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How to Put Together a Quality Remote Team for Your Business

Putting together a qualified team of professionals to build your business is a multi-faceted job; not only do you have to consider how well they’ll fit for the actual position, but it’s also important to think about how to keep them motivated, how to make sure they stay on task, and how to handle salaries and benefits. These same things apply to a business run by a remote team, only you have to figure out how to do it without ever seeing your employees face-to-face. It can be done, but it takes a little creativity to pull it off successfully.

One of the easiest ways to vet a team is to use all the internet resources at your disposal. There are many websites these days that help employers find the right people for their business, and there are several online and physical tools that will assist you in your search. Some offer access to full-time employees, while others are focused on temps who can help you get through a specific time frame. Do a little research to figure out which sites are right for you.

Some other considerations to make include the suggestions outlined below.

Looking for Freelancers

Freelancers have become popular in recent years due to the number of companies willing to hire remote employees, and there are countless professionals you can hire for just about any job: designers, writers, editors, and web developers, just to name a few. Consult a job board provided by staffing companies like Upwork, which can connect you with the right person. Keep in mind that even temporary jobs could potentially lead to full-time hires if you really love their work.

 

Keeping Communication Open

When your team is entirely remote, it’s essential to keep communication open so that everyone is on the same page. Streamline your messaging system and make sure each team member receives the same training. Without organization and effective ways of delivering information, it will be nearly impossible to maintain a successful business. Each employee should be using the same technology, and they should all be aware of your expectations. Keep in mind that with remote jobs, one miscommunication can create a long thread of mistakes.

 

Starting with the Right Tools

It will be pretty difficult to ensure that your team is on the same page if you don’t start out with the right business tools, so research the best free resources that you can utilize to keep everyone motivated and on track. Make good use of Google’s many business resources, such as Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, so that everyone on the team can keep track of projects and communicate within them for more efficiency.

 

Retain Transparency

Because you won’t be able to hold face-to-face meetings or check in on your employees throughout the day as much as you would if you had an office environment, it’s important to remain transparent and help them stay engaged so you can get your remote employees involved in decision-making and creating goals. You’ll also need to ensure you listen to their concerns. This will help everyone stay on the same team even when they’re separated by distance.

Putting together and managing a remote team for your business can take some time and hard work, so it’s important to make sure you don’t wait until the last minute to do your research. Once you have your team assembled, ask for their input so you can provide for their needs as much as possible. Hold regular meetings, and structure them so that you can communicate with each team member as a whole as well as individually. This will allow you to stay on top of any issues and keep track of the status of projects.

 

By guest writer Tina Martin, from ideaspired.com.