Building remote teams has become the norm. Many startups opt for remote teams, and even some office-based companies consider transitioning to remote work. Why? Because it’s cheaper, more comfortable, and allows people from other countries to work in one company.
In this article, we answer the most common questions connected with remote teams in startups.
Where to find good remote work?
It’s important to remember that not every good worker is suited to remote work. Some people cannot find themselves in a remote reality and have problems working at home. But don’t worry – working from home is a skill, just like cooking or writing. It takes time to learn and adjust to that.
So before selecting a specialist for your remote team, consider whether you have the time to teach them the new skills crucial for their job. Sometimes it’s better to pay more, but get a new employee who has experience in working fully remotely.
So the question is where to find these people?
- Networking is essential. Building relationships brings many benefits, such as access to great talents.
- Websites and communities. Join different communities specializing in working remotely and post your job offer there.
- Social media. Perhaps it seems too easy, but social media is really the best place to find the ideal candidate for your work. So don’t be afraid and try it!
Recruitment process – how does it work in remote startups?
The remote recruitment process isn’t fundamentally different from the one used in office settings. The main difference is that you meet with potential workers via webcam and not face-to-face. Today’s technology allows you to conduct interviews smoothly and easily thanks to Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, or even Teams.
If you want to know more about a person’s attitude toward working remotely, ask them one of these questions, or even both of them, to learn more about their work experience and habits:
- What is your favourite way of working?
- Why does remote work appeal to you?
These questions are quite simple but let you understand the motivations that hide behind the need for remote work.
Performance measure in a remote team
One of the biggest challenges for startups looking for remote team members may be measuring performance. To run a remote startup successfully, you must trust your workers to do their jobs effectively.
In the beginning, it’s worth defining how you want to mark and check their work. Here are some examples of what it means to measure employees based on:
- Output: Are they productive in whatever hours they choose to work? Is their work product good? Does their work contribute to the business?
- Drive: Do they set and strive to achieve aggressive goals? Do they try to be better this week than they were last week?
- Teamwork: Are they a positive influence on the team? Do they make the people around them better? Do people like working with them?
To actually measure these things, take a combination of:
- Your own gut instinct.
- Peer reviews from the team.
- Metrics that are specific to their role; each role is different, so you need to find metrics that can measure the effectiveness of their output.
How to build a culture as a remote team
Working in an office provides more opportunities to cultivate a team or startup culture. Meeting in the kitchen, integrations, parties, and many more. But when you have a remote team, you have to think about other ideas, like creating a group chat where you and your team can celebrate overcoming challenges or successes. Use meetings to talk about achievements. Use your creativity and internet tools to build a great atmosphere at work.
Remember that working remotely presents its own set of pros and cons, similar to working in an office setting. The atmosphere, trust, and motivation depend on you and your leadership.
For any startup management inquiries or startup conferences, feel free to contact us. Visit our blog for more useful tips, and listen to our podcast to learn how other startup CEOs successfully navigate their companies.