The Two Essentials You Need to Create and Manage a Remote Team

Using a remote team for your business is becoming an increasingly popular decision. Whether it’s because you are unable to safely have employees in your office due to health concerns, or simply because you want to cut costs, having a remote team appeals to a lot of businesses.

If you think this is something that you would like to do for your own business, you shouldn’t dive in just yet.

There are two essential things you need to ensure your remote team can work effectively, otherwise, it could end up causing you problems.

The Right People

The first thing you need to do is create your team. You need to have the right people on board, otherwise, your outsourced team won’t operate efficiently. To get this team, there are a few things you should do.

Start by conducting a wide search. Since you are working with people remotely, you don’t have to worry about hiring people in your local area. You can literally hire people from all over the world, allowing you to find the best possible candidates.

The best thing you can do is cast a wide net to start out, then slowly narrow it down based on what you’re looking for.

To cast this wide net, you should use a wide variety of websites. A great place to start is by posting your job opening on Indeed. This is a popular website where a lot of people go to look for a new job.

When listing your job, make sure you list it as a remote position so that people outside your area know they can apply.

Besides Indeed, you can also post your job opening on freelancing websites like UpWork and Freelancer. Hiring a freelancer is different than hiring an employee, so you’ll want to read up on some of the pros and cons of doing so.

If you think a freelancer would be a good fit for your position, then you should definitely consider posting on one of these platforms.

Finally, you could try a site like Toptal. Toptal is a freelancing platform that vets the freelancers for you, so you don’t have to spend as much time sifting through people who are not a good fit for your job. To learn more about how Toptal works, you can check out this Toptal review.

No matter which route you decide to go, it’s essential that you hire someone who is comfortable working remotely. Working remotely requires different skills than working in-person, and not everyone excels at it.

If you can, look to hire someone with experience working remotely, so that you know they are up for the challenge.

The Right Tools

Once you have your team in place, you’ll need the right tools in order to manage them. If you try to manage your remote team entirely through email, you’ll quickly find that things are not getting done as quickly as you’d like.

You need tools that will allow your team to quickly and efficiently work with one another, no matter where they are located. Here are the types of tools you’ll need:

Communication

To start, you’ll need tools your team can use to communicate with one another. For example, Zoom is a popular option for holding video conferences, while Slack can be used to send instant messages. Email is great, but it has its limitations.

Find tools that allow your team members to have conversations with one another quickly and without hassle in order to improve remote productivity.

File sharing

Next, you’ll need a way for your team to share files with one another. Unless each team member is working independently on their own thing, you’ll need a way to share and collaborate on different kinds of files.

Some popular storage and file-sharing options include Google Drive and Dropbox, but there are many others.

To determine which file-sharing tool is best for you, you’ll want to think about the type and size of files you’ll be sharing, along with whether you need the ability to have multiple team members working on the same file at once.

File editing

Besides sharing files, you may need some tools to edit files. Each member of your team should be able to open different kinds of files and edit them to keep things running efficiently.

For example, if one team member creates a PDF file, you’ll want the other team member to have a PDF editor so they can make changes. Think about the types of files you’ll be working with, then find the right tools that allow each team member to work on that file.

Project Management

To keep everything organized, you’ll want some kind of project management software. Project management software lets your team see the status of the project they are working on, track important changes, and share updates.

It’s a central location that each member can use to know what they are supposed to be working on and what everyone else is responsible for. 

Without solid project management software, you may find that your remote team becomes disorganized and mistakes are made. Here are some great project management software options to get you started.

Invoicing

Finally, if you decided to hire freelancers, you’ll need a system for managing invoices.

Each of the freelancers will be submitting you an invoice for their work, and you’ll want a reliable way to track this and send out payments. These invoicing software options are a good place to start.

Make Adjustments as You Go Forward

If you’ve never run a remote team before, it will take some time before you find the best system. The important thing is that you continuously study what you are doing and look for ways to improve. If a certain tool isn’t getting the job done for you, replace it.

Or if a certain team member is struggling to work remotely, talk to them about how you can make it easier for them. Keep adjusting and eventually, you’ll have a remote team that operates like a well-oiled machine.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/training-and-development/the-two-essentials-you-need-to-create-and-manage-a-remote-team/