Overcome the Fear of Hiring Remotely: 9 Valid Reasons and Solutions
In this post:
Does a language barrier exist?
You are anxious about the possibility of the project falling behind schedule.
Differences in time zones
You are uncertain about the appropriate payment amount for a remote worker.
You are unable to allocate time for the process of hiring and training remote workers.
What is the status of the work culture?
What measures are in place to ensure the security of data?
You have doubts about their capability and proficiency.
What steps can I take to ensure their actual work progress?
#1 — Does a language barrier exist?
The Philippines holds the second position in terms of English proficiency among Asian countries. This suggests that communication and collaboration with remote Filipino staff can be conducted without language barriers.
In order to ensure that our clients are provided with the most competent candidates, we offer the option to administer English proficiency tests to all applicants during the hiring process. Furthermore, clients may further assess the candidate's communication skills during the final interview process.
Therefore, if you’re concerned about any language barriers, rest assured that most Filipino employees are fluent in English and are capable of effective communication.
#2 — You are anxious about the possibility of the project falling behind schedule
The reason behind project delays is more likely due to inadequate planning than the decision to hire overseas talent to perform the work.
By having a well-established project management system and a capable team to assist you in implementing your plans, project delays should not arise when working with remote staff. In fact, you may enhance the speed and quality of your outputs by hiring remote Filipino assistants, who are recognized for their proficiency and dedication.
However, if you are concerned about potential project delays, here are some suggestions:
Effective communication is essential
Inform your team about the communication channels you prefer to use and make sure to synchronize meeting times to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Establish achievable deadlines and objectives
When commencing a project, convene with your team to deliberate on crucial factors such as timeframes and expected outcomes. This will help to ensure that team members are aware of their responsibilities and when they need to be completed.
Additionally, it's essential to avoid overloading the project schedule by incorporating numerous tasks within tight timeframes. Instead, establish feasible timelines that consider unforeseen circumstances like last-minute changes, and sick leave.
#3 — Differences in time zones
The time zone difference between your location in the US and your remote worker may vary from 12-16 hours, which can seem overwhelming. However, there are effective strategies to manage this situation.
One approach is to hire virtual assistants from the Philippines who can work during US business hours. Many of our talents operate in this manner, and clients offer several benefits to attract potential employees. These incentives may include comprehensive health insurance coverage, generous paid time off and night differential pay.
Additionally, it's essential to be transparent about your time zone expectations from the outset. Let us know so we can communicate your time zone requirements during the interview process to prevent misunderstandings.
Lastly, achieving excellent outcomes is feasible even if your assistant works in a different time zone.
Here are some solutions that you can implement:
Maximize the advantages of the time zone discrepancy
By having an assistant who works while you are asleep, you effectively prolong your business hours. This can be utilized to enhance aspects such as order processing and customer service. Rather than viewing the time difference as a disadvantage, consider it as a valuable attribute to leverage.
Mutual Working Hours
Compromise by setting up mutually beneficial time overlaps. Determine a 2-4 hour timeframe that both you and your assistant can be available online simultaneously. This period can be utilized to collaborate effectively, provide immediate feedback, and address any queries in real time. By doing so, you can avoid requiring your assistant to work overnight shifts, while still achieving your goals.
#4 — You are uncertain about the appropriate payment amount for a remote worker
Businesses often outsource work to reduce expenses. For instance, hiring Filipino remote workers can cost 80% less compared to local hires, thereby enabling employers to hire more staff for much less.
However, determining the appropriate wage for virtual assistants and other remote staff can be confusing due to conflicting advice.
Salary rates are influenced by multiple factors, including skill level, role complexity, years of experience, timezone requirements, job industry, education and certifications and performance metrics.
To ensure fairness for both you and your employee, it's important to evaluate the role and establish a compensation rate that is appropriate.
#5 — You are unable to allocate time for the process of hiring and training remote workers
If you're considering hiring a remote assistant but are short on time to train them properly, it's important to note that skipping the onboarding process can lead to problems down the line. Without proper training, delegation can quickly become chaotic and unproductive.
If you're hesitant to hire remotely because of the onboarding process, don't worry.
There is a simple 4-step process you can follow to make it easier:
Provide honest feedback on their work to help them improve.
Hold 1:1 calls with your remote worker at least once a week to monitor their progress and offer guidance.
