How to find the right employees for your remote sites

Businesses often need to delegate teams to work on various projects at sites away from the office

Most businesses will succeed if they are staffed by enthusiastic and motivated people who can work independently and collaborate when needed with colleagues. Remote working has increased over the past few years, but how do you find the right employees for your remote sites?

Remote working essentially means unshackling staff from their desks. This can help businesses to attract the right talent, as there is more flexibility. The nine-to-five model, as Dolly Parton sang about, is something of the past.

Businesses often need to delegate teams to work on various projects at sites away from the office, with certain workers responding better to remote working than others. An ill fit can cost the company time and money.

The qualities a business leader should look for in a remote worker include initiative, eagerness, readiness and reliability. This can also be an excellent leadership challenge for employees looking to climb the ladder.

Initiative is the most important quality to look for because workers who are in a satellite office will be on their own and independent of any management structure. It will not be practical to try to oversee their work from afar, so choosing employees who have demonstrated exceptional initiative is a smart move.

Looking at their CV, a good candidate will demonstrate sound leadership and a thorough willingness to follow through with new ideas and resolve customer issues independently.

Workers who can adapt well to using new apps or services make ideal remote workers. A quick and solid grasp of new technology is preferable so that time and money are not wasted on continual training to ensure the worker is confident in his or her remote position. Employees who demonstrate their plans to head for management roles are also an ideal choice, as working remotely on a satellite site is a good leadership challenge.

An employee overseeing a team of remote workers is as close as he or she will get to a management role. This employee will have to be able to get the motivation going amongst the team and keep all work flowing. The role of this employee will be to answer and follow up on any local issues that arise without the need for a supervisor.

Of course, the remote employee should be made to feel a valued part of the team and should not be overlooked in any way. There are also benefits for businesses, with remote workers tending to display greater flexibility. This is a win-win situation for all involved.

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The British Institute of Recruiters is the Professional Body operating The Recruitment Certification Scheme

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