As businesses expand so does the remote team approach. In this new landscape, the value of remote working has never been higher.
It also comes down to the seasoned talent and their ability to deliver quality work, regardless of location.
Today, what was once thought as a trend, has become for many companies a logical step, if not the next stage in their business as a way to continue competitive while reducing costs and adjusting to possible unforeseen shifts in the market. Partnering with an experienced partner allows businesses to continue on this beneficial path, gaining access to support and skilled labor. However, when deciding to outsource talent, there’s more than just making sure it’s the right fit for your business. It’s important to have the right tools and mindset to efficiently manage a remote team. Knowing what to do and how to do it is crucial as it’s tied with productivity and delivery.
At Nearshore Portugal, over the years, we’ve learned many things about building and managing remote teams. Whether you have a big business or small, with an abundance of resources or limited access to a talent pool, when it comes to being remote, it’s more than possible to scale your business with the right people and with the right nearshore partner.
How can you manage a remote team? Consider this your go-to guide!
When hiring a remote team, take your time
Time is money, but taking the time to hire the right talent will ensure you don’t waste both. When selecting an individual to join your current team or when choosing specific people to build one, there are plenty of things to take into consideration that you won’t find on a resume.
At Nearshore Portugal, we focus on more than presenting talent. We specialize in building teams that harbor the proper skills, and knowledge to fit your company’s culture and goals. However, as in any business partnership, both parties need to be involved. In this case, that means the hiring process. It’s crucial you take an active part in the interviewing process as a means of getting to know who you’ll be committing to. This is the perfect opportunity to asses each candidate in terms of their personality, work methodology and abilities.
Break down your company and project
Explaining who you are and what’s your vision is important. In this stage, it’s essential to describe in detail who are you as a company, goals, and target audience. Besides explaining why you’re different from the competition or why your business will revolutionize the market, it’s critical to make clear in detail what is your project. This will serve as a great approach in providing understanding, and what will be expected from each member of the team in terms of tasks while also pass an important message: that you are engaged with your team, making sure no doubts are left to clarify, providing from the start a stage where everyone has a voice.
Being part of the company
Although part of your team may be a resource from your outsourcing provider, it’s important to make them feel like they are part of your company. This is even more important for those that are remote workers. Let them know you value their efforts, make sure communication is open and daily. Remember, the teams with the best performance are the ones that are passionate about what they do and feel appreciated for their dedication and hard work.
Provide direction
Even with remote workers, if you have the best talent there is, sometimes giving direction is needed and that’s ok. Providing support will show you’re available to guide and offer a helping hand. It also allows you to strengthen what needs to be done to ensure the workflow follows as expected and is delivered in the agreed deadline. In addition, give your team feedback whenever possible. This will allow them to receive valuable insights regarding their performance and progress, opening a window for further improvement.
Face-to-face communication
With a remote team, face-to-face communication is key. Besides being a great tool for collaboration which enhances communication, it becomes the basis of social and work relationships at a distance. In other words, regular live meetings are a necessity if you’re serious about working with a remote team. Keep in mind that this way communication is also a strategic tool as it turns into a time-savor and an efficiency-booster, allowing you to quickly connect to multiple people at the time, follow-up on each task and ensure each goal is being met.
With a remote team, trust goes a long way
Working with a nearshore team is all about trusting its experience in connecting organizations with the right talent. This means trusting the talent itself. By doing this, you’ll bring several benefits to both your project and your organization. Trust will be the guide for dedication, high levels of performance and motivation
As businesses continue to expand, remote teams will grow as well, becoming a strategy for organizations worldwide. With a virtual team at your side, you will gain a valuable alley focused on your businesses and its growth through experienced professionals from a trusted partner. Their success will be your success and it’s all about setting a foundation of engagement, collaboration, communication, transparency, and clear leadership.
