5 Essentials to Building a Successful Remote Team There are some important tactics to consider before hiring a telecommuting crew.
By Mike Swigunski Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The world has advanced in many ways since computers and the internet became ubiquitous. A mere 30 years ago, the average company would have never considered hiring a remote team that they would never see in person. Today, it's not only becoming more common, but in many cases is the preferred option. If you're leaning toward assembling a staff of telecommuters, keep this quintet of suggestions in mind.
1. Hire the right talent.
Even remote workers have a large amount of influence on who you are as a brand. This is why successful companies are very cautious about who they hire, from top to bottom. If you want to build a team that's motivated by more than just their paycheck, learn what they are passionate about, what goals and dreams they have for the future and why they want to work with you. Find ambitious and hard-working virtual employees with a positive mindset that fits into your brand identity.
You don't necessarily need to hire locally. External remote workers can be just as effective. Consider what the job requirements are, what your budget is, how long the position will be available and so on. If you hire a remote worker, make sure they are qualified and experienced in the role. Find the right candidate, and you might get hooked on hiring remote workers for future openings.
Related: Telecommuting Is Good for Employees and Employers
2. Set expectations before hiring.
Even the most seasoned remote workers are only as effective as their employers. If you want them to deliver quality work, you need to tell them what you expect from the start. Flexible schedules are becoming very common in the remote workforce, but outlining guidelines is still important. If the job requires working U.S. hours, make sure this is clear from the beginning, along with any other scheduling and job-specific expectations. Being transparent about the job will save you and your applicants loads of time.
3. KPIs are key.
Even the best management team in the world is subject to human error. This is why implementing a KPI (key performance indicator) system can help you monitor and confirm the progress of your employees. Ideally, you should have KPIs in place that aligns with your quarterly and yearly goals to track the progress for each role in your company.
To initiate KPIs, start by thinking back to what your goals are. Think about how each employee helps you reach that goal. Then find a way to accurately track their results. Usually, you can find a KPI for each employee that helps you determine their impact on your company's success. Ideally, you should also track your own efforts with KPIs in order to hold yourself accountable to the same standards you expect from your employees.
4. Communication is vital.
The only way you can feasibly replace a traditional office workplace with remote workers is with effective communication. In an office environment, people can just walk down the hall and knock on each other's door. In today's world, those conditions have frequently been replaced by digital tools. Applications like Slack and Zoom are popular among companies that hire remote workers because of their capability to send instant messages, schedule appointments, discuss day-to-day tasks, share files, run video conferences, etc. Without fluid and effective communication, a remote team will never be successful.
Related: 4 Reasons Working From Home Is the Future
5. Create a central hub.
When you run a successful business, there is usually a long list of tasks on your radar. Without a little bit of organization, you can easily start to forget things and lose track of your team's progress. Employees also can easily get sidetracked and lose focus on their main priorities. This is why it's important to create an organized hub of tasks and information. Platforms such as Trello, Asana and Monday are all popular management-software options to consider.
Ready to start?
Although the idea of hiring and managing a team of remote workers may seem a little unorthodox, more and more companies are starting to make the switch, and more employees are viewing it as a desired job perk. In the future, expect to see more people working completely remotely. If you want to stay on top of the latest trends in business, access a global economy of skilled professionals and even scale at a much faster pace, hiring a remote team is a great idea for your business to consider.
Would you like to learn more about building a successful remote team from Mike? Attend his free Entrepreneur Insider workshop How to Work From Anywhere and Build a Remote Team. He'll provide more great tips and answer your questions live.
