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Virtual Assistants

How to Scale a SaaS Business with Strategic Outsourcing and Virtual Teams

A person working on phone and laptop because of the advantages of outsourcing.

Want to know how to scale a Saas business?

Below, we’ll go through outsourcing benefits and key outsourcing areas to help take your business to the next level. 

Foundations of SaaS Scaling Through Outsourcing

Benefits of Outsourcing for SaaS Businesses

Cost Efficiency

There are several ways outsourcing can be more cost-efficient than doing it all in-house. Infrastructure is a main one.

It is more of a human and monetary investment to create your own systems and processes that didn’t exist before. That’s on top of the physical equipment, space, and software you need to purchase and maintain. 

Access to Global Talent

You can hire people from anywhere in the world. This larger pool means you don’t have to settle for “good enough”. You can find the best fit for the position. This is someone who both matches your values and culture and can deliver the results you expect. 

Ability to Scale Operations Quickly

Scaling via outsourcing is a lot quicker than scaling in-house operations. This is true whether you need a temporary scaling solution for busy months, or a more long-term arrangement.

Though the initial onboarding and management may take some time, the turnaround is a lot quicker once everything starts running together. 

Identifying Core vs. Non-Core Functions

Distinguishing core from non-core is simply identifying which activities help you make money and which don’t. 

In an SaaS business, your core activities include 

  • Product conceptualization and development
  • Marketing and Sales
  • Customer relationship management, support services, and success 

There’s a misconception that non-money-making activities are the ones you should outsource. That’s not always the case. An outsourced team can manage tasks in any of these above categories as we will later explore. 

A better way to look at it is in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Leverage what you’re good at and let virtual teams help with the other areas.  

Building and Managing Virtual Teams

A virtual onboarding meeting.

Structuring Your Virtual Workforce

So, how then should you go about assembling and structuring virtual teams?

Don’t just look for talent, look for partnerships. 

While you can’t outsource a vision, you can definitely partner with those who align with your values and business goals.

Structure your interview questions.

Formulate an interview process with questions that gauge their attitudes, personalities, commitment to teamwork, and values.

Set up SOPs and a management framework beforehand. 

Improper planning is the bane of many business ventures. Consider outsourcing challenges and how you can set up contingencies to deal with them. 

Tools and Technologies for Remote Collaboration

Collaboration tools are incredibly useful to facilitate effective communication and project management in a virtual environment.

Here are some examples: 

Communication and collaboration tools – Slack, Trello

Project management tools – Asana, Click-Up, Wrike

Leveraging Outsourcing for Technical Development

Young sound engineer working on video footage during post production. Content creator in home working on montage of film using modern software for editing late at night.

Outsourcing Software Development

Software development is a heavy task. Not everyone has the manpower to get a product out as soon as they want to. Not all businesses can keep up with continuous development demands once the software is out.  

Here’s how outsourcing aids and improves the software development process:

  • A hybrid creative team means you can maintain the vision while allowing for fresh perspectives. 
  • More expertise and experience means faster prototyping and iteration, faster feature rollout, and faster development cycles.
  • More manpower means being able to take customer feedback and apply it quickly.

Maintaining Quality with Outsourced Technical Teams

Here are a few best practices for ensuring quality and accountability when outsourcing  core technical tasks:

  • Ensure the third-party have quality assurance processes and safeguards in place internally. 
  • Assign someone to help manage the remote team and perform checks. 
  • Set up regular meetings with remote teams and provide time for adequate feature testing before rollout.

Outsourcing Customer Support to Enhance Service

Setting Up Outsourced Customer Support

Customer satisfaction is a crucial component of how to scale a SaaS business. It’s simple. If consumers aren’t getting the most out of what they paid for, they likely won’t renew their subscription. 

Software bugs and glitches get on people’s nerves and are something you can’t avoid. However, you can mitigate the damage through a responsive customer support system that maintains high service standards.

Here’s how you can establish a robust support system:

  • Make sure contact information is easily accessible and feedback channels are not a hassle to go through 
  • Find services that provide the functionality you need that can integrate with your website/app (24/7 availability, live chat, etc.)
  • Create an FAQ page and other “self-service” support features 
  • Create SOPs for customer interactions 
  • Train enough people and outsource if need be to meet demand 

Smiling agents with headsets to whom you can outsource eCommerce customer service.

Integrating Multichannel Support

Integrations allow you to offer multiple ways for customers to contact you.  

However, building this support system in-house takes a lot of time and resources. That’s why outsourcing is a great solution. 

Call centers, for example, are an incredibly popular customer service outsourcing solution. Agents can talk to customers on the phone and help them in real time. 

Outsourcing customer email management can save a lot of time. Third parties can not only help you improve response times but can also set up automated responses. 

Outsourcing live chat allows you to help consumers through the buyer journey in real time. You can answer questions, help them navigate through the website, and deal with frequently asked questions via automation. 

Marketing and Sales: Outsourcing for Scalability

Scaling Through Outsourced Marketing

Outsourced teams can help you implement and scale multiple marketing strategies more effectively. 

You can leverage manpower, focus, and specialized knowledge to grow your customer base on multiple fronts. 

These strategies includes:

  • Social media marketing 
  • Content marketing 
  • SEO (search engine optimization)
  • PPC (pay-per-click advertising)

Outsourcing Sales Operations

Sales can be a time consuming process from developing a lead generation strategy to actually closing the deal. There’s also tasks on top of that like customer data management. All that is difficult for an in-house team to manage alone.

Outsourcing lead generation and other repetitive tasks can ensure your team is free to actually sell and grow your revenue.  

Since your team knows your products the best, they can leverage that expertise to create better sales strategies. 

Enhancing Operational Efficiency with Outsourcing

5 hands piled on top of each other as a symbol of teamwork.

Business Process Outsourcing for SaaS Companies

Sometimes other operation areas draw your attention away from learning how to scale a SaaS business. BPO can help you keep the main thing, the main thing.

Aside from customer service, marketing, and sales, other processes you can hand to a third-party to improve operational efficiency include:

  • Legal 
  • IT (Information Technology)
  • Web Development 
  • Human Resources 
  • Administration Tasks (calendar management, scheduling, etc.)

Managing Outsourced Operations

A big part of managing remote teams and outsourcing partners is maintaining alignment with your business objectives. 

Careful selection and vetting of partners is, of course, the most important step. 

However, during the project, make sure you set up milestones and checkpoints. These are points during a project where you can meet together and examine the progress. You not only measure it against a set timetable but also against your mission, vision, and goals. 

The frequency is negotiable, however make sure you choose a partner who is open to this practice. 

Financial Management and Outsourcing

Businesspeople working in finance and accounting Analyze financial graph budget and planning for future in office room.

Outsourcing Financial Operations

Proper financial management is the backbone of a successful business. You can’t make money effectively if you can’t manage them properly. 

One of the main issues of this is that it’s a repetitive, time-siphoning, and overall “taxing” process. 

Outsourcing accounting and bookkeeping also means you can focus on creating valuable software that customers will buy.

An outsourced bookkeeping team or agency can keep you organized, up to date, and compliant. Because you need to be so precise for tax reasons, outsourcing things like payroll can save you from fines and penalties.

You can also outsource financial advice for financial analysis and generating strategies for investing, financing, and budgeting. 

Budgeting for Outsourcing

When you realize you need outsourcing, you also need to prepare for it. Part of that is effective budgeting to maximize return on investment while scaling your business. 

Consider these steps

  1. Definine the scope and objectives of your outsourcing strategy first.
  2. Compare different outsourcing options (freelancers, agencies, etc.) and their costs against your current in-house solutions. 
  3. Take note of other potential costs associated with the process. 
  4. Monitor spending before and after the transition. 
  5. Adjust wherever necessary. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you ensure data security when using outsourced teams?

Three tips:

  • Hire from reputable sources
  • Ensure they have data security guarantees in place
  • Have them sign the necessary security contracts 

What are the best practices for integrating outsourced teams into existing company workflows?

A robust onboarding process is the key to remote team success. Integrating them with both the culture, the team, and the work is crucial for outsourcing success. 

How can SaaS companies measure the effectiveness of their outsourcing strategies?

The first step is to set clear goals and objectives for the partnership. Then, you’ll want to track progress through key performance indicators. These can include CTR, conversion rates, re-subscription rates, customer satisfaction scores, etc. 

What criteria should you used to select outsourcing partners for SaaS operations?

  • Has experience with SaaS companies
  • Has a good track record with other companies 
  • Has quality assurance and built-in internal checks 

How can you manage cultural differences in international virtual teams?

  1. Recognize they exist. 
  2. Prioritize familiarizing yourself with the culture of the people you hire even before you hire them. 
  3. Make it a point to educate your team on cultural differences and set the expectation.

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Learning how to scale a Saas business through outsourcing certainly has its benefits. Not only are outsourced solution cost-efficient, the increased manpower leads to better productivity. By scaling your service business through virtual teams, you can improve your offerings and subscription rates!

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Virtual Assistants

How to Scale a Cleaning Business with Virtual Team Management

This post comes to you with our best tips on how to scale a cleaning business using virtual team management. You can’t clean homes and offices virtually – if only! – but you can run the business with a completely remote management team.

Let’s dive in!

Understanding the Basics of Scaling a Cleaning Business

What Does Scaling Mean in the Context of a Cleaning Business?

Knowing how to scale a cleaning business is essential if you want to enjoy long-term success. Scaling refers to the process of growing your company to handle a bigger workload. This can involve expanding your customer base, adding new products or services, or operating in a wider geographic area.

As you scale, you can reach more customers and tap into new markets. This leads to higher revenue and a stronger market position. By streamlining operations and leveraging economies of scale, you can reduce costs to become more efficient.

A growing business is always more attractive to skilled talent and investors. By bringing them in, you can fuel further growth to stay competitive in today’s dynamic market.

A bigger, better established business is positioned to weather economic downturns and unforeseen challenges more smoothly, which equates to long-term stability.

