DELEGATE – this is a word I have often used in previous blog posts. Prioritizing your time and focusing on doing what you do best and delegating the rest is key to growing your business. When I bring this up with my clients, I often hear a lot of skepticism and fear of turning over certain tasks. That is why I am pleased to bring you a guest post from my friend, Tina Martin, on how to properly choose and vet remote workers so you can rest easy. Let me know your thoughts!
Guest post by Tina Martin, Life Coach and Creator of Ideaspired.com
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve likely noticed that remote work has exploded within the last year. While working from home used to be something solely associated with mass-market cookware and beauty MLMs, today most desk jobs can be done remotely. And as a business owner, there are plenty of perks for you — if you choose your workers wisely.
Why Hire Remotely?
First, having remote employees is part of a smart business strategy. It allows you to have a broader group of talent so that you can bring the best products and services to your clients. The Undercover Recruiter also suggests that a remote staff is happier and more productive, more diverse, and can actually save you money in overhead. Just as importantly, remote work is becoming the norm. Many employees, especially in IT and other tech-centric roles, prefer to work from home. You’ll have a better chance of putting together a solid staff if you don’t limit yourself to only those who can show up for a 9-to-5 job.
How to Protect Your Business
Despite the benefits, there are some inherent risks of hiring remotely. One is that it’s more difficult to establish a meaningful relationship with your employees. This means you don’t really get to know them unless you make a conscious effort to break away from the grind for things like videoconferencing one-on-ones or in-person retreats.
One of the biggest issues with not being able to get to know your employees is that you may overlook issues in their past that might cause problems. Doing a background check can help alleviate some of this worry, but you still have to protect your assets in the off chance your employees — or yourself — run into trouble. You can keep your personal finances guarded against legal action by forming an LLC. Although the rules and regulations vary from state to state, using a formation service can help you get the job done without breaking up too many expenses. Further, there are some tax advantages, and you can grow your business with whatever management structure you choose as an LLC.
Choosing the Right People
Hiring a remote staff is similar to putting together an in-person team. The biggest difference is you must first decide which jobs you are comfortable with not being able to supervise in real time. Next, decide on working hours. Keep in mind that a worker in England won’t have the same daylight hours as your US-based workforce. As a result, this can create lags and stall time-sensitive projects. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use online collaboration software to keep everyone on the same page.
When you are writing your job description, make sure to include that the position is remote and note any expectations you have, such as if they must work for a stationary location or if the job is suitable for those who travel. You’ll also want to conduct Zoom interviews; Career Protocol lists several online interview tips for employees which you can use to measure the professionalism of your interviewee.
Always ask for an expected salary range. Your employees may expect a higher or lower paycheck depending on where they live. If you have multiple potential employees with a vastly different dollar amount in mind, it may be time to revisit how you pay your remote workers. Start out with a fair salary based on your location and the experience required to do the job.
Having remote employees is no longer considered weird or impractical. The coronavirus pandemic taught us that many jobs can be done remotely without the expense and hassle of maintaining an office. There are things to consider and legal matters to attend to just as with a brick-and-mortar setting. Although it might still be a new situation, remote workers are here to stay, and getting on board now is the best way to prepare your company for growth in the future.