and proper processes explained to them.
On another note, if you hired a candidate who isn’t yet familiar with the software you use, but they know all the tax laws, the proper procedures that need to be followed in your country, etc., make sure they undergo training and/or certification for said program. It’s easier to train a skill into someone as opposed to company culture.
DON’T – GET RID OF YOUR ENTIRE FINANCE DEPARTMENT
You’re hiring remote staff to save on costs and time which is understandable. It is an exciting idea on exactly how much you save with a remote finance worker, lower salary costs, saving space in the office, and most importantly saving time. It is important however, to keep at least 1 in-office financial expert who can check the work done by your new remote staff. Remember, remote staff is there to make your staffs’ lives easier, not to completely replace them. You want a system of checks and balances in order to keep your financial statements in proper order.
DO – BE CLEAR WHEN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES
This is extremely important as a simple misunderstanding can throw off your books, payroll, and any other important facet of finance. Make sure that your staff understands what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. Going an extra step, explain why they’re doing it and you’ll see an improvement in their efficiency.
Wrap Up
While it may seem daunting to go out and find remote staff to help your business grow, if you keep these tips in mind you’ll end up coming out on top. One last note, your chosen remote staffing partner will also be there to assist you. A Majority of these companies have years of experience and will know what they’re talking about, their advice might make or break your remote staffing experience.