Scaling with Virtual Team Management

Using virtual teams to manage your cleaning business allows you to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and free up your time to focus on growth. Here are the major benefits you can enjoy:

  1. Cost Savings – You don’t need a large office space, furniture, or utilities to sustain in-house staff, which translates to significant cost reductions.
  2. Talent Access – You can hire from a larger pool of skilled freelance vs contract workers rather than being limited to those available locally.
  3. Increased Productivity – Remote hires can handle all the tasks involved in running a business, except for the cleaning itself. With the right tools, you can enjoy efficient team allocation and route planning. A remote workforce can more easily offer flexible and extended hours as needed, too.
  4. Improved Scalability – Virtual teams are easy to scale up or down as your business grows, without legal complexities. 
  5. Improved Work-Life Balance – Remote work opens up you and your teams to access the best opportunities and spend more time on what matters most.

Planning for Scalability

managing remote teams effectively

Setting Clear Business Goals

The question of how to scale a cleaning business hinges on defining your growth objectives.

Start by mapping out your long-term vision for the business and defining your scalability objectives around supporting these broader goals. Set SMART objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Consider the following main areas that may need to adjust around your scaling plans:

  • Define your objectives for attracting new clients. 
  • Set goals around operational efficiency at the back end and on the front lines, including what new processes and technologies to implement.
  • Outline objectives for building the virtual team you need to manage a larger on-site cleaning staff. 
  • Tackle implementation based on what resources you have available and which ones make a bigger impact on your overall goals. Before tackling large-scale customer acquisition efforts, prioritize foundational aspects like operational efficiency, which is how you will be able to take on more business.
  • Regularly review your scalability objectives and adapt and refine them as needed to keep them aligned with your goals and market trends.

Assessing Current Business Capacity

Before you start making changes, take stock of your available resources. You can hire temporary virtual help to take this on, or assign it to your first remote hires. You always want to establish a strong management structure to oversee larger and more geographically dispersed operations. 

Analyze your financial statements to understand your current cash flow, profitability, and access to capital. This will help you see what you have to invest in hiring, buying new equipment, or increasing marketing efforts.

Check your staff, inventory, and supplies to see if you can handle a larger workload right away. If not, consider what you need to meet your project goals. Analyze your existing customer base, too, in case you need to target new market segments to meet your customer base growth goals.

If you are broadening your service range, evaluate your current workforce’s skills and capacity. Consider what you need to do to bring your staff’s expertise up to the level of the new areas you want to venture into. This might be bridging training gaps or hiring new people.

Building a Virtual Team to Scale Your Cleaning Business

A computer screen and mobile phone screen showing virtual meetings via group video call.

Recruitment Strategies for Virtual Team Members

Before you hire anyone, make sure they understand how to scale a cleaning business based on your goals. Clearly outline the specific tasks and responsibilities for each virtual staff position to reflect them. Include any special skills they need as well as other requirements like work schedules.

Only hire through established agencies and freelance marketplaces with a good track record. Posting openings on random websites can attract the wrong kind of attention. YOu can search through social media groups to find qualified candidates, but make sure you hire through a secure platform. 

Conduct thorough video interviews and record the whole process for accountability. Craft specific questions to assess skills, experience, and cultural fit. Make sure you evaluate problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and knowledge relevant to your business, too.

Before going all in, do a trial period where you give new hires relevant test assignments. This is how you make sure they have what it takes to perform all their tasks.

Tools and Technologies for Managing Virtual Teams

Communication

Slack is great for real-time messaging, file sharing, and group conversations. It integrates with many other tools. Microsoft Teams offers video conferencing and real-time chat, and integrates well with other Microsoft Office products.

Zoom is a widely used platform for video meetings, webinars, and screen sharing. Google Meet is a free video conferencing tool included with Google Workspace. It offers screen sharing and call recording features. 

Project Management

Asana is great for task management, team collaboration, progress tracking, and workflow organization. Trello is a visual project management tool for agile workflows using boards, lists, and cards. Monday.com is a highly customizable platform for project management offering integrations with other tools. 

Human Resources 

Gusto is a payroll and HR platform offering self-service, benefits administration, and tax filing assistance. ADP provides payroll, HR administration, and benefits solutions for businesses of all sizes. 

BambooHR offers features for performance reviews, goal setting, and employee feedback. Lattice is also performance management software with features for goal setting, 1-on-1 meetings, and feedback tools.

Streamlining Operations through Virtual Assistance

Top view of manager and employee doing teamwork in business office , looking at charts on laptop display.

For us, the ultimate key for how to scale a cleaning business is to outsource as much as possible. This begins with passing off the simpler and more repetitive tasks to virtual assistants. It’s an absolute game-changer for streamlining operations.

VAs can handle the time-consuming task of scheduling cleaning appointments, reducing your commitment. They can manage scheduling conflicts in real-time and set automated reminders to communicate appointment details to clients and cleaners.

With proper software integration, VAs can create optimized processes to maximize efficiency. You can also leverage enhanced availability to provide extended customer service hours. A remote customer support virtual assistant can address inquiries and concerns outside of regular business hours.

VAs can automate the invoicing process and keep track of client billing after each cleaning service. By integrating payment processing tools with your system, VAs can collect payments efficiently. This promotes more efficient cash flow for your business.

Overcoming Challenges in Scaling with Virtual Teams

Addressing Common Pitfalls

Scaling your business with virtual teams is exciting, but it’s not without challenges. 

Communication breakdowns can lead to missed deadlines, misunderstandings on tasks, and frustrated team members. This happens when people find it difficult to deal with time zone differences or don’t have clear communication protocols to follow. 

Solution – Set clear expectations and repeat important information in writing after explaining verbally. Schedule regular team video meetings to maintain a sense of connection and address issues promptly.

Cultural differences can create misunderstandings and discord when not addressed. Different communication and working styles can also lead to inefficient meetings.

Solution – Build cultural sensitivity into your company culture and encourage intentional cultural awareness to foster more effective communication within a diverse team. During meetings, for example, take time to celebrate the unique perspectives that virtual team members bring to the table.

Team cohesion can break down in virtual settings as the physical distance between team members limits opportunities for informal interaction. Virtual hires can feel isolated, and lose motivation, which can lead to decreased collaboration.

Solution – Organize virtual team-building activities to foster camaraderie and social interaction. Regular recognition of team members’ contributions is a great way to maintain morale. Manage informal channels where teams can engage in non-work-related conversations.

Maintaining Quality Control

Ensuring service excellence is vital to successfully scaling a cleaning business.

The word "Quality" on a laptop screen with a clipboard icon above it.

Focus on Customer Needs

Make it a priority to solicit and gather customer feedback through intentional surveys, reviews, and direct conversations. Apply this feedback to improve service areas to continually meet customer needs and surpass their expectations.

Make sure you can maintain consistently high quality across all your offerings before you diversify. As you expand, consider tailoring service packages and communication styles to meet more granular customer needs and preferences.

Invest in Your Workforce

Provide ongoing quality training for all your hires to encourage excellent service. Invest in tools to help teams optimize processes for better service delivery.

As team members grow professionally, empower them to make decisions, solve issues, and take ownership of their work. Always remember to properly recognize and reward performance.

Create a culture and systems to encourage open communication channels with and among team members.

Strong collaboration fosters good working relationships that bond teams for better performance. Knowledge sharing helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page about service standards and client expectations.

Commit to Continuous Improvement

Keep up with industry trends, technologies, and practices to stay ahead of the competition. 

Monitor turnover rates and service completion times alongside customer satisfaction scores to identify areas for improvement. Establish performance benchmarks and implement changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

A cork board with pins and yarn connecting frequently asked questions.

What are the first steps to take when deciding to scale a cleaning business?

Make sure you have a strong base of satisfied regular customers before you take steps to scale up. You must ensure you can continue to serve them with excellence as you take on more clients. 

Define your growth goals and strategy to achieve them incrementally. Review your finances to see if you have the resources to cover whatever additional staff, equipment, and marketing you need. 

What are the legal considerations when hiring virtual employees for a cleaning business?

Hiring virtually doesn’t have specific legal considerations. The line exists between hiring employees versus freelancers or independent contractors. When hiring employees, you take responsibility for withholding taxes and providing benefits under the law.

Note that most virtual hires will be freelancers rather than employees. They are responsible for their own taxes in their own countries. You are also therefore not required to provide them with benefits.

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Learning how to scale a cleaning business before you start making business decisions is always wise. We hope that these tips will help you get set up for success as you buckle down and go for gold. 

Categories
Virtual Assistants

How to Scale a Service Business by Building a Strong Virtual Team

Two men discussing something on a laptop screen.

If you’re wondering how to scale a service business, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here, we’re going to talk more about remote teams and the process of finding and integrating them into your business. 

The Role of Virtual Teams in Scaling

Why Virtual Teams Are Essential for Scaling

Three of the main benefits of hiring virtual teams include scalability, flexibility, and access to a global talent pool.

Scalability

This is essentially your ability to size your operations up or down depending on the need. One instance where you see the benefits of scalability is if your products or services are subject to seasonality. 

Seasonality basically refers to spikes of interest or need for your products. An example would be holiday decor that people normally buy during the last few months of the year. 

During those times, you may see an increase of customer activity on your website. A virtual team can help you with temporary scaling during these times to help with the increased demand. 

Flexibility

Long term scaling is more flexible with virtual teams. They allow you to focus on growing the business while they help you execute. Refocus your time and effort on other core business functions and outsource other tasks to a remote team. 

You can also leverage different time zones by having them work the hours you aren’t. 

Access to a Global Talent Pool

Global talent means you have more choice. You can explore a wider range of candidates and find the hires that best suit the position, understand the vision, and can work well with the rest of your remote team. 

Types of Tasks Best Suited for Virtual Teams

A man in a video call using a laptop.

Virtual teams can do practically anything that doesn’t require a physical presence. 

These are some main service aspects that can be efficiently managed by virtual teams.  

  • Administrative duties such as organizing files, maintaining records, calendar management, and accounting and bookkeeping.
  • Managing an online store which includes inventory management, restocking, listing creation etc. 
  • Content creation like copywriting, blog posts, and video editing
  • Graphic design.
  • Social media management. 

Building Your Virtual Team

Planning and Strategy

The first step to learning how to scale a service business is planning. Some of your key considerations before hiring should include your budget, resources, objectives and timelines. 

