Hiring virtual employees has been proven effective for different kinds of businesses over the last few years. In fact, many companies have now opted to hire virtual workers due to their benefits. You’ll be able to save on office costs and commute. You’ll also be able to hire those who are skilled and experienced, but are currently unable to report to an office.
However, you should remember that there are some risks associated with hiring a virtual team. You’ll be working with people from different places, sometimes on different timelines. You need to know the things you should consider before welcoming a virtual employee on board.
Here are some do’s and don’t when hiring virtual workers for your team:
Do: Understand the level of responsibility that can be taken by the employee
When you hire someone for your business, you should understand all the risks that come with the entire process. One of the most important things to remember is that you won’t be able to trace your employee’s behavior while he’s on duty. If he deceives you, it may cause huge problems for your company. You must eliminate communication issues with your employees so you can develop a good relationship with them. This will also help you find out the actual status of your work.
Hiring a responsible employee is a plus for your business since you won’t need to bother too much about his progress, enabling you to focus on more important aspects of your business.
Do: Consider the employee’s intention
It is difficult to thoroughly understand the intention of people, but you have to remember that an employee’s intention is important to the success of your projects. You’ll be sharing all your business ideas, policies, and trade secrets with a person you haven’t interacted with before, so you’ll be taking a huge risk. Share your business ideas with your virtual employees in a responsible and professional manner, to avoid complications in the future.
Do: Check on your virtual employee’s track records
An employee’s track record should be reviewed properly. Through these records, you can get some information about the employee. As you screen a potential hire’s resume, try to find out more about his previous work experiences, and how well he performed on those jobs. You can also have potential hires answer questionnaires that will help you know their responsibility personas. You may also ask for character references and contact his previous employers for more information about him.
Don’t: Rush the hiring process
Virtual employees can become liabilities of your business if you’re not able to monitor them properly, so don’t be in a hurry when selecting someone to work for you. Joey from Clearstar suggests that before hiring anyone, you should make a thorough background check to see if he is trustworthy. You can also ask the help of third-party organizations to assist you with this task, especially if you’re looking for someone who will be taking on an important job for your company.
Don’t: Entrust everything to your virtual employee
A small mistake from both sides can cause severe financial loss for your business. Before entrusting any project to a virtual employee, make sure that you consider his skills and expertise so he can do his tasks with utmost care. Assigning the wrong employee to a specific project can lead to a substandard output, which will cause trouble for your business. To avoid this issue, make sure that your virtual employee is well-equipped with the skills needed to make your projects.
Don’t: Send advanced payments
Keep in mind that the person you’re entrusting with your money and your business is someone you can’t monitor with your own two eyes. Sending an advanced payment can be dangerous. You will be sending money without knowing if the person is indeed the right fit for your business, or if he’ll be working on your project at all. Instead, assign a short period of time where you get acquainted with your employee and learn more about his skills and his work attitude. This will be essential to the success of your business since you’ll be able to find out if the person you’ll be working with is capable of handling the tasks he will be assigned with.
Hiring virtual employees have a lot of advantages and disadvantages, so you have to weigh them as thoroughly as possible. Make sure to consider these tips before choosing an employee from a different area to join your team, to dodge problems that may arise in the future.