Schedule a kick-off call with your assistant to introduce them to your expectations, priorities, and goals.
Integrate your assistant into your daily routine and establish clear communication channels.
#6 — What is the status of the work culture?
One advantage of hiring remote staff from the Philippines is their familiarity with Western culture. They speak fluent English and consume a lot of Western media, which can make building rapport easier. However, it's important to recognize that they also have unique cultural values that may differ from your own.
For instance, they may:
Hesitate to speak up
Use formal titles like "ma'am" or "sir"
Prefer indirect feedback
Take a roundabout way of explaining something
Being aware of these differences is crucial to avoid miscommunication and fostering a productive working relationship with your remote team.
#7 — What measures are in place to ensure the security of data?
Sharing confidential and sensitive information is often necessary when integrating a remote worker into your team.
This may include access to:
Legal documents and contracts
Passwords
Product development plans or prototypes
Financial Statements
Intellectual property such as patents or trademarks
Confidential business information
Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or security codes
It's natural to feel uneasy about sharing such information with someone you don't know well. That's why we take extra measures to ensure that all hires made undergo rigorous background checks.
You can also implement preventive measures to protect your confidential information by:
Utilizing tools that allow the secure sharing of passwords
Various tools are available to securely share passwords and app access, which can be helpful for managing app logins in a growing team by providing a centralized location for storing login information.
Limit the sharing of information to only what is essential
Incorporating your assistant into your workflow does not require sharing every detail, instead, only sharing information that is relevant to their duties.
For instance, you can grant read-only access to critical documents rather than providing full editing privileges to everyone. Similarly, if you require assistance with overseeing a Google Drive folder, you can assign the role of "viewer" rather than "manager."
By limiting access to the bare minimum necessary, you can reduce the possibility of security breaches and mistakes made by individuals on your remote team.
Withdraw access or privileges previously granted
Ensure that access is removed for former team members who have departed from the company. It is essential to include this step as part of your offboarding process to prevent it from being overlooked.
Create non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and guidelines for maintaining confidentiality within your team
If you are working with sensitive information, confidential data, or have high-profile clients, it is advisable to have your team members sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to ensure that they maintain confidentiality.
Moreover, it's crucial to establish confidentiality guidelines within your team. Make your team aware of which assets, company property, and documents must be kept confidential and not shared with outsiders to prevent any accidental disclosures.
#8 — You have doubts about their capability and proficiency
Have you ever faced the frustration of hiring an unqualified employee or heard stories about unreliable remote workers who fail to deliver on their promises? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in any job market.
To ensure that the candidates meet your standards, the candidates go through a thorough screening process that includes evaluations of English communication skills, behavioral interviews, technical skill tests, background checks and resume reviews. This guarantees that only the best and most competent hires make it through.
#9 — What steps can I take to ensure their actual work progress?
One of the primary concerns that arise with remote work is ensuring optimal productivity. With team members scattered across different regions, it can be challenging to monitor their progress and output.
Here are some established and effective solutions:
Tools designed for managing projects
Applications for project management can also be highly effective in tracking employee productivity.
Some of the ways in which they can be useful include:
Assign tasks to hold team members responsible
Establishing milestones to track progress on long-term projects.
Identifying and addressing potential bottlenecks before they become problematic
Track advancement across multiple teams and projects
Provide regular updates
Automated check-in prompts can be sent through various communication channels like messaging platforms, project management apps or email. This allows managers to keep track of their employees' activities easily.
Some examples of check-in prompts include:
What progress did you make today?
What accomplishment are you most pleased with this week?
Which items did you tick off your to-do list?
Instead of emphasizing the number of hours worked, concentrate on their productivity and outcomes
It is impractical to constantly monitor the activities of your employees. Therefore, rather than emphasizing their working hours, consider adopting an approach based on their output. This can be achieved by defining specific objectives and deadlines for your employees to meet.
Employ remote staff that are reliable and have a proven track record of delivering quality work
Maximize the possibility of recruiting responsible remote workers by conducting a comprehensive screening process for each applicant. Evaluate their employment history, and personal background, and obtain references on their character. Additionally, during the interview process, assess their suitability for your team's culture.
Partner with Interstellar and save up to 80% on hiring costs
Start building your remote team or hiring your first remote staff today. Partner with us to find the right talent for your business.
We want you to focus your time on growing your business and less on finding the right people for it.