Ask yourself how much of your monetary and human resources you can allocate towards building your virtual team. While it is more cost efficient to hire virtual assistants, that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. 

Do some research and canvas the typical rate for the positions you need filling. Consider, also, other costs related to hiring like training. 

Goals

Knowing your short and long term goals will also help you make better hiring decisions. 

Do you plan on outsourcing a process partially or completely? Are you transitioning departments to fully remote? Are you scaling temporarily or looking for a more permanent solution? 

These questions can help you develop an efficient outsourcing strategy. 

Manpower 

Next, make sure you have the manpower and infrastructure to manage your hires. You can’t hire a team if you don’t have a remote team manager and a way to manage remote teams. 

Their role is to ensure that you meet those goals on schedule. They help keep the pace and can report on successes and challenges with the project. 

Hiring and Assembling the Right Talent

People sitting around a table using laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

Now that you’ve laid a bit of foundation, you can start looking for your star players. 

Here are some of the best practices for recruiting, interviewing, and selecting team members for virtual roles. 

Hiring

When it comes to searching for talent, we tend to sing the same song. You should always hire from reputable websites, business networking sites, freelance marketplaces, or via endorsement from someone you trust. 

The important thing to look for is any kind of review or rating system. Look also for ways to check work history and worker credentials. 

Interviewing 

The interview process can go a lot smoother if you prepare a few things beforehand. 

First, make sure that you create a job post that has all the necessary information hires need to know before applying. This includes the job description and a list of roles and responsibilities. 

Next, of course, is to prepare a list of virtual assistant interview questions. These should help you confirm what’s written on their resume and gauge their attitudes, expectations, interpersonal and communication skills, and more. 

Selecting

Your interview should leave you with a few candidates who match the desired qualities of a virtual assistant

Talent is only one aspect you should consider before hiring. The person should also be able to work well with others and fit into your company culture. 

Integrating Virtual Teams into Your Business Operations

A man communicating with a woman via video call on his laptop.

Tools and Technologies for Collaboration

Software, automation, and other applications are assets that will help you figure out how to scale a service business. 

Some essential tools and features for supporting remote work and team collaboration help with:

  • Communication 
  • Task management 
  • Time tracking
  • Payroll management 

Creating Effective Workflows

Next is figuring out how to establish processes that ensure smooth operations between in-house and virtual team members.

We believe in the importance of a comprehensive remote onboarding process. This helps transition new hires into the workforce and familiarize them with both their duties and “dutymates”. This not only helps with familiarization but also rapport-building, which is needed for healthy work relationships.

We find that it’s essential to have standard operating procedures that work for both teams. This is true whether it’s about how to pass work between teams or how to communicate and provide feedback. Creating a structured guide that teams can reference will often subvert conflicts and misunderstanding. 

Make sure that you have elected point persons that help streamline communications between teams. 

Managing and Leading Virtual Teams

Effective Communication Practices

Here are some techniques to ensure clear and consistent communication across different time zones and cultures.

  1. Find a middle ground when scheduling meetings with members of more than one time zone. 
  2. Create opportunities for team members to get to know each other outside of work contexts. 
  3. Create a culture of “recall and respond” or reflective listening. This is where they repeat instructions back and the other person confirms if they understood the message correctly. 
  4. Consider language barriers while hiring. 

Building a Strong Team Culture Remotely

Here are some strategies to foster a cohesive team culture that aligns with your business values.

  • Don’t fail to meet with teams and individuals. Conduct temperature checks and have SOPs in place for when conflicts arise.
  • Invest in team nights for rapport-building.
  • It starts from the top. The leaders and managers must set the example that their teams can mirror and replicate. 

Leveraging Virtual Teams for Business Growth

A man using the phone behind two computer monitors.

Scaling Customer Service and Support

When thinking how to scale a service business, one of the most important things to consider is customer satisfaction. 

Virtual teams can not only help you accommodate more customers but even enhance and expand the services you already offer. 

Some of the improved services you can offer via a virtual team can include:

  • Answering more customer inquiries with quicker response times 
  • Incorporating live chat functionality so you can assist potential consumers in real time 
  • Investing in more proactive support like creating FAQ sections that customers can easily access
  • Generally offering more personalized support
  • Certain sales duties such as upselling and informing returning customers on sales and discounts 
  • Engaging with social media pages, posts, and forums and boards (if any) 
  • Offering 24/7 support with hires from different countries 

Expanding Into New Markets

Speaking of different countries, another benefit of a virtual team is international growth opportunities. Through your remote team, you can test and establish a presence in new geographical markets.

You can assign remote managers to head controlled overseas product/service launch operations. This helps you gauge interest and see if these markets are profitable and worth investing in. 

Frequently Asked Questions

A man in a suit sitting at a table thinking.

How do you handle security and confidentiality concerns with virtual teams?

  • Hire from reputable marketplaces
  • Have hires sign contracts to protect business and client data 
  • Keep sensitive information on a need to know basis.

What are the initial steps to transition from an in-house to a virtual team model?

We recommend outsourcing tasks gradually to see what works for you. Maybe try a hybrid method for a while before fully transitioning to remote. 

How can small businesses afford to build virtual teams?

  • Hire internationally from places with lower costs of living but good educational systems.
  • Leverage the time flexibility by focusing your efforts on growing the business and looking for profit opportunities.
  • Scale with your budget in mind.

What are common management challenges with virtual teams and how to overcome them?

Managing a remote team comes with certain time and communication challenges. First, you want a manager who understands these challenges. Next, you want to set up guidelines, processes and tools that make the process easier. 

How to maintain service quality when scaling up with virtual teams?

First of all, don’t scale if you don’t believe you can maintain quality. Second, create and enforce a proper onboarding and training process.

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

When asked how to scale a service business, to us, the answer is clear. Remote workers and freelancers are a flexible and affordable track to business growth. If you do the work to reduce the risks and face the challenges, you’ll find it’s well worth the effort.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

How to Scale a Consulting Business by Outsourcing to Virtual Teams

 

An Asian woman with headphones working on a computer.

If you want to know how to scale a consulting business, this post is for you. We’re going to go over how to use outsourcing strategies to remain profitable while sustaining growth. With the right talent and plan, you can take advantage of the best opportunities available.

Why Outsourcing is Critical for Scaling

Expertise

Outsourcing gives you access to a global talent pool. This means you can offer clients specialist services that you may not have in house. The competitive edge of this wider range of expertise can also open doors to new opportunities.

Efficiency

When you outsource repetitive and time-consuming tasks, you free up your business to build a stronger in-house core. Focusing on core consulting activities leads to faster project turnaround times and the ability to take on more clients.

Outsourcing gives you flexibility like no other solution can. You can rapidly scale your team up or down based on project needs without losing time or money. This is because you won’t engage in traditional recruiting, hiring, and training activities.

Affordability

Saving on costs is the main key for how to scale a consulting business effectively. Outsourcing is a very cost-effective way to access specialized skills at lower rates compared to hiring full-time employees.

First, you don’t have to pay benefits or rent office space. Done right, you can can build strong and loyal outsourced teams for less than you’d pay in-house.

Planning Your Outsourcing Strategy

A man in a suit sitting at a table thinking.

Identifying Outsourcing Opportunities

You need to analyze your business processes and identify the non-core activities you want to outsource. List all your major departments and their functions, then note all the individual processes involved. Identify who is responsible for each process step.

Analyze each process to see which ones directly tie into your core competencies or a competitive advantage. You also need to know if any directly generate revenue or contribute to our value proposition. Take note of any that require specialized skills or knowledge that’s unique to our business.

Think about the amount of time and resources each process consumes. You want to know if the value it delivers outweighs the cost and effort required to carry it in house.

Outsource first the non-core activities that save you the most money while being easy to document and standardize. Then outsource short-term tasks and those that require specialized skills you don’t have. 

Choosing the Right Virtual Teams

You should always choose team members who are teachable and fit into your company culture. Beyond these criteria, we included some key criteria below that we prioritize when building virtual teams.

Technical Skills and Experience

Make sure that each candidate you evaluate has the technical skills and experience they need to do their work. This is the main thing.

Ask them as well about specific freelancer tools and methodologies you require. They should be comfortable working virtually, including using video conferencing platforms, project management tools, and communication channels effectively.

Soft Skills and Character Traits

Choose candidates who have strong written and verbal communication skills. Active listening skills are also important in a virtual environment. Make sure they can collaborate well and work seamlessly towards shared goals, building rapport and trust despite physical distance.

Time management and self-discipline is non-negotiable for effective virtual teams. A main key for how to scale a consulting business is highly organized and self-motivated teams. 

Critical thinking, adaptability, and independent problem-solving are additional skills that you should look out for. 

Integrating Virtual Teams into Your Business

A smiling man talking to a lady on a video call on his laptop.

Setting Up for Success

Define your reasons for choosing to hire virtually so you will know what team size and structure you need. Plan out the specific roles and responsibilities you will hire for, and when. These roles must integrate seamlessly with existing workflows.

Make sure you provide your virtual team with all the technology and tools they need to communicate and collaborate effectively. Give them clear and standardized procedures and communication protocols to follow. All key processes must be documented.

Ongoing Collaboration 

You need to have a structured remote onboarding process specifically designed for virtual team members. This should include introductions to the company culture, tools, workflows, and the people they’ll work with.

Provide virtual training on effective communication and collaboration techniques in a remote environment. Encourage feedback and regularly adapt strategies to make things work better. You can’t learn how to scale a consulting business if you can’t listen to the people on the ground.

Use project management tools to maintain transparency within both virtual and in-house teams. Create opportunities for members to connect and build relationships.

Develop and consistently apply clear performance metrics and goals aligned with overall objectives. Give regular feedback and recognition to keep hires engaged and motivated to perform.

