Telecommuting has made a significant impact on the workforce in modern times just like futurists predicted in the 1980s. Many enterprises today no longer want to have office headquarters. Instead, they prefer having virtual employees. This style of workplace offers several benefits to both employers and employees. The following are the things you need to know about hiring a virtual employee. 24×7 is the leading personal assistant staffing company who are offering online virtual assistant services in Melbourne.
There are numerous health, productivity and financial benefits of assigning work to virtual employees. If you move your workplace online, you can reap the following advantages.
Advantages of Having Virtual Assistants
- Increased productivity – If employees have a flexible schedule, their morale increases, giving them a sense of agency and freedom in their lives that working in a conventional office does not permit. The employees take full responsibility for the work that needs to be done to meet expectations and goals on their own.
- Expands the talent pool – If you hire virtual employees, your talent pool is endless. You will not be limited to hiring and recruiting people from a particular geographical location. Furthermore, you will provide access to individuals who cannot work outside the home, such as people who have disabilities or are caring for young children.
- Room for growth – When enterprise owners hire additional employees, they usually have to expand the office space. This will not be the case when you delegate work to virtual employees. Therefore, you will save money and time by not having to search for and pay the rent of new office space.
- Loyal employees – Allowing employees to work from any location of their choice will provide them with a flexible schedule for their work and personal lives. They can decide when to work based on company deadlines. Therefore, they will be happier, and this can translate into loyalty.
- Minimizing the overhead expenses of your business – Your cost of doing business can significantly reduce if you hire predominantly online employees. You will save on the cost of rent and utility bills. You can choose to rent a smaller office and have fewer workers on-site and more virtual employees.
What to consider before hiring virtual employees
It is crucial to do several things before you hire a virtual employee so that you can find the most suitable candidates. They include the following:
Identify the essential traits
The leading companies that hire virtual employees have identified some traits that any virtual employee must have. These traits include self-discipline, self-motivation, effective communication skills, and resourcefulness. The virtual employees should also be technologically savvy and resourceful. If you hire virtual employees who do not have these traits, then there can be a negative impact on culture, performance, and collaboration. You can identify these traits when reviewing the cover letters of job applicants. Consider if they can write articulately, concentrate on the mission of your firm, your pain points and what the position requires. The candidates who show that they understand what your company needs are likely to do a good job.
Ask about the intention of the candidates
You should ask prospective employees why they want to work remotely. Do this as early as you can during the interviews. The best reason that many people who prefer working from home give is being able to spend time with their family and achieving the work-life balance. Some prefer working from home to avoid unpleasant commutes. There should be a motivating factor behind the desire of a job applicant to work remotely that make this arrangement valuable to him or her. When an employee knows the value of working from home, he or she will have the desire and commitment to succeed.
Inquire if the candidates have experience working remotely
It can be advantageous to hire a person who has worked remotely in the past. An experienced person will have a plan to organize and structure his or her daily tasks well. Find out if the candidates can organize their day to make time for meetings, calls, and team interactions. You should also ask them how they keep themselves accountable for the vital things that need to get done.
Test the candidates
You can implement a preliminary video interview & create a task to qualify, which tests for the attributes you are looking for in a virtual employee. This is an excellent way to screen candidates to determine if they can meet your business needs.
As companies start to increasingly rely on technology and the internet for their business operations, they prefer to hire virtual employees. Remote workers are more productive, more cost effective and happier overall. However, there is some risk involved in hiring remote workers such as collaboration, accessibility, data privacy and the process of blending them with the current office employees. To find the right virtual employees, it is critical to interview them and look for certain traits. Contact us for all the offshore staffing & virtual staff outsourcing solutions.
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