Remote Staffing has long been a feasible and common solution for businesses, but it has increasingly become a practical option especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you just open a business or grow one, there will always be challenges and opportunities. It is up to you and your leadership how you will manage your business to thrive and grow.
Different issues require different solutions, unique opportunities call for a unique approach. Your strategy and how you address these challenges and potentials depend on many factors but one thing is conclusive – you need support.
You will come across hurdles and obstacles before you can realize your goals and dreams if you are a business owner. As a business owner, you probably came face to face with one of the following issues at some point in your life:
- financial limitations
- shortage of time
- ineffective online presence
- unable to find good employees
- burnout and fatigue
- lack of knowledge and expertise in some functions
- absence of infrastructure or space
One of the biggest challenges businesses of every size are facing right now is the pandemic. Last year, Fortune reported that out of hundreds of thousands of businesses that temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, almost 100,000 establishments have turned to permanent closures.
Remote staffing can be your solution in these situations and help you brave through your way to grow or recovery, whichever your current business situation is. It has proven that telecommuting, the general term for remote work and outsourcing, in 2015 saved employers $44 billion in total.
What is outsourcing and remote staffing?
Outsourcing is a corporate practice in which a business or company hires an outside organization to complete tasks, manufacture products, or provide services that are typically handled by the in-house employees and staff of a company.
Remote staffing, on the other hand, is hiring an individual or a team from overseas as an extension of your team. This practice is specific to a “person” unlike outsourcing which can be a product, service, or team of people.
Remote staffing has been around for years but attained more popularity when COVID-19 led to shutting down offices, leading to the new work system and setup. This practice becomes a solution to businesses struggling to operate without an office or budget.
When you recruit remote staff, you monitor and manage the staff the way you do with your in-house employees. The difference between remote staff and traditional employees is that remote individuals work from a place outside your registered business location.
Remote employees can operate from home, from a remote workplace, or their cars, as long as they are not tied to a certain location. They could be located only a few miles away or in a country on the other side of the globe.
The concept of virtual assistants comes with remote staffing.
What are remote staffing best practices?
Many businesses have been pressured to adjust to new work dynamics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, businesses are gradually transitioning to remote work and adopting the remote staffing practice.
If your company has to add new staff, remote staffing a virtual assistant will help you keep expanding and increasing even if your physical offices are closed for the time being.
The best practices listed below will help you maximize benefits and enjoy the process of remote staffing.
- Outline your remote recruiting strategy before publishing a job ad so that all concerned employees are aware of and appreciate the updates and how it will work.
- Make sure your job descriptions cover the tasks you need for that role and describe your ideal candidate.
- Pick the appropriate software. A remote work setup requires a lot of online engagement and cloud sharing so you may want to invest in a suitable
- Maintain regular communication with your remote staff. Some candidates may find remote recruitment as a fresh way to get hired but for virtual assistants remote recruitment is the normal process of getting a job and clients. After the hiring process, constant communication plays a major role in establishing a good relationship with your remote staff.
- Understand the challenges of remote work. Remote work and remote staffing is an ideal way to get your business up but it has its challenges. The four common struggles you may find yourself dealing with remote staffing are an unstable internet connection, less face time with colleagues, distractions, and communication congestions.
- Established productivity goals for remote workers. One of the reasons companies transition to remote work and staffing is because of the proven increase in productivity of employees. In a survey by CoSo Cloud, 77% of their remote workers confirmed improved productivity while working from home.
- Create a work culture suitable for remote staff. It is crucial to recognize that remote staff can join in the company’s community and feel like they’re a part of it.
- Organize projects then set realistic expectations. Not all tasks and functions can be delegated to remote staff. So review the tasks and separate tasks that can be accomplished by in-house staff. Customer service, digital marketing, and administrative tasks are functions a virtual assistant can expertly accomplish.
- With all the best practices mentioned above, your decision to go remote staff or in-house lies in your financial capabilities. Outsourcing tasks to a virtual assistant is more practical than hiring a team of in-house expert employees but it is not cheap.
Transitioning to a remote work setup for your business to keep running is a huge decision to make. If you find your business needing to convert to an online setup, and probably need your team or hire a remote team but has no idea where to start, VALUE Virtual Assistants can provide the staffing solutions for your business.
We match your requirements with the right virtual assistant or remote team. We help businesses like yours grow by increasing your workforce capabilities.
For more information and inquiries, contact info@value-va.com. For more contents like this, connect with us on our Linked In and Facebook Page.