Managing Outsourced Teams

Building a Culture Across Borders

Building a unified company culture with remote teams requires intentional effort. You need to bridge the physical gap and create a sense of belonging within a scattered workforce. Here are a few key strategies we use:

  1. Clearly define your company’s core values and make sure everyone knows them.
  2. Foster a culture of open communication and transparency where you share goals, challenges, and successes. This builds trust and tells remote hires that they are valued members of the team.
  3. Create a culture of ownership to encourage hires to own their roles within the company. This starts by telling each one how important their work is for the business as a whole.
  4. Meet with teams regularly to discuss projects, celebrate wins, and address concerns so everyone feels part of the team dynamic. Make some of these fun team-building activities and social events. 
  5. Emphasize the importance of a work-life balance to encourage hires to keep healthy boundaries. You will not only mitigate the risk of burnout, but also foster a culture of trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many cubicles in a large, open office space showing how to scale a consulting business with oursourcing partners.

How do you ensure quality control when outsourcing key business functions?

Consider the following key methods to ensure quality control when outsourcing:

Preparation

Carefully research and assess potential partner agencies and freelance marketplaces. The companies you choose to work with and through should have a proven track record of quality work. They should also have experience in your industry, and be able to provide references.

Don’t jump into any deals until you have clearly outlined contract specifications, and the potential partner agrees to your terms. Include the detailed scope of work, quality standards, deliverables and timelines, and other typical sections in your contract. 

Alongside the contract, submit a Service Level Agreement. This document defines the specific performance metrics you expect the outsourcing provider to meet. Include items like acceptable uptime, response times, and error rates.

Working Together

Implement an effective performance monitoring and reporting system. Ask for regular progress reports and conduct quality audits and client satisfaction surveys. 

Keep the lines of communication open so you can quickly identify and address any issues.

What are the best practices for onboarding virtual teams?

To effectively integrate new virtual hires, you need a well-structured approach. 

Setting the Scene

As soon as you sign the agreement, send each new hire a welcome package with essential information and a remote onboarding schedule. Remind them to check that all the tools they need for work are set up beforehand to avoid technical hiccups. Adding company swag is a nice finishing touch. 

Onboarding

Introduce new hires to the team members and leaders they will be working with. Video conferencing is a great tool for this. You can facilitate an ice breaker activity to build positive rapport. 

Use a buddy system where an existing member works with a new member. This helps hires with questions and navigating the virtual workspace. 

Make sure everyone knows your expectations around communication and feedback. This includes training sessions, meetings, and milestones. Make sure everyone is clear on your expectations around work hours and deadlines, too.

A woman on a sofa writing in a notebook with a cat and a cup of coffee beside her

How can small consulting firms start outsourcing effectively?

Small consulting firms can start outsourcing immediately. The key is to identify needs and goals and what specific tasks you can outsource in line with them. 

We normally recommend starting with tedious, repetitive work like administration, research, data entry and analysis. You can also consider outsourcing work that requires special skills, like graphic design and social media management.

More than knowing how to scale a consulting business, you need to know how to leverage the right partners. Look for qualified outsourcing providers with a good reputation and experience in your industry. If you are hiring independent contractors, ask for recommendations from trusted colleagues.

Start with smaller projects on a trial basis to assess the fit and quality of work. Just make sure you are very clear on your end to attract qualified partners and avoid misunderstandings.

Use project management tools to help you track assignments. Make sure you have security protocols in place on both ends. All parties should sign non-disclosure agreements, too, to protect sensitive information and intellectual property.

What are the risks associated with outsourcing and how can they be mitigated?

Outsourcing can be risky, but only if you don’t take steps to avoid the common pitfalls.

  1. Clear expectations around work can limit the risk you take by passing tasks off to strangers. 
  2. Establish communication systems and encourage openness to avoid misunderstandings. Clear guidelines and regular meetings can foster stronger connections, which helps, too.
  3. Make sure you are clear about seeing all the costs upfront before you sign any contracts or agreements. Think about other hidden fees, like currency fluctuations, and understand how your outsourcing partner will handle them.
  4. Don’t rely on a single partner for all your outsourced work so you don’t suffer huge disruptions in case an issue arises. 

How does outsourcing impact client relationships in a consulting business?

Outsourcing can have a very positive impact on client relationships. That is, if you can mitigate possible negative effects of allowing a third party to step in between you. Outsourcing offers:

  • a wider range of expertise leading to more effective solutions;
  • improved efficiency and better resource allocation to improve core consulting activities like strategy development;
  • more affordable services without compromising on quality so you can remain more competitive; and,
  • scalability based on project needs so you can easily handle both larger projects and accommodate fluctuating client demands.

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Knowing how to scale a consulting business is knowing how to outsource effectively. This is half the battle towards simultaneous profitability and growth.

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Virtual Assistants

Onboarding Tools for Remote Teams: Enhance Your Hiring Process Today

Outsourcing Tips

Knowing the right onboarding tools to use in your business is key to the successful integration of new hires. Equipped with this knowledge, our aim is that you can choose the tools that will make your job easier, too.

The Need for Specialized Onboarding Tools in Remote Work

Remote onboarding presents unique challenges that traditional in-person onboarding systems may not be able to handle. Specialized onboarding tools can be a game-changer in overcoming these hurdles and providing a smooth integration experience for new hires. 

Challenges of Remote Onboarding

  • Not being physically present, remote hires can feel more isolated and struggle to build relationships with colleagues.
  • Virtual communication can be less natural, and a lack of effective communication can hinder productive collaboration.
  • Managers can experience greater difficulty in assessing the progress of virtual team members because of the physical gap. They may also have trouble gauging how well remote hires are grasping information, engaging, and adjusting to the remote work culture.
  • Facilitating a consistent onboarding experience across different locations and time zones can be difficult.

How Specialized Onboarding Tools Help

Specialized tools that focus on effective onboarding can spell the difference between the success and failure of your programs. Below are some of the areas they improve.

Connection and Engagement

Tools can make virtual team-building activities not only possible but really engaging. Robust online communities with digital social features help break the ice, foster a sense of belonging, and encourage healthier relationships.

Gamification elements can increase engagement even further, motivating hires throughout the onboarding process.

Communication and Collaboration

Onboarding platforms offer features like video conferencing, instant messaging, and task management tools. These elements streamline communication and collaboration among remote team members, trainers, and managers.

Learning and Progress Tracking

Digital tools provide everyone with access to a centralized repository of training materials and documentation. The tools also track progress through onboarding milestones so you can identify areas needing improvement faster and more easily.

Onboarding Workflows

Onboarding software automates workflows, which ensures a consistent onboarding experience for all hires, regardless of location or manager. This means that everyone gets the necessary information and completes essential tasks.

Learning Paths

Some tools offer features that personalize the onboarding experience based on role and department. This is effective in keeping new hires focused on the most relevant information and skills needed for success.

Types of Onboarding Tools

How to Outsource

Onboarding Management Platforms

Centralized onboarding platforms manage the entire process, automate tasks, and provide a structured learning environment with personalized dashboards. They also take care of document management to ensure better legal compliance.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

LMSs are software applications for delivering learning. Companies use them for educational courses, training programs, and ongoing development programs. They basically cover administering, organizing, tracking, reporting, and automating for learning.

Also referred to as a Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), LMSs offer a library of elearning modules, courses, and assessments. The goal is to deliver structured and measurable training content.

Social Collaboration Tools

Project management and collaboration tools for team integration don’t have to be boring. With social components, collaboration and performance tracking can be less menacing and more enjoyable.

When communication tools have a more social feel, remote hires can more easily maintain connections and build culture. They still work effectively, and maybe even become more productive because they feel less stressed.

Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams, for example, are both fun and facilitate real-time communication and team building.

Key Features to Look for in Onboarding Tools

Two women talking to each other over a video call using a laptop.

The tool you choose should fit your company’s specific needs. These are just a few of our suggestions, so evaluate their importance to you, and choose wisely.

  1. A user-friendly interface and accessibility is important so new hires focus on important tasks and not learning the tool.
  2. Having integration capabilities with existing systems helps you to seamlessly go from onboarding to actual work.
  3. With scalability and customization options, you can easily make the changes you need to continually improve your onboarding program.
  4. Any tool you use should have robust security and data protection features.
  5. Look for tools with integrated support features and a resource library for users.

Top Onboarding Tools for Remote Teams

HR Tools

Workday

Workday is a cloud-based software platform designed to help medium to large-sized organizations manage human resources and financial processes. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that automate and streamline tasks like payroll, talent management, and financial reporting.

BambooHR

BambooHR is a cloud-based human resources information system (HRIS) specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a user-friendly platform to manage core HR tasks.

Rippling

Rippling is an all-in-one, scalable HR platform for small and medium businesses with growth in mind. 

Comparative Analysis of Workday, BambooHR, and Rippling

Comparative Analysis of Workday, BambooHR, and Rippling.

Learning Management Systems

Moodle

Moodle is an open-source Learning Management System (LMS) for creating online courses, delivering educational content, and tracking learner progress. Youmay need some technical knowledge to operate this platform. 

SAP Litmos

Litmos is a cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS) designed to help organizations deliver and manage online training programs. 

Comparative Analysis of Moodle and SAP Litmos

Comparative Analysis of Moodle and SAP Litmos.

Collaboration Tools

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based collaboration platform. Although it was designed for businesses using Microsoft 365, anyone can use it. It integrates communication, chat, meetings, file sharing, and task management into a central hub. 

Slack

Slack is a cloud-based collaboration and communication platform designed to streamline internal communication and teamwork, streamlining workflows. 

Comparative Analysis of Microsoft Teams and Slack

Comparative Analysis of Microsoft Teams and Slack.

Video Conferencing Tools

Zoom

Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing platform for virtual meetings, webinars, and online events. 

Google Meet

Google Meet is a cloud-based video conferencing service from Google. It allows users to conduct virtual meetings and presentations, and collaborate online. 

Comparative Analysis of Zoom and Google Meet

Comparative Analysis of Zoom and Google Meet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can small businesses benefit from investing in onboarding tools, or are they more suited for larger organizations?

Small businesses can reap significant benefits from onboarding tools.

With lean or nonexistent HR departments, they can use tools to automate tasks like paperwork and initial training. This frees up valuable time for managers to focus on other priorities, like providing a more welcoming experience for new hires.

Onboarding tools help companies offer a consistent experience for every new hire. This helps when you have significant time gaps between hires and have different people training them. 

