Remote. It’s a term you continue to hear more and more when talking about the modern workplace. Working remotely is becoming the preference of Gen Z and Millennials, especially. In fact, it’s been estimated that 50% of the workforce will work remotely by 2030. Not that long ago, working remotely was unheard of. But, thanks to technology and the ease with which information can be shared, it appears to be here to stay. While there will always be a place for the corporate office, it’s becoming harder to recruit quality people that are content with the nine-to-five cubicle life. If you’re thinking about hiring a remote team however, there are some important things to consider.

Make Expectations Clear

Even though some of the most talented people work remotely, it’s still essential that you make expectations clear upfront. One of the most important ingredients is schedules. A major benefit for remote workers is a flexible schedule. They assume as long as they get their work done on time, they’re free to do it when they like. Let’s say for example that your company needs someone available from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Before you set about hiring someone o in the Pacific Time Zone, you’d better be sure they’re alright with getting up at 5:00 am local time.

Hire the Right People

Even though a remote worker might not ever come face-to-face with a client, they can still have a tremendous impact on your brand and who you are. Just like any employee you hire for the office, it’s important to make sure remote workers are aligned with your company’s core values, mission and brand.

It’s best to vet remote workers in the interview process. Ask leading questions about what they’re passionate about, what their goals and ambitions are and what strengths they possess that allow them to work remotely. Of course, make sure this person has the experience and qualifications necessary to meet the demands of the job.

Key Performance Indicators

Also known as KPI’s, key performance indicators help companies meet goals and track progress from the top to the bottom. If you have KPI’s in place already, great. They might need some tweaking for a remote position but, their intent and metrics should remain more or less the same.

If you don’t have any KPI’s in place, start by looking at what your goals are. What KPI’s do you have in place to track your own results? How do the KPI’s for the employees you manage align with accomplishing the company’s goals? Asking these questions will provide you a foundation from which you can develop KPI’s for a remote employee.

Have a Central Location

A successful business of any size has a laundry list of different things happening at a given time. Marketing projects, sales goals, customer retention, hiring, the list goes on. If there isn’t a central place where everyone can communicate, it’s easy for important tasks to fall by the wayside. Whether you have employees that work remotely or not, software platforms like Monday, Asana and Trello have all the tools you need to manage each facet of every project and they’re easy to use.

Communication Reigns Supreme

We harp on it all the time but, there’s no understating the importance of effective communication in the workplace. This is especially true for remote workers. In an office, it’s easy to walk down the hall and knock on someone’s door. Remote workers don’t have that luxury. That’s why it’s important to keep these people abreast of what’s going on. Sure, everyone checks their email on a regular basis. But, being able to communicate face-to-face via programs like Skype or Zoom, allows everyone to feel engaged.

Only you can decide if hiring a remote team is the right decision. There are certainly some risks that come with not being able to physically manage someone. On the other hand, there are plenty of capable people out there that prefer to work remotely. They don’t require the overhead of an office employee either. If you come to the decision that hiring remote positions is a risk worth taking, keep in mind the matters discussed. If done correctly, hiring remote workers can be a win-win for everyone.

If you are interested in growing your remote team in the Life Sciences industries in the Bay Area, contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501. I am an experienced recruiter that can help you find the best remote or in-house employees for your company.