Managing Remote Teams - Which type of boss does it best?

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In the new world of technology where distance is not a factor for production, there is a trend for staff to work remotely. The remote workers can be outsourced from around the world via a crowdworking website such as Amazon's mechanical turk, a low cost solution such as fiverr.com, or a pool of freelancers like Outsource.com.  

Remote Worker:

“ A remote worker is someone who works outside of a traditional office. An employee might work from home, from a coffee shop, or from anywhere that is not a regular office; although depending on the type of job they do, they might find themselves going into an office on occasion (if the company’s hub is geographically close to them)."

Instead of outsourcing, many are reaching out to specialty agencies such as Mom Corps. Mom Corps is a national staffing and search company focusing exclusively on the placement of experienced professionals in fractional, flexible and virtual positions - which includes remote staff working at home. The video below gives a brief introduction to MomCorps and how they evolved to Corps Team. 

I appreciate how CorpsTeam recognized the path to growing revenue was necessary to expand staffing and search services.

Websites such as Snagajob makes hiring appear to be as simple and easy as ordering a hamburger at McDonalds. Snagajob is a tool to hire hourly staff onsite and remotely. Those less experienced with recruiting and hiring will most likely find this type of resource helpful.

Why do workers prefer working remotely?

74% of workers cite work/life balance as a top reason for remote working.
84% of remote workers report their project statuses online.

Entrepreneur.com offers a list of why it is better to have remote workers:

  • Reduces commuting time
  • Increases productivity
  • Happier staff
  • Setting up is easier than ever with product-management services
  • specifically designed for remote teams
  • No office space, office supplies and office snacks expense
  • A reduction of useless meetings
  • Hire the best, regardless of their location
  • Reduce employee turnover
  • Having remote workers does not need to be all or none
  • Increase employee loyalty
  • Employees take fewer sick days

Managing a remote team

More critical than the source when hiring remote workers is the leadership. Managing a remote team is much different than a staff in-house. The manager/boss of a remote team must be more flexible, transparent and understanding.  

The infographic below considers five different types of managers and their potential effectiveness with managing remote teams:Managing Remote Teams

When an aggressive plan to grow profitable revenue is implemented, it goes without saying that a team is needed. Remote workers must be a consideration and a closer look at the leadership skills and style required essential to success.

If you are in the process of implementing a growth initiative, you may be missing out on opportunities. Please contact me here. I would enjoy talking to you about your vision.

Topics: Leadership Hiring Recruiting Management