New hires can get up to speed quicker when they have easy access to pre-recorded training materials and other resources. This means they can become productive members of the team sooner.

Tools specifically created for onboarding intentionally target the needs of new hires. Using them fosters greater satisfaction and engagement. Studies show that strong onboarding programs can improve retention and productivity significantly

What’s the average cost range for comprehensive onboarding tools, and are there affordable options for startups?

The cost of these tools varies widely depending mostly on features and number of users. 

Some basic tools offer limited features for free so businesses can test them out. As your business grows, you can think about moving to platforms with higher levels of automation and customization. You won’t normally need a special tool until you develop a robust onboarding process.

Other tools have freemium plans that you can upgrade as needed. This is very useful since most businesses will develop onboarding incrementally. 

Paid onboarding software typically costs from $30-$50 per user per month. The more comprehensive plans can cost up to $100 or more per user per month. Only use these if you really need the help and it costs less than having a team member handle onboarding.

If you’re concerned about your budget, consider focusing on single-purpose tools that you can use in tandem. Some free tools like Slack or ClickUp actually cover the basics like task management, file sharing, and communication. 

You can also use a combination of free tools. For example, a project management tool like Trello is great for task delegation. Then you can use a separate free tool like Google Docs for document sharing. 

4 Tips on How to Write a Kick Ass Job Post for a VA

Can onboarding tools be integrated with freelance management systems for businesses relying on a mix of regular employees and freelance hires?

Integrating onboarding systems with freelance management tools is actually a powerful combination for businesses with hybrid staff.

Integration standardizes onboarding and effectively collects all the important information on each hire. They can then easily find relevant training materials and communicate with each other seamlessly.

We recommend bringing in-person hires into your virtual system in any case. They can always access virtual resources, and it helps them understand their freelance counterparts better. 

When you have both teams in one system, you save time and effort while encouraging better compliance. You can also enjoy better collaboration because everyone has access to the same project information, communication channels, and other resources.

Key Features

  • Look for tools with customizable onboarding workflows so you can tailor the experience based on roles and project requirements.
  • Make sure you have robust and secure document management to store important documents like contracts, NDAs, and tax forms.
  • Test the communication tools to see if they meet your chat and video conferencing requirements across locations. 

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

The right onboarding tools can make a significant difference in the success of your onboarding program. Make sure to carefully outline your needs and look into tools that offer the feature that you need the most. This can ease the burden on you so you can focus on the areas that are most needed.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Onboarding vs Orientation: Key Differences Every Virtual Employer Should Know

People at a table working on laptops.

Knowing the difference between onboarding vs orientation can help you greatly improve your system for bringing in new hires.

In this post, we’ll take you through what each process involves to help you distinguish them. We’ll also go over how to integrate these processes into your systems for more successful virtual hiring.

Onboarding: A Comprehensive Process

Onboarding is the process of integrating new hires into a company, helping them adjust to the new environment. 

The goal of this process is for new hires to become familiar with the company culture, mission, and goals. It should be a smooth and positive experience, leading to increased productivity, engagement, and retention.

Some onboarding activities include:

  • Completing official paperwork 
  • Attending orientation sessions
  • Learning about the company’s products or services
  • Shadowing colleagues and completing training
  • Meeting team members
  • Setting up work accounts and profiles for tools
  • Connecting to support resources 

Key Components of Effective Virtual Onboarding

Four men laughing while freelancing together

Virtual onboarding requires a well-structured approach to ensure that new hires feel welcome, informed, and connected. The following key components can help you create a program that sets new hires up for success.

Pre-Boarding

Before the first day of orientation, consider sending new hires a welcome package. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money sending them company swag. However, a personalized note to go along with your handbook or training materials builds excitement and gets them prepared.

Plan to make the first day of orientation special. Be intentionally welcoming and encourage connection. For example, you can have three key team members come on to personally encourage new hires. This helps to foster a sense of belonging right from the start.

Structured Learning

Take the time to organize training and development plans so new hires have a clear roadmap for learning. Offer a mix of online resources so they can learn at their own pace in addition to live sessions.

Schedule separate virtual introductions with managers and mentors to help new hires understand their role within the larger team. This is a good time to introduce the buddy system, where someone is assigned to answer questions and provide informal support.

Intersperse learning times with team engagement activities where you can facilitate connection with other team members. This doesn’t only break up the monotony, but also integrates them with the team and company culture faster.

Communication and Feedback

Maintain open communication channels and regularly check in with new hires. Encourage them to ask questions and let them know you love feedback. Make sure they know who to approach, too.

The Role of Technology in Virtual Onboarding 

A person with documents and a pen typing on a laptop.

A variety of digital tools and platforms play a critical role in facilitating effective virtual, or remote onboarding. Some exist specifically to help virtual team members overcome the physical distance barrier. They help managers to create a smooth integration experience.

Streamlining

Technology bridges the gap by automating administrative tasks. This frees up HR professionals to focus on the more strategic aspects of onboarding.

Virtual onboarding tools support these aspects by facilitating clear and consistent communication among the parties involved.

Engagement 

Advanced tools allow virtual teams to engage in interactive learning and team building experiences. They also make it easier to track progress and revisit sections as needed.

Modern collaboration tools help new hires connect with colleagues remotely in a way that fosters a sense of team spirit.

Performance Tracking

You can use technology to track progress through onboarding milestones and provide feedback mechanisms. These help you assess learning and identify areas where virtual hires need additional support.

Orientation: The First Step in Onboarding

Orientation is actually the initial step in the longer onboarding process. This is where new hires get acquainted with the company and their role. 

Onboarding vs orientation can be tricky. Onboarding focuses on a wider range of activities specific to the role and long-term success. Orientation, in contrast, focuses on general company information. 

For instance, as mentioned above, new hires get a broad overview of the company culture, mission, and values. Orientation also covers company policies, benefits, and administrative procedures. This is also where you make initial introductions to the team and key contacts.

Integrating Onboarding and Orientation into Your Virtual Hiring Strategy

Avoid Disappearing Virtual Assistants with executive assistant tools.

The easiest way to develop a seamless transition is to set expectations that distinguish onboarding vs orientation. Orientation usually takes only an hour or so. Tell new hires that you’ll give them a brief overview of everything. Anything after this will be part of onboarding.

Start orientation with a warm welcome and introductions to key people. Then, run through your remote company culture, just for awareness.

Don’t worry about being brief. You can get better integration results later by engaging new hires in various activities infused with your company culture. These activities happen throughout the onboarding process . 

Move into getting new hires access to any systems they need to use. Then set clear expectations for their role and responsibilities. Let them know what you want to see from them after the first few weeks and months on the job.

Onboarding will, then, follow smoothly as you conduct other meetings and begin the activities. 

Virtual Onboarding vs Orientation Customizations

Here are some tips for translating in-person orientation and onboarding for virtual teams:

Video Resources

  • Take advantage of video tools to send personalized welcome clips instead of just emailing a note. You can also send an animated virtual card, of course, with some music. This can supplement your initial welcome message.
  • Schedule virtual coffee chats to build rapport and answer questions in an informal setting. Encourage new hires to bring their favorite snack and drink and share about them to break the ice.
  • Include virtual recognition programs to celebrate new hires’ achievements and contributions to the team.
  • Virtual onboarding can actually be more effective because you can clearly separate learning times from getting-to-know-you sessions.
  • Pre-recorded training modules give new hires better opportunities to go through the material when it’s conducive for them.

Live Video Calls

  • If you have a physical office, don’t eliminate the office tour for virtual hires. You can either create a video or take them through the departments on a live video call. Have teams greet them like anyone coming in person to make them really feel like they’re part of it all.
  • Host live meetings like Q&A sessions so new hires can connect with leadership, ask questions, and raise any pressing concerns.
  • Don’t rely solely on documents with bios and contact information to introduce existing team members. Facilitate introductions through video calls so they get a more personal experience.
  • Even if you have pre-recorded training materials, always schedule video calls to address questions and discuss progress and challenges. Live demonstrations help a lot for new tools to ensure new hires feel comfortable using them.

Communication

Be clear and consistent with communication because virtual environments can lead to information gaps. Use asynchronous communication tools like chat and project management platforms to facilitate information sharing.

Check in with team members more often because you won’t be able to do random visual assessments. Let virtual hires know you care about their well-being and provide support for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Standard Operating Procedures for an executive assistant job description.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my virtual orientation program?

You can use quantitative and qualitative data to measure the effectiveness of your virtual orientation program.

Quantitative Data

  1. Track how long new hires spend on each module of the program. This helps you track engagement and interest as well as areas that might be too long or lack detail.
  2. Track the average scores of hires on any quizzes or knowledge checks you give throughout the program. This can help you assess knowledge retention and identify areas for improvement.
  3. Track attendance at ongoing events to see which participants find them valuable.

Qualitative Data

  1. Gather feedback after the program to understand the overall experience, the clarity of the information presented, and collect suggestions for improvement.
  2. Monitor ongoing feedback through team managers to understand the general sentiment of comments and discussions in the workplace. 

How long should the onboarding process last for virtual hires?

The ideal onboarding process length varies depending on what your team members need. Generally speaking, it can be from one week to about a month, with periodic check-ins throughout the year. 

A company with a strong, collaborative culture might require a longer onboarding process. Virtual hires working closely with established teams may also need additional time to get integrated. 

Roles with steeper learning curves or more technical requirements might also need more time for proper training. This also applies when learning new tools.

Can we skip the orientation phase if the hire is experienced?

In some cases, the orientation phase of onboarding for a virtual hire can be shortened for experienced hires. We do not recommend, however, that you skip it entirely. 

Even experienced hires need to learn about your company’s specific culture, policies, procedures, and tools. Orientation also helps virtual hires meet their team members and understand the dynamics of working with them.

Orientation covers important best practices and expectations within teams for communication, time management, etc. It also covers other role-specific information or workflows unique to your company.

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Knowing the key differences between onboarding vs orientation can help get new hires properly integrated into the team. Equipped with this knowledge, every virtual employer can guide new hires to high performance and job satisfaction smoothly and quickly.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Onboarding Training Strategies to Effectively Train Your Virtual Hires

People sitting around a table writing in notebooks and listening to another person.

