Hone in on the Advantages
If you’re new to hiring remote workers, the prospect can seem quite foreign at first. However, the path for hiring freelancers is becoming a major highway as employers discover the many tantalizing advantages this relatively new arrangement offers.
Some experts feel that remote workers tend to be more productive and engaged, and because they control their environments and other circumstances, they are more capable of maintaining a healthier work-life balance than their office counterparts. All this can mean better productivity and higher quality output for your small business.
Going with freelancers means you can assemble a premium pool of talent from near or far. You can outsource work to highly qualified freelancers who manage specific needs without hiring or training in-house. For example, instead of training your secretary to do bookkeeping, you can hire a professional who already has the knowledge and abilities you require.
Freelancers work only the hours and jobs you assign, and as BCG Henderson Institute explains, there are freelancers available who specialize in nearly any niche you can imagine. From salespeople to web designers, strategic planners to project managers, content developers to administrative assistants — you name it, you’ve got it.
Look in the Right Places
Whether you need help with sales and marketing, customer service, or web development, finding great candidates for your remote team is easy if you look on the right job boards. For instance, with staffing firms like Upwork, you post an opening, and they will analyze your job post to find potential candidates based on their qualifications. From there, you can follow normal recruiting and hiring procedures or comb through additional prospects to find more potential matches. When you land on your ideal candidates, hire them for your project, and if things go great, you could even add those freelancers to your permanent team.
Craft an Effective Post
A well-written job post can be a key to streamlining your hiring process. Start with a concise and clear job title, and avoid jargony, unusual titles. While unusual titles might be eye-catching and fun, they are unlikely to return many search results. As an example, if you’re searching for a dog trainer, you will likely get a better response with that phrase than if your post refers to the position as dog whisperer. Your job description should also include details relating to your expectations, the duties that will be required, basic qualifications, and necessary skills.
And lastly, mention why your company will be a great place to work. Better candidates are in demand, so you want them to find you as interesting as you find them. With that in mind, be prepared to market your workplace to those desirable candidates, explaining your company’s history, your guiding principles, and what it is you do. Once you find some gems, contact them directly, discuss terms, and arrange to move forward with your project.
Handle with Care
If you’re used to having your staff at your fingertips, managing from afar can make you feel like things are out of control. A level of trust will develop in time, and as Forbes explains, one of the best ways to achieve this is through effective management and communication.
Thankfully, just like technology makes remote work possible in the first place, there are tech tools available to raise the bar on management so you can develop your team. Embrace applications that provide better data exchange, improved project management, and enhanced productivity, and your remote team will thank you for it.
Developing a top-notch remote team is smart, simple, and effective. Look for workers through appropriate portals, advertise your openings clearly, and plan a communication-oriented management strategy that makes good use of available tools. With the right talent in place, your small business can reach the next level.
Blog contributed by Tina Martin