Maximizing Your Remote Team Through Outsourcing

As remote work becomes more common, it’s important to understand the best practices and benefits associated with it.

Working remotely can benefit both employers and employees, allowing for greater flexibility, increased productivity, lower overhead costs, and improved communication. However, remote work does come with its challenges.

In this blog post, we’ll look at how to make the most out of remote work by exploring the benefits of remote working and listing the best practices for hiring and managing a remote team.

Benefits of Remote Work

The rise of remote work is transforming the way businesses operate. It allows them to access talent from around the world while providing employees with increased flexibility.

As remote teams become more commonplace, employers should also understand how to make the most out of remote work by exploring its benefits and developing strategies for managing remote workers.

Increased flexibility

One of the main advantages of working remotely is that it provides employees with greater flexibility in terms of when and where they can complete their tasks. This means that team members can adjust their schedules as needed while still meeting deadlines, which can help improve productivity and satisfaction levels among remote employees.

Lower overhead costs

Working remotely also provides organizations with significant cost savings due to lowered overhead costs associated with traditional office space rental fees, utility bills, and more.

This can be especially beneficial for small businesses or startups on a tight budget that may not have the resources for large-scale investments in the physical infrastructure or equipment purchases necessary for an office environment.

Improved communication

Working remotely requires organizations to use video conferencing, remote collaboration tools, and cloud-based communication systems to stay connected with remote employees.

This can help improve employee engagement and build better relationships between remote teams and the company.

Read more about 40 benefits of remote work.

Challenges of Remote Work

While remote work can offer numerous benefits, it also presents a unique set of challenges that must be addressed to ensure success.

Managing remote teams effectively

No matter if you’re trying to use the newest web framework for your next project or creating designs for the next trending app, managing remote teams can be tricky because team members are not physically present in the office. Without direct supervision, it can be difficult to ensure that tasks are completed on time and within budget.

That’s why managers should establish clear communication guidelines with remote workers, such as regular check-ins or video calls. Additionally, managers should create a system of accountability by setting goals and expectations for each task or project.

Establishing trust and building relationships

In a traditional office setting, coworkers have the opportunity to interact face-to-face, which can help build trust and foster relationships. However, in a remote work environment, this can be more challenging, as interactions are often limited to virtual channels such as email, video conferencing, and messaging apps.

To overcome this challenge, remote teams should prioritize communication and collaboration. Regular team meetings, virtual social events, and open communication channels can help team members get to know one another and establish trust.

Keeping remote workers motivated

In a traditional office setting, managers can monitor employees’ work and provide guidance and support as needed. However, in a remote work environment, managers may have limited visibility into employees’ work and may not be able to provide the same level of supervision.

Managers can help remote workers stay motivated by establishing clear guidelines and expectations. Additionally, regular check-ins and progress updates can help managers stay informed about their employees’ work and offer support as needed.

Lack of supervision

Another significant challenge of remote work is the lack of direct supervision. In a traditional office setting, managers can monitor employees’ work and provide guidance and support. However, in a remote work environment, managers may have limited visibility into employees’ work and may not be able to provide the same level of supervision.

To combat this issue, managers should establish clear guidelines and expectations for remote workers. Additionally, regular check-ins and progress updates can help managers stay informed about their employees’ work and offer guidance as needed.

Difficulty establishing trust

Building and maintaining trust is a difficulty that remote teams face from multiple angles. For example, remote workers may struggle to trust their coworkers, managers, or even the company itself. On the other hand, managers may struggle to trust their remote workers to complete their work independently and to the required standard.

Remote workers should prioritize transparency and clear communication. Managers should provide regular updates on the company’s progress and goals, while remote workers should be encouraged to ask questions and voice their concerns. Additionally, remote workers should be held to the same standards and expectations as their office-based counterparts, which can help build trust between team members.

Read more about 36 challenges of remote work.

How Can Outsourcing Solve the Challenges of Remote Work?

A great way to solve some of these challenges of remote work is to outsource some aspects of a remote business.

Outsourcing can help manage remote teams

By outsourcing specific tasks to remote workers with the right skills and experience, organizations can ensure that their remote teams are productive and efficient.

Additionally, remote teams can benefit from having access to outsourced resources such as project management tools or software development services. This can help improve remote team collaboration and communication while providing better visibility into project progress.

Outsourcing can increase motivation among remote workers

Outsourcing can also provide remote workers with an additional source of motivation. Many remote workers may suffer from isolation or lack the same sense of camaraderie found in an office setting.

Bringing in outsourced remote teams or freelancers to work on specific (often, low-level) tasks can help the internal team get a sense of purpose and fulfillment — as they can now focus more on their core business functions. This, in turn, can lead to improved productivity levels among remote teams.

Outsourcing Can Build a Stronger Team

Overall, remote work can increase productivity and collaboration among remote teams. However, it presents unique challenges such as a lack of motivation or difficulty establishing trust.

Outsourcing specific tasks or projects can help remote managers overcome these challenges by providing access to experienced professionals who have already built trust within the organization, increasing worker motivation, and managing remote teams effectively.

With careful consideration and strategic outsourcing practices, businesses will be able to make the most out of their remote workforce while still achieving their desired goals.

 

As an engineering graduate from ITESM and Columbia University, Polina Tibets has spent the last 5+ years behind the algorithmic force of providing engineering talent to IT companies and innovation hubs to maximize their tech potential & technical growth. This article is part of Buildremote’s contributor series. Occasionally, we’ll share other people’s ideas about running a remote company. If you have a topic you’d like to pitch for Buildremote, send us an idea here.