What is onboarding training and why is it an essential part of the hiring process?

The reality is that freelancers, independent contractors, and other remote hires can be great workers. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will automatically be a good fit for your company culture or a team player. 

A proper onboarding process goes a long way to bridge that gap, and that’s what we’re exploring here. 

Why Onboarding Training is Crucial for Virtual Teams

Impact on productivity and retention

People tend to work better if they have all the information and tools they need to get the job done. 

Onboarding is a means of setting hires up for success so that they can be a valuable member to the team. Proper training and engagement also helps them integrate smoother and identify with company vision and values.

The lack of such processes is a contributing factor to higher turnover and low worker retention rates. 

Building a strong company culture remotely

This refers to the beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors that govern company operations. Onboarding serves to orient remote hires about how to relate to clients, interact internally, and ‌conduct business in general.

Proper integration, team building, and support are essential to foster a healthy, happy, and collaborative environment for all. 

Understanding the Unique Challenges of Virtual Onboarding

Two women talking to each other over a video call using a laptop.

Overcoming communication barriers

One of the things the past few years has made apparent is the challenges of remote communication. Assign communication protocols and collaboration tools and software for each team member to use. 

Ensuring technology readiness

Make sure everyone knows how to use proprietary software and any company or industry specific tools that you use most often. These can include bookkeeping software, time trackers, editing and design tools, and client communication and collaboration software.

Creating a sense of belonging and team cohesion

Managing a remote team is more than just ensuring they get the job done by the deadline. 

A good coach knows that introducing a new player doesn’t mean the team improves right away, however skilled that player may be. They need to learn each other’s play styles and adjust accordingly. 

You can help them integrate by introducing them to the team as early in the process as possible. Get them familiar with their roles, what each member contributes, and how they communicate. You can also host team building meetings and fun days. 

Key Components of Successful Onboarding Training Programs

Two people at a table laughing in front of a laptop.

Pre-onboarding preparations

You need to begin by setting clear expectations and preparing all the necessary resources. Be ready to provide a breakdown of the tasks and the scope of work for this position. Prepare the tools and software. Notify and prepare the team and managers for the hire. 

Structured onboarding process

Aside from the task list, you also need to effectively communicate timelines, activities, and milestones. These are the goals, objectives, and key checkpoints where you can set up meetings to track progress, receive feedback, and do temperature checks.

Integration of company values and culture

This is something that you should do even during the interview process. It’s about letting hires know the company’s beliefs and how you expect them to conduct themselves in light of that.

This includes how they should communicate to colleagues and clients and how they handle mistakes and conflicts. By setting this expectation, they also know how relaxed or professional you expect them to be. 

Continuous support and feedback mechanisms

It’s important to provide point persons and emphasize standard communication lines. That way, hires have the support they need if they come across barriers or have follow-up questions.  

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Virtual Onboarding Training Program

Creating your program from the ground up is tough, especially if you don’t have experience with remote hiring. You can use this guide as a template to create your own personalized, optimized process for your company. 

Avoid Disappearing Virtual Assistants with executive assistant tools.

Pre-Onboarding Phase

What to communicate before the first day

This involves, but is not limited to:

  • Finalizing the hiring documentation, including onboarding documents
  • Going over the list of duties and responsibilities
  • Asking additional questions that you may not have been able to during the interview process 

Setting up technology and access

This includes login information (usernames and passwords) so they can access the appropriate accounts, software, and tools. 

The First Week: Orientation and Foundations

Welcome activities and ice-breakers

This part is mostly about building rapport. Here, the one in charge of onboarding leads the introductions and may host games and team familiarization/ team building activities. 

Overview of company, mission, and culture

The next part involves providing more information about the company. This includes:

  • Type of company and industry
  • Company history 
  • Specific long and short-term goals and objectives
  • How the company plans to attain them
  • Company beliefs and values 

Initial training sessions and resources

The first few training sessions focus more on role orientation and familiarization with tools and software. They act as an overview of general roles, responsibilities and relationships between other job roles. 

An older man giving a thumbs up to a younger man on a video call.

The First Month: Role-Specific Training and Integration

Detailed job role training

This involves more in-depth training related to specific tasks, skillsets, and applied knowledge. This is where you train them on specific methods and processes they need to implement. 

Assigning a mentor or buddy

Think about it like a customer service representative. They help with navigating services and are readily available to answer questions customers may have about or around their purchase.

Just like a CS rep, an onboarding guide acts in the best interest of both the company and the hire. They can not only help with their transition into the company but also help build rapport and exemplify a spirit of collaborative growth. 

Regular check-ins and feedback

There are multiple reasons you would do this:

  • It gives you an opportunity to check if their work meets the job prompt and company standards. 
  • It can reveal potential gaps in your training process. 
  • You provide a space where your hires can inquire and contribute via constructive criticism. 
  • You can ask them about their experience with the company so far and if they have comments on how to improve your onboarding process. 

Ongoing Development and Engagement

Continuing education opportunities

Keep your hires updated on any training opportunities within or outside the company. These can include seminars, webinars, free training on new trends or software updates, and other resources like blogs and business podcasts.

By investing in your hires, you are investing in both the quality and care given towards the output. 

Creating channels for communication and feedback

If you don’t have one already, you should set up a way for your hires to communicate with their mentors or managers.

Give them a space to ask questions, relay concerns, and offer suggestions. This can be through Trello, email, Slack, etc. 

Encouraging social interaction among team members

This involves creating an environment that fosters collaboration, relationship and community. You can do this through regularly scheduled team checkups and even company game days. 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Virtual Onboarding Training

5 hands piled on top of each other as a symbol of teamwork.

Insufficient preparation and support

A lot of the time, companies focus their resources solely looking for the right hire. While important, there is a need to prepare them for the role.

A skilled actor still relies on the director and their vision to produce the expected results. When you don’t give your workers the right information, tools, resources, or communication channels, the logical conclusion is poor performance.

However, that isn’t necessarily fully on the workers’ end. Just like actors working with poorly written scripts, they can only act upon what you give them. 

Overloading information

We get it. Business must go on. The sooner you can get working on projects, the better. However, make sure workers have enough time to learn and process all the onboarding training you’re giving them.

Otherwise, it’s the equivalent of forcing a student to cram before giving them an exam. It’s a risk that can’t guarantee excellent performance and doesn’t help them in the long-term. 

Neglecting company culture and hiring engagement

Company culture provides a level of cohesion that unites people towards a common goal with a set of operating standards. Failure to communicate this to people you intend to bring onto a team will most likely create friction and delays. 

You also have to consider morale. If your new hire feels like the odd man out, that can lead to tension, poor performance, and even turnover. It can also lower the morale of the entire team by disrupting the workflow. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best practices for conducting virtual onboarding for a global team with different time zones?

When working with hires from various time zones, adjusting is a given. It’s important to communicate with your team and find a compromise for synchronous meetings. You can also try recording meetings or set multiple meetings based on time zones. 

How often should we update our virtual onboarding training program?

We recommend looking over it as often as you hire someone. Because every person is different, you will likely find areas in need of improvement with each training. Alternatively, you could change it if/when hires provide constructive suggestions during a feedback session. 

What are some creative ways to make virtual onboarding more engaging and less transactional?

Here are two suggestions:

  • Gameify it through methods like interactive quizzes covering company history, facts about the founders/members, etc.
  • Use storytelling and visual guides like slide presentations and infographics 

Note that this is pure opinion and there really isn’t a true right or wrong way to make it engaging. We say go for whichever you enjoy or what best fits your company culture and environment you wish to foster. 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

An onboarding training program is more important than some realize. It helps transition hires smoother and gives them a better sense of belonging. Through this process, hires become better prepared and motivated to continue working and growing alongside their team and your company, 

Was this helpful? Check out more from us if you’re interested in learning more about outsourcing and hiring tips.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Onboarding Documents Checklist: Essential Paperwork for Hiring Virtual Employees

A job applicant handing over her virtual assistant resume cover letter.

If you don’t yet use any onboarding documents after hiring virtual assistants, this post is a good place to start. This checklist will give you a good idea of all the paperwork you need to prepare. Remote onboarding is essential to get new hires off on the right foot so they can hit the ground running.

Understanding Onboarding Documents for Virtual Hires

Onboarding documents are a crucial part of integrating new virtual hires into your company. They provide hires with essential information about your company. For example:

  1. Company culture documents help virtual hires understand your values, communication styles, and work environment.
  2. Work process documents provide a roadmap for completing tasks, using specific tools, and following established procedures.
  3. Expectations put everyone on the same page with regard to work quality, communication frequency, and deadlines.

These documents facilitate smooth integration once you make a hire. A clear understanding of the role and the work environment help hires become productive members of the team faster.

Legal Considerations and Compliance

A lady with a gavel on her desk writing on paper.

Standard Compliance

Onboarding documents shouldn’t contain discriminatory language. They should also not request information that could be used for discriminatory purposes, like citizenship status, unless required by law.

Make sure that you comply with all data privacy regulations that apply for you and the hire. This includes getting consent to collect and store their data and having clear policies on data retention and security.

Specific Documents and Agreements

Clearly define the working relationship in the documents. Onboarding for independent contractors might not include benefits information typically provided for employees, for instance.

Confidentiality agreements are crucial for protecting sensitive company information. Ensure your NDA complies with local regulations to ensure that it holds up in court.

Regulations regarding background checks can vary by location. Make sure you have the virtual hire’s consent and also comply with any local laws around these checks.

Regularly review and update all the documents to reflect any changes in company policies or local regulations. Have virtual hires electronically sign or acknowledge receipt of all these changes.

Location-Specific Considerations

You might be hiring from different countries with varying employment laws. Review your documents to ensure compliance with all applicable local regulations. For example, look into laws around work hours, minimum wage, and vacation time, and other benefits.

You might also need to withhold taxes differently for virtual hires in different locations. Consult a tax professional to ensure compliance.

Successful Virtual Team Integration

A man and a woman doing an individual, personal check-in before their team virtual meetings.

Onboarding documents play a vital role in successfully integrating virtual team members. 

