By Eric Waldowski
So you are planning to bring on more staff, and exploring the option of remote or flexible work for this new position. Though this is a change for some businesses, others have successfully hired and trained remote or remote flexible employees for years. In this post, I wanted to touch on a few things that we have learned about remote recruiting
Onboarding and Initial Training
Remote onboarding and training has been significantly improved by advances in CRM and cloud phone technology. There are vendors that provide services that include video conferencing and conventional phone system integrations. The key here is to have a plan and stick to it. I have brought on 4 100% remote service reps and trained them completely remotely in the last 12 months. A well planned new hire training schedule, and a few hours per day on a virtual meeting with either you or an employee help build rapport and rational trust in a remote work situation.
One-on-Ones and Coaching
As your remote sales or service staff grows, it’s crucial to remain involved in their training as you would in the office. Our Sales Manager John and I have both moved our weekly coaching meetings with our teams to remote sessions. Other than the location, nothing has changed. We still listen to calls with our employees, offer guidance and build relational equity all while seeing each other in only the virtual space. If an employee is able to perform the functions of their job remotely, the systems put in place (Cloud phones, chat counsels, etc.) can also be used for you to communicate with your team, just as they would communicate with their clients or prospects
Team Building and Socialization
Both sales and service teams can benefit from spending time together, both hearing their teammates interact with clients and getting to know one another. A few simple routines and processes are what will be needed to foster a team environment and help your staff grow together. Have an interoffice chat counsel with a group for just employees (no manager) so that they can get to know one another and have more “casual” conversations between clients. Virtual team events quarterly or bi monthly can also help create an environment your team looks forward to participating in. With both examples, it is strongly recommended to set solid guidelines for how the chat would be used, or what to expect with team events.
Final Thoughts
When hiring for sales or service, we are looking to build teams of folks that are “People Motivated.” Think of your ideal CSR or Sales rep, and imagine an environment where their personalities and experience can be a benefit to your team and culture along with your clients perception of your business or brand. Happy Hiring!