Introduction
Being profitable is not the only indicator of a successful business. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of not thinking about growth and scalability from the beginning stages of their company’s development. This stifles potential business success down the road. For any business to succeed in the long run, it is essential that its owners learn how to scale it. As you grow your business, it’s important to also consider how you will grow your team.
Although it can be complicated to expand a company, particularly when you have a remote team, as long as you recognize how to manage this difficulty, you’ll be fine. In this article, we provide 4 ways to successfully expand your remote team.
What you’ll learn
1. How to successfully expand your remote team?
1.1 Develop an candidate profile that would be ideal for the position
1.2 Create an effective work environment to boost productivity
1.3 Use digital tools to improve communication
How to successfully expand your remote team?
The primary distinction between working remotely and in an office is that you don’t have a physical location to go to or people to see face-to-face. Consequently, common strategies for onboarding or office team building won’t work with remote staff. Without being able to physically train new staffers together or hold company-sponsored social events, it can be tough to tell if your virtual workplace is prepared to grow. Companies can determine if they are prepared for growth by asking themselves the following questions:
- Do employees feel like they are an essential part of the team and company culture, or do they feel isolated?
- Which employees need additional guidance and feedback?
- Do employees know about the different ways they can grow within the company?
- How can managers provide adequate performance feedback for remote employees?
Companies need to solve these questions in order to have a remote team that is prepared to help the company grow. So, what are some ways companies can go about solving these issues?
1. Develop an candidate profile that would be ideal for the position
Never cut corners when hiring, especially not when you’re looking to grow your remote workforce. A single bad hire can have disastrous and long-lasting negative consequences.
With a smaller workforce, you can’t afford to waste time training newbies; therefore, carefully consider each candidate when making hiring decisions. When looking for the best remote workers, what qualities should you seek?
Acknowledging that remote work is not for everyone is the first step. Many people only discuss the positive aspects of working remotely: flexibility, being able to work from home, and having opportunities to travel and live a digital nomad lifestyle. Although fewer people are aware, there are several downsides to remote work: isolation, anxiety, and depression.
In order to prevent these negative consequences, employers should seek out employees who have the following qualities:
- Self-motivated individuals
- Excellent communication skills: Able to answer written and oral questions quickly and precisely
- Trustworthy and reliable
- Problem-solvers who are well-organized
2. Create an effective work environment to boost productivity
It’s usually simpler to develop a company culture when everyone is in the same office rather than remotely because there are more organic opportunities for face-to-face interactions. If your team is not in one physical location, it can be hard to make sure everyone sticks to a 9-5 workday, especially if they are in different time zones. If you work from home, you may find it difficult to keep your work life and personal life separate. Over time, this can make you less productive at work. It is essential to remind your employees of the core company values and find ways to make them relevant to everyone in the organization. A great way to make your team more productive is by giving them the freedom to control their own schedules.
3. Use digital tools to improve communication
The next crucial step to successfully scaling a remote team is communication. Since your staff will be situated in other parts of the globe, you must have strong digital tools to improve communication. Softwares like Zoom, Asana and Hubspot make remote work possible, they could ensure your team can work collaboratively and effectively no matter where they are at any time.
Cloud-based solutions are changing work by providing digital workspaces in addition to the classic office setting. By transitioning their business infrastructure to the cloud, companies can have more freedom over how they operate. Cloud-based technology gives users the ability to access data from any connected device. Some of the most user-friendly platforms out there are cloud-based tools like Xero and Dropbox. These help small businesses expand their operations without having to invest a lot of money in IT infrastructure.
4. Seek help from professional organizations
A Professional Employer Organization (PEO), is a company that, put simply, provides employee management solutions and meets the legal responsibilities of being an employer. PEOs offer their clients a variety of services that depend on the provider, but typically include managing payroll and onboarding processes, recruitment, administering benefits programs, and offering HR solutions. PEOs not only allow you to expand your hiring options, but also help you quickly enter new markets. You can build a global team before establishing your own company in different parts of the world. For more details, read our article: How PEOs Help you Hire Employees and Expand to New Markets?
Key takeaways
A top challenge of scaling a remote workforce is team cohesion. The right employees, cutting-edge tools, and a good company culture based on trust will help companies achieve revenue growth more quickly. Having a remote team enables you to tap into an increased level of productivity, providing more opportunities for success.
Let FastLane accelerate your growth. Our PEO service makes it easy for companies to hire and onboard international talent while remaining compliant with all regulations. Our HR team offers 24/7 assistance for employee payroll and benefits management, allowing you to focus on your daily operations.
To learn more about how FastLane can help your company scale your remote team, contact us or request a quotation today!