Bridging the Physical Gap

Without face-to-face interaction, virtual hires can miss certain details. Proper onboarding ensures that they have the same level of understanding about the company, culture, and processes as in-person hires.

Documents provide a consistent foundation of knowledge for all virtual team members, too, regardless of their onboarding timeframe.

Facilitating Team Cohesion

By emphasizing company culture and values, you can help virtual hires feel included and connected to the team.

Clear documentation facilitates a shared understanding of company goals, project objectives, and individual roles within the virtual team.

Documents can outline preferred communication tools and etiquette, fostering smoother collaboration and reducing miscommunication, too.

Boosting Individual Performance

A roadmap for tasks, tools, and expectations helps virtual hires become productive team members quicker. 

Clear instructions and resources also empower them to find answers independently, minimizing the need to interrupt you and their teammates.

Comprehensive Checklist of Onboarding Documents

A person writing on paper.

1. Legal Documents

Contractual agreements are legally enforceable agreements entered into by two or more parties. They must willingly agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the contract. 

An employment contract, for example, defines what duties, compensation, benefits, and termination clauses the parties agree to. Other examples are sales contracts and lease agreements. 

Intellectual property agreements are legal contracts that address the ownership, use, and disclosure of intellectual property. They protect creations like inventions, art, and confidential information.

Examples include patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Non-disclosure agreements, sometimes called confidentiality agreements, are legally binding contracts. They establish a relationship that protects sensitive, non-public information shared between parties.

Examples include what the receiving party can and cannot do with formulas, customer lists, marketing strategies, and ghost writer identities.

2. Tax Forms

The specific tax forms you need for virtual hires depend mainly on location and employment classification. 

For example, an employer in the US hiring an independent contractor usually won’t need to file a 1099-MISC. However, the virtual assistant should complete a Form W-8BEN to declare their foreign status. This can be helpful for record-keeping and potential audits.

Remind virtual hires that they are responsible for filing their own tax returns in their home country.

3. Company Policies and Handbook

Make sure that you provide each hire with copies of your company’s code of conduct, privacy policies, and handbook. Have them sign an acknowledgment form, too. This form should state that they: 

  • have read and understood all the contents of these materials, and 
  • agree to abide by all the rules and regulations described. 

How to Organize and Manage Onboarding Documents for Virtual Teams

Color-coded file folders organized neatly on shelves.

We are big fans of digital systems because they offer additional functionality and ease. 

For example, digital document storage allows you to access search functions. This makes it easy for everyone to quickly find specific information within documents.

Digital onboarding also allows you to seamlessly incorporate visuals like infographics and short videos into your onboarding materials. This enhances both understanding and engagement.

Developing a Centralized System

Digital organization offers centralized storage that makes it easier for everyone to access the materials. It also helps you manage different versions, which makes it easier to keep all the documents updated.

Create a well-organized folder structure to categorize the documents. We suggest filing them by department and type of hire, or document type. This can be contracts, benefits information, and security protocols. 

Whichever categorization system you choose, always use clear naming conventions, and use them consistently. Include details, too, that help identify and differentiate the files. This keeps confusion at bay. 

Streamlining the Onboarding Process

Prepare a digital welcome kit that contains the essential documents, like the handbook, policies, and contact information for key personnel. 

Consider creating a flow for the onboarding documents or using an actual onboarding management platform. This one-stop shop can help new hires access what they need, when they need it. 

Explore onboarding tools to streamline the process. Workflow automation, for example, can help you with document requests and reminders for completing specific steps in the onboarding process.

Maintaining and Updating Documents

Regularly review your onboarding materials and process to ensure they reflect the current company policies, tools, regulations, etc.

Encourage new hires to provide feedback on the onboarding process at every stage. Ask them to expound on the clarity and usefulness of the documents. This helps you continually improve the onboarding experience and its effectiveness.

Develop templates for the commonly used documents, such as checklists and offer letters. This helps you save time while ensuring consistency and efficiency. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Large piles of documents on a table.

Can I use the same documents for freelance and full-time virtual hires?

You can keep the same core structure for freelance and full-time virtual hires, but some sections need to be tweaked.

You can have the same overview of your company culture, mission, values, and team structure. The communication guidelines and collaboration tools you use are relevant for both. Your policies for data security, password management, and acceptable use of company technology likewise apply.

Freelance Hires

We recommend an independent contractor agreement outlining the scope of work, project timeline, payment terms, and termination clauses. Clearly define project deliverables, deadlines, communication frequency, and revision processes specific to the contracted work.

Full-Time Hires

You should have an employment contract specifying job duties, compensation, probation period, and termination procedures. Specify your company’s benefit packages, such as health insurance and paid time off. 

Define as well how income taxes and social security contributions will be withheld from their paycheck. Outline general job responsibilities, performance expectations, performance reviews, and typical work hours.

What’s the best way to securely store sensitive onboarding materials for virtual hires?

Cloud-based document management systems (DMS) offer secure, centralized storage for all your documents. With granular access controls, you can easily grant different levels of access to authorized personnel from anywhere.

Many DMS also provide audit trails so you can track document access and activity. This helps maintain accountability and identify any potential security breaches. Look for DMS solutions that use data encryption both at rest and in transit. 

Examples of DMS are Google Drive, Dropbox Business, Microsoft OneDrive for Business, and Zoho WorkDrive.

Make sure that you also require two-factor authentication (2FA) for all user accounts. Maintain regular backups, too, for easy data recovery in case of system failures or cyberattacks.

 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Clear onboarding documents and proper procedures for issuing them and enforcing them set everyone up for success. Both your company and the people you hire get the protection they need, too. With all of those concerns out of the way, everyone can focus on enjoying the work and staying productive.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Video Interviewing Tips to Identify Top Virtual Employees Effectively

A smiling man talking to a lady on a video call on his laptop.

Every business owner who wants to hire virtually needs some good video interviewing tips. These tips from our arsenal at Outsource School will help you find the candidate that you need for the job. We’ll go through setting the stage, conducting the interview, and a few other bonus tips.

Setting the Stage for Success

Choose an Appropriate Environment

An appropriate video interviewing environment projects a professional image and ensures a smooth flow. 

Choose a background that’s free of clutter and busy images and anything that could give away sensitive information. Silence your phone and avoid distractions during the interview.

Plain and solid colors are ideal, even if you’re limited to using a virtual background. Make sure that any images are professional and high-quality so they don’t appear blurry or pixelated.

Make sure that you have enough light, natural light if possible, and position yourself facing the light source. Avoid harsh lighting, and block out light sources coming from behind.

Technical Setup

Hardware 

Use a reliable computer that has enough processing power and memory to conduct and record a smooth video call.

Adjust your camera to rest at eye level, or slightly higher for the best view. This also helps you to maintain eye contact with the camera to create a sense of connection. Ensure that you are getting a quality image so you present a professional image. Consider external speakers as well if your built-in ones make it difficult for you to hear the other party.

Make sure that you can conduct the interview in a location free of background noise and the threat of interruptions. If you don’t have access to a high-quality microphone, use a headset so that your voice can be clearly heard. Your built-in mic may be enough, but test it with a colleague to be sure. 

Internet

Choose a location with strong internet, and use a wired connection if possible. If Wi-Fi is your only option, ensure you have a stable and reliable signal to avoid issues. When your video is freezing or lagging during the interview, you can’t expect to insist that candidates promise good internet.

Do a test run before the interview to ensure that everything is functioning properly.

Software

Choose a reliable video conferencing platform with adequate security features. Make sure you’re familiar with the functions, too, before the interview. Check for updates to avoid undue technical glitches.

Professional Dress 

Our video interviewing tips call for a balance between professionalism and practicality. Your outfit should reflect your business’s values and culture. Be comfortable, like choosing breathable fabrics that allow for some movement, but not unprofessional. 

As with your background, opt for solid and subdued colors and subtle patterns instead of large or busy patterns. Avoid low-cut tops, sleeveless shirts, tank tops, sweatpants, ripped jeans, and any other overly casual attire. Avoid large, dangling jewelry, and other potentially distracting accessories.

Conducting the Interview

A man communicating with a woman via video call on his laptop.

Pre-Interview Preparation

  • Clearly communicate your company culture to all applicants. Describe the work environment and use language that reflects your core values. This will attract candidates who are a better fit. 
  • Set the tone for a positive experience by sending personalized interview invitations. Include the interview format and any other expectations you have for the interview.
  • Make sure you have reviewed the resume of the candidate who’s up for an interview. For call-backs, you may also want to check their social media and references first. This will help you remove any candidates who seem good, but only on paper. 
  • Prepare interview questions that speak directly to the requirements that you posted in your job description. Go through these at least once right before you start the video call. Practice them with a colleague if you’re new to interviewing. 
  • Read a joke or listen to a happy song before you jump on the call. Your mood will show on your face! 
  • Practice good posture in front of the camera so you know how to maintain it throughout the call. This is one of our favorite video interviewing tips, even though it’s rarely talked about. Use natural hand gestures if you need to emphasize your points, but avoid fidgeting or leaning far back in your chair.

Engagement During the Interview

  • Greet the candidate warmly by name as soon as they join the video call. 
  • Thank them for coming and acknowledge any time zone differences to show consideration.
  • Engage in a bit of small talk to help break the ice. For instance, you can ask about something light like how their day went. 
  • Maintain a positive tone throughout the interview. 
  • Take care not to turn this conversion into an interrogation. You won’t learn much about the candidate that way.
  • Encourage them to elaborate on their thought processes, experiences and problem-solving approaches. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, acknowledging their responses with positive reinforcement, and using verbal cues that show your interest.
  • Ask behavioral and scenario-based questions to learn how they would respond in specific situations. These give insights into relevant skills like teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, creativity, decision-making abilities, and communication style under pressure. 
  • Intentionally leave time at the end of the interview for the candidate to ask you questions about the role, the team they’ll be working with, or your company. This transparency allows them to assess if the role aligns with their values and interests.

