Staff outsourcing and working with contractors is at an all-time high. Some companies look for a workforce across the globe, and some prefer to stay local. Both, however, work virtually, with no need for a physical office. As numbers keep rising, many outsourcing trends are flooding the market.
Outsourcing remains popular, but it is certainly not a new trend. The years that previous generations spent working in displaced teams brought a lot of issues to the surface; as well as creative solutions and advice on how to handle them. Where many have failed, you may succeed if you only make sure to avoid the mistakes they have made.
If you are on the verge of launching an outsourced business, or if you are already struggling with management from afar, we hope these helpful tips can relieve you from your worries, at least a little bit.
Tracking your employees should be your daily activity
One of the big benefits of working remotely is that your boss can’t oversee your every move. But, if you are a boss, this can be a problem. If you have a new team, or a lot of young, inexperienced team members, they will require a lot of input, guidance, and let’s face it, control. They will create their work ethic and habits based on the input they get from you. And if you aren’t tracking them, it will be pretty difficult to do that.
Many see oversight as a sign that the boss doesn’t trust them. However, a lot of research has been done in various industries that shows that tracking improves performance. You don’t need to monitor all of your employees with the same vigilance, but make sure all of them are doing what they were hired for. That way you will make sure that the business isn’t suffering.
Focus on building interpersonal relations, even from afar
Once you have made sure that all of your employees are kept in check you can focus on creating stable, rich relationships with your employees. The fact that your contractors and teams are displaced should not be an obstacle. Technology can be a tool that helps you achieve your goals faster.
There are many things you can do to improve the relations with all of your staff members. Instead of turning to short conversations, brief exchanges, demands, and questions try to build up a more natural, fluent way of conversing. Just like you would do if that person was physically there. Ask people about their day, as often as you can, and make sure that they know you really mean it. Do video calls as often as you can, and avoid things that favor the mechanical two-dimensional approach.
The WHY of your business should be present at all times
The tasks that your people do daily, goals they need to meet, and relations they need to form should be aligned with one very important thing, the why of your company. The theory of golden circles, created by Simon Sinek, brought together a lot of history, science and practical example into an easily applicable method any business can use. Even though your team is displaced and doesn’t interact as much as a regular one, their sense of ownership over the company’s purpose should remain intact. Every day they should feel that their actions contribute to the big picture and that their input and investment are valued and appreciated. Otherwise, they are just following instructions, doing their small part, and they can always go and do that elsewhere.
Back Office and Individual position – Don’t overlook them!
Business owners tend to focus on people who work on their core business. For example, if you are a software company, your lead engineer is your most prized possession. No effort is spent on many back-office positions, or contractors that help your business run smoothly. For example, have you hired a tax expert? How much time do you spend with them a month? Are they aware of the challenges you are facing? Do they have any connection with the company’s mission? Do you even call them to wish a happy birthday?
All of your external employees, partners, contractors should get your respect, compassion and some part of your day. That way you will be working with people who genuinely care about the well-being of your company and are willing to do much more to help you, especially if you are struggling. And no business has never fallen on hard times when kindness and compassion saved it from going under. Of course, this is more difficult to create in a displaced team, but it is certainly not impossible. It just takes a little bit of time, energy and good intentions.
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