Tips to Build a Remote Team for Your E-commerce Business

            A recent survey by Global Workplace Analytics revealed that close to ninety percent of working professionals would love the opportunity to work from home if they get the chance. A lot of innovative online businesses are beginning to adopt the remote work approach as it helps them improve productivity, boost profits, and cuts cost. In this article, we would be walking you through tips to help build your remote team for an online business.

            1.    Search for remote candidates: In 2017, about 3.9 million American employees worked from the comfort of their homes. Surveys have revealed that people who work from home tend to be more productive than those who have to go to work daily. There are online job portals that allow employers to seek credible hands online; you can use such sites to find reliable talents online. An example of such websites includes; FlexJobs, SkiptheDrive, Remote.co, to mention a few.

            2.    Examine the Applicants Skillset: once you are on the right website for your talent hunt, the next step would be to review the applicant’s skill set. LinkedIn is usually an ideal place to begin. By going through a candidate’s LinkedIn profile, you can get a lot of information about the candidate’s skills, experience, and previous employers. Some of these remote job sites also have assessment tools that can come in very handy.

            3.    Train your new hires: the transition from working in the office to working at home doesn't happen overnight. One has to go through some phases. It is always ideal to allow your employees to work for a couple of days a week from your workplace, before gradually migrating to full remote work. Some employees need time to adapt to this new reality and also the tools (like zoom and slack) required to make remote work very effective. Irrespective of how you are going remote, it is also vital that you set the ground rules for working remotely and be sure all members of staff are on board with your style.

            4.    Form Team Security Policies: Data privacy is very crucial if you are looking to adopt a remote work environment. It is important that you create and strictly adhere to cybersecurity best practices. It is vital that new remote hires are on-boarded and fully understand your firm’s data security policies.

            5.    Ensure teamwork is upheld across the board: irrespective of how your team is composed, there needs to be a balance and a positive culture running through the entire organization. You can achieve this by keeping constant daily communication with all members. This communication could be with a simple push notification to all member of staff or through an occasional video conference calls. Group meetings also give remote workers a sense of belonging.

            In summary, a lot of people are beginning to adopt remote work across various industries as it helps to reduce overhead costs and improve productivity. You too can make use of these tips and build your remote team.