Post-Interview Follow-up

  • Always follow up with candidates after the interview. Don’t wait more than 2 days to send them an email. Even if it’s a rejection, thank them for their time and interest. If you might hire them for a similar position in the future, let them know that you’d like to keep them on file if they agree.
  • If you’re following up for a second interview or are ready to hire, tell the candidate what impressed you the most. Then tell them you want to move forward, and give them clear next steps. Let them know that they can ask any remaining questions they might have as well.

Special Considerations for Pre-Recorded Interviews

A smiling woman talking on a headset while typing on a laptop.

Preparation and Execution

In some cases, you might prefer to send questions out and have candidates record their answers. If so, make sure you give clear instructions on what format to use, the time limit, deadline for submission, and any other specifics. 

Make sure you have a clear rating criteria prepared so you can evaluate submissions properly and fairly. Schedule enough time to review each recording thoroughly. Don’t just skim through. Take notes and assess each response based on the established criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective strategies to assess a candidate’s cultural fit through a video interview?

Ask specific questions about the candidate’s understanding of your company culture and values. You could also try framing questions around your company’s core values. 

You might also give them hypothetical scenarios that reflect your team’s work style or typical challenges. Then, ask the candidate how they would approach the situation. This reveals their problem-solving skills and how they might collaborate with people on your team.

Make sure you dig deep into the candidate’s motivations beyond just the job description. See if their interests and goals align with the overall company culture and goals, and the team’s mission and direction.

What are the best practices for maintaining security and privacy in video interviews?

Choose a reputable video conferencing tool with proven security features like encryption and two-factor authentication. Research the platform’s privacy policies and data security practices. Only share meeting links with the candidates scheduled for interview. Make sure the channels you use to send them are also secure. 

Make sure that no sensitive information shows on camera, and tell candidates to do the same. Share only what’s necessary with the candidate, and avoid disclosing confidential information unless absolutely necessary. 

Make sure that no one can eavesdrop during the interview or access your files. Update your operating system, software, and browser before conducting interviews. 

If you would like to record the interview, inform candidates and get their explicit consent in writing. In most cases, an email will do. Let them know what you will use the recording for and how long you will store it.

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Final Video Interviewing Tips 

By following these video interviewing tips, you can ensure a positive experience for both yourself and the candidate. Remember that a professional video interviewing environment helps you get great interview results. From there, you can make more well-informed hiring decisions. A little preparation can go a long way in making a positive impression!

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Interviewing Tips for Managers: Building Your Remote Workforce Effectively

A computer screen showing a woman on a video call.

We get asked all the time about interviewing tips for managers who want to hire the best of the best. In this post, we give you just that, from the preparation stage through the actual interview. Our hope is that by using these tips, you can attract and select the best candidates for any position. 

Pre-Interview Preparation

Getting ready before the interview is a crucial step. This is where you develop the strategy you need to find the gems among all the applicants.

Understand the Position

The first thing you must do is get a good grasp of the position that you’re hiring for. Make sure that you know exactly what you need done and who you need to do it well. 

Ask for Help

Ask the people within the department you are hiring for what they see regarding that position. Often, it’s those on the ground who have the best insights into what and who is needed. 

Review the Candidate’s Resume

You may have read all the candidates’ resumes when they submitted their applications. We still recommend that you go through each one again before each interview, and keep it in front of you. This keeps all the details fresh in your mind as you spark to them.

Set Up the Interview Environment

Choose a quiet, professional space free from distractions. A conference room or empty office works well. Ensure comfortable seating so you don’t start fidgeting in the middle of the interview. Adjust your camera before you begin to make sure the candidate has a clear view of you.

During the Interview

With proper preparation, you should be able to conduct the interview smoothly. 

A man remote onboarding another man via a video call using a laptop.

Open the Interview

As soon as the candidate joins the meeting, greet them warmly. Introduce yourself and any other interviewers present. Briefly discuss neutral topics, like how their day has been so far, or the weather, to ease them into the interview.

Question Techniques

Question techniques are important to get the information you need during an interview. 

One common question technique is to ask open-ended questions, which encourage interviewees to elaborate. This is how you get more details about their experiences, skills, and thought processes. 

Behavioral and Hypothetical Questions

Ask the interviewee to describe specific situations they’ve encountered in the past and how they handled them. This can be a great way to assess their problem-solving skills, decision-making abilities, and how they might behave in similar situations in the future.

Similar to behavioral questions are hypothetical questions, which ask about situations that a interviewee may not have faced before. This focuses on critical thinking assessment, creativity, and how they approach challenges. 

Clarification Questions

Always insert clarification questions or follow-up questions whenever you feel like you need more information about a response.

For those hiring in the care sector, ensuring that candidates have passed the NDIS worker screening is crucial. This screening process verifies that individuals are suitable to work with vulnerable populations, adding an extra layer of security and trust in the hiring process. Incorporating these steps help employers find the best fit for their teams while ensuring safety and compliance.

Moreover, remember that the best interview technique is to be flexible and adapt your approach based on the interviewee’s responses and the information you’re trying to gather.

Observing and Listening

Active listening helps you observe and listen effectively while interviewing a candidate. Prepare by minimizing distractions, like putting away your phone and clearing any workspace clutter. 

Maintain eye contact while talking to show interest and encourage the candidate to elaborate. Remember that if you’re on a video call, you need to look into your camera lens to make it seem like you’re looking at the person. 

Nonverbal Cues

Use nonverbal cues while the candidate is talking and maintain an interested facial expression. Avoid interrupting them, and don’t feel like you need to chime in as soon as there’s a pause.

Before moving on to another question, briefly restate what you’ve heard to ensure understanding and encourage further details.

Take Notes

Make sure that you are jotting down important details as you speak with a candidate. Even if it’s just phrases here and there, you need to take notes so you don’t forget. You’ll use these later to help you choose the best fit.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Three men smiling as they look at content on a laptop.

Pre-Interview

Make sure that you set clear expectations about the position and the interview before you schedule a meeting. This is done through a detailed job description.

Both parties must come to the virtual table with a clear understanding of the tasks, skills, and experience needed for the role. This includes preferred communication methods, tools, work times, and time zone differences.

Interview

Don’t shortlist candidates based on the lowest hourly rates. Always prioritize qualifications and cultural fit. The right person will bring value beyond the cost. Take time to vet candidates thoroughly, including learning what makes them worth their quoted rate.

A multi-step interview process helps you get to know each candidate enough to assess their qualifications properly. 

Post-Interview

Don’t assume that a new hire will be able to hit the ground running without any training or support.

Sure, they should have the needed skills, but they will not know everything they need to work within your company specifically.

Invest in creating onboarding sessions and materials so they have clear instructions, relevant resources, and a go-to person when they have questions.

Post-Interview Process

After the interview, there’s still work to be done. Don’t skip these steps!

Review Your Notes

1. Go over your notes as soon as possible after the interview, while your memory is fresh.

This will help you reconstruct your conversation and capture the nuances like nonverbal cues that added context. If you wait too long, your own notes may not even make sense to you because you forgot what you meant.

2. Put your thoughts into categories.

By doing so, you can evaluate each candidate based on the different aspects you asked about. The categories could be skills, experience, answers to specific questions, work style, and other interesting details.

3. Use a color or symbol coding system to highlight key points.

This makes it easier when it’s time to compare the different candidates. Compare candidates’ strengths and weaknesses side-by-side, too. This will help you identify who stood out for specific criteria.

4. Check that each candidate’s skills and experience match up to what’s on your job description.

Do the same for what you were aiming for in terms of behavioral insights. 

Candidate Follow-Up

A man using the phone behind two computer monitors.

Make sure you follow up with candidates after their interview, whether you’re still considering them or not. Let them know the status of their application within 2 days at most to be considerate of their time.

1. First, always express gratitude for the time they spent and for their interest in the position.

Mention one or two specific things you enjoyed learning about them to personalize the message. Generic follow-ups are a huge turn-off and you don’t want to lose the best candidates.

2. Next, tell the candidate what their next steps are in the hiring process.

If you’re not moving forward with a candidate, let them know you’ve decided to pursue other options. If you like them but just not for this position, tell them you will keep them in mind for future openings

3. If you haven’t made a decision about a candidate yet, tell them when you’ll reach back out.

In the meantime, let them know you’re available to answer any questions they might have.

Make sure you keep all your communications professional.

Staying Objective

When choosing the right candidate to hire, make sure you’re evaluating them based on a proper rubric. Standardizing your criteria ensures that you will be fair and not forget important details. This way, you can check off the required qualifications, skills, and experience, and find the best fit.

Try not to deviate too much from the set interview questions as you probe further and ask follow-up questions. This way, you can maintain consistency and keep in line with the outlined job description. 

Be aware that you might be tempted to favor someone because of certain factors. For example, you might hone in on a level of education, previous employment, or strong performance in one area. Do not allow this to sway you into overlooking weaknesses in other areas. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can managers ensure fairness and inclusivity in virtual interviews?

Make sure that you use language that focuses on the skills, experience, and values that you’re looking for. Stay away from anything that points to demographics and other unconscious biases rather than requirements. A diverse interview panel also helps to mitigate individual biases and lend a more well-rounded perspective to the interview. 

Ensure that your video conferencing platform is accessible to candidates with disabilities. Provide clear instructions to interviewees on how to join the interview and prepare alternative methods in case of technical difficulties. This is particularly important when you’re interviewing across multiple borders.

How can managers build rapport with candidates during virtual interviews to accurately assess soft skills?

Managers can best draw out evidence of soft skills by building rapport with candidates.

Start by making candidates feel comfortable and heard so that they will be more likely to relax and open up. This way, they will give you more genuine responses. Through conversation, you can gain insight into their communication style, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence, too.

Maintain a professional but engaging demeanor throughout the interview. Smile, use an enthusiastic tone, and maintain eye contact with the camera rather than the video feed of the interviewee. Practice active listening and acknowledge candidates’ responses with positive reinforcement.

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Final Interviewing Tips for Managers

Consistency is key. Whichever interviewing tips for managers you choose to use, make sure you apply them across the board. If you’re testing them out, don’t mix methods when interviewing for the same position. Instead, try a different set for the next position you hire for.

Sometimes, it also helps to have other people interview with you or go over resumes and notes. You might consider also incorporating skills assessments to provide objective data.