Preparing Your Company for the Remote Workforce

Remote work is on the rise, increasing by nearly 40 percent of the last five years. Employees like the freedom that comes with working from home and employers embrace the overhead savings and the ability to recruit from a national pool of talent. However, moving to a remote workforce isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. It requires significant preparation in order to lay the foundation for success.

Use Communication Tools

Geographically dispersed teams can find it difficult to communicate and collaborate. However, there are a host of reliable and user-friendly tools that can facilitate collaboration. Google Hangouts, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Fuze, and Glip are all great tools for remote collaboration and communication. The right tools for your team will depend on things like your technology stack and the way you expect your team to communicate, so conduct plenty of advance research and conduct testing to find the right mix of tools for your team.

Invest In The Cloud

Remote work cannot be successful if employees do not have seamless access to real-time data from anywhere. That means investing in the cloud and it may require new programs, enacting new processes and providing extensive training on data security. However, those investments will pay dividends in terms of engagement and productivity.

Focus On Culture

Remote employees care just as much about company culture as in-house employees. Telecommuters can only be engaged if they feel like they are an integral part of the team. Remote employees should be invited into the office for important meetings, annual events, and teambuilding exercises. Use video conferencing instead of the telephone for both group and one-on-one meetings and give remote teams their own channels on communication platforms so they feel like they have allies and are part of a tribe.

Make Sure To Hire Well

When you open a role to the possibility of going remote, you instantly expand your candidate pool to the entire country. However, it is important to remember that not everyone is suited to work remotely. Some people need the structure of an office environment to succeed. Successful remote employees are self-motivated, independent yet collaborative, and reliable. Your hiring and interview processes will have to be revamped for remote workers so that you are hiring the right people.

Are You Ready To Hire Remote Workers?

If your ag business is looking to build a remote team with highly motivated sales and marketing talent, contact the agricultural industry staffing experts at Morris Bixby Group. Our proven strategies for success can help you achieve your recruiting and retention goals quickly and efficiently.

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