In this competitive job market, everyone is shuffling to find and utilize the best talent! Whether your business requires an army of people or a few key players, if they’re not the right fit, no amount of recruitment will get you to that A-team you are looking for. Our solution? Build an offshore team! There are myriad ways that offshore talent can boost your business and help you reach your goals.
Now, you might be thinking, my core team works well, and I have everyone I need. But if your company is not clocking in on its desired productivity, it’s time to take another look at your team and see what’s not working.
Oftentimes, a company invests in a solid core team. Still, between administrative tasks, office management, and customer support, productivity leeches into various directions, and the results show unfulfilled leads and low return on investment. To mitigate that this issue, most teams hire offshore personnel to improve their internal process and focus on their core competencies. To reserve that course, you’ve got to take a crack at an offshore team, meaning your workforce is entirely or partially comprised of offshore workers who are sharing the load.
Master The Distance – Managing Offshore Teams Effectively
If there is some apprehension about the trials of managing an offshore team, think about the volume of businesses that have adopted this model and are better for it. More than 84% of offshoring deals come from the U.S. When there is a will, there is a way, so don’t worry; there are various techniques to overcome the issues of distance and communication that can help you foster perfect offshore and remote productions. It may seem daunting at first, but take the plunge and remember these few tips to ensure a smooth workflow with your offshore team:
- Clear Communication:
This point must be stressed more! In the spirit of workflow management, the best thing you can do is to have open communication channels with everyone on your remote team. Since distance is such an unavoidable aspect of setting up remote teams, the distance is also the most daunting part for more people when establishing a remote operation.
Utilize telecommunication channels, emails, video conferencing, and project management software to relay tasks to remote team managers and monitor team performance. - Invest in Quality Software and Hardware:
Despite the distance, your team should be able to rely on you to provide the best resources. Invest in the best software available to
manage offshore teams and the workflow. It is ideal if you have a clear roadmap of the workflow, and you have tailored software to your needs.
While you may have little control over the hardware or technology available in an offshore location, you can either provide the hardware yourself or source the best vendors in the offshore site to facilitate your team.
Investing in quality project management software and matching it with the proper hardware to manage remote team training is the way to go. A robust infrastructure makes a considerable difference to the productivity of the team.
Image courtesy: Geralt, Pixabay - Initiate Compliance Monitoring:
One of the most common challenges faced by businesses when managing offshore teams is rightly identifying and facilitating compliance and regulations in an offshore location. Each country can have different labor laws, compliance standards, and workplace regulations. Make sure your legal department is well-versed in these laws to avoid litigation or any mishap that might occur in the long run.
Inculcating Trust with the Workforce – Offshore Team Management
Once you have taken the necessary steps in establishing an offshore team, you can continue to monitor the progress through the tools and techniques mentioned above. But some people might argue that enduring the daily management of a team is the real challenge rather than the initial set-up, and that would be a correct deduction. It takes a village to run a company offshore, and being consistent is the hardest part. But keep these pointers in mind, and you will be fine.
- Flexibility is Wise:
When running an offshore operation, you might only sometimes get your way. There will be times when you will face issues like internet connectivity issues, cultural differences, and local political scenarios that impact workflow in the offshore location.
Managers must stay flexible in how, when, and where the work gets done, and being adaptable to challenges garners the best results for your business. Make decisions with the foresight of the challenges and plan strategies for the “What if” situations. - Micromanaging kills the Motivation:
Nothing takes the soul out of your workforce like a helicopter manager. While it makes sense that running a remote operation can prove to be difficult, check yourself when you feel like you are micromanaging your workforce.
Strike a good balance between knowing when to lean in and supervise tasks and when to trust your workers to take the reins on a project. Ensure your supervision is not suffocating or counterproductive for your employees. An understanding and empathetic manager gets the best results.
Image courtesy: Dealersupport.com - Implement an Open-Door Policy:
You are the guiding light of the operation, even if it is running miles away! Your workers will always look towards you for guidance and wisdom, and you should be ready to give it to them. The virtual door should be open to your employees to reach out to you with challenges and ideas. You can schedule regular meetings or one-on-one sessions with your employees or team managers to stay on top of things, but also ensure your team feels seen and supported for their efforts.
Build the Offshore A-Team – Try Remote Scouts
Managing a remote operation is a big task, and you need someone to help you pave the path to a successful operation. Ensure the sources you use to recruit and establish a remote operation are reputable, result-driven, and transparent with their process.
If you need a roadmap to the ideal remote team, contact Remote Scouts. We specialize in connecting businesses with top-tier talent, which is the recipe for success in creating an offshore team. Our thorough vetting process ensures that only the most competent people are placed with clients, and the company finds the missing piece of the puzzle. Your business is reliant on a robust workforce, and that is what we aspire to give you!
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