As I check my emails sitting in my office in Plano, I get a call from our sales manager in Noida office (situated near Delhi) about a client query (with the client situated in LA). Some years back this complicated scenario must have sounded overwhelming, but not anymore. It is possible to work with remote team seamlessly and effectively located in not just one location but multiple locations. It is possible to extend your in-house team with a team of experts working remotely, and yes, it is possible to hire remote professionals for a business requirement without having the trouble to put together an in-house team. With the emerging technologies, you need a variety of technical skills that are in demand, expensive and difficult to find. Hiring in-house professionals with specialized skills can be costly, time-consuming and impractical in the long run.
The solution – hire remote workers.
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Remote workers are becoming more and more relevant for the business. In one of our recent blogs, we talked about how people have myths related to the concept of remote working and why you shouldn’t worry about it. You can hire professionals who are proficient at their work for a specific business requirement or a project requirement. There are several ways you can adopt to ensure that the remote team delivers as per your expectations.
Key to make remote working ‘work’
The key to make remote working deliver results is to set the expectations right. Factors like availability, communication and collaboration tools and standards can be agreed once the expectations are clearly understood. If you have all remote team members on the same page, it will help to execute a project seamlessly and smoothly.
I have collated a few points that have delivered great results while trying to work with clients around the globe. ISHIR’s remote working team has extensive knowledge about the tools, standards, and processes to follow to deliver successful projects.
- Set SMART goals
You need to create goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timeline. It is also essential that your own team members and remote workers understand the goals clearly and are also clear about their role and responsibilities.
- Agree on availability
It is not possible for the client’s team or remote working professionals to be available around the clock. It is especially true when the professionals are working in different time zones. There must be mutually agreeable ‘office work hours’ time decided before the beginning of the project. You can also mutually agree on situations when you need to escalate urgent matters and need the presence of one of the team members urgently.
- Use tools to communicate, collaborate and manage tasks
There are several free and paid online and offline software tools that are available to help you manage effective communication, collaboration and manage tasks efficiently. You can discuss and standardize the use of such tools between your team and the team of remote workers so that there are no major roadblocks in working towards the deliverables. Some examples of communication (you can even have video calls) tools are Skype and GoToMeeting, you can collaborate using Slack, and tools to manage tasks such as Asana and Trello.
- Setup regular meetings
Regular and clear communication can enhance productivity, and boost understanding between all team members.
Daily standups or status meetings are essential to resolve issues, find solutions and get the team on the same page. It also helps you understand the project timeline and the efficiency of the remote team. These meeting should be quick, focused and the agenda should be circulated beforehand. Agree on a format or track the tasks with the help of online tracking software tools. Remote team members must not be add-ons to such meetings but an extension of your deliver team.
- Establish meaningful relationships
Recognize and appreciate remote team members for accomplishments. You can even reward the remote team members for significant achievements, for example, treat them a lunch or a weekend getaway. Nothing boosts productivity like a few words of appreciation.
If you are searching for remote workers with technical skills, ISHIR has a team of experienced, talented and resourceful professionals. Let’s discuss your business requirements.
By: Katie Johns