How To Manage Virtual Talent

As we have discussed before, one of the easiest ways to trip up a new venture is single points of failure. In a startup the number one culprit of this is the founder. If you want your business to succeed at some point you’re going to need to delegate off portions of the work. Luckily for new entrepreneurs there are a variety of resources that exist that can help you find virtual employees. Finding them is half the battle. Once you have virtual employees how do you manage them?

Find

Regardless of your business there are certain functions every new startup needs: product, sales, marketing, and business development. Finding and retaining top talent is one of the hardest jobs of any boss. The reality is it is usually a team that succeeds not just a product. The amount of help, of course, will depend on the scope of your new endeavor. If you’re trying to make an extra $1,000 per month you may only need one virtual assistant. If your ambitions are a bit more grandiose, you may want more. Either way there are a variety of resources you can utilize.

Defining your brand with Fiverr

Building a solid brand that can differentiate you from the pack involves some creativity. Creativity can be hard and intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. Fiverr is a marketplace for creative professionals. Need a logo for your business? Want to create your first promotional video for your new store? Need a cool cover for your new book? Fiverr is a great place to start. Not only is it reasonable but the quality of the work is great. I have used them before for several projects and have yet to be disappointed. The site includes a great systems of reviews and references that can steer you to the best contributors.

Building your site with Upwork

Having an online business means having a business online. Duh! But that means you will need to offer certain services like a website, the ability to buy products, etc. For non-technical people (like myself!) this can seem overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be. There are sites like Upwork (formerly elance) that give you a slew of talented software developers at your fingertips. These people can do everything from build custom sites to designing and developing apps.

Executing with Virtual Assistant USA

Services like Virtual Assistant USA allow you access to top level talent without having to pay top level pricing. And while many virtual assistants can help an entrepreneur with administrative tasks, like calendar maintenance, Virtual Assistant USA offers a full suite of services including Administrative, Marketing, Web, Graphic Design, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Copywriting, Content Development, Video Editing, Business Consulting, Web Design and many more.

This sort of service, and there are many others beyond Virtual Assistant USA, here is a nice list), is particularly valuable for any entrepreneur growing a business outside of a major urban area, where talent resources are limited. What I love about the internet is that it is a great equalizer. Suddenly you don’t need to be in a big city to transform a good idea into a business. You can truly choose where you want to live. That is what I have been able to do in my native New Hampshire, which isn’t exactly a roaring metropolis. One of the downsides, however, can be finding capable contributors. Virtual assistant teams level that playing field.

While these services can be useful to get your business moving, they can also be a great place to start your business. If you have one of these skill sets create a profile and see if you can find some work. What’s great about these marketplaces is that they are well known which means people use them – demand is high – and quality work typically rises to the top. This is a win-win combo for any budding freelancer.

Managing

Whether you acquire your virtual talent from an online marketplace like the above or the old fashion way of through your own personal network, getting the best out of an employee who is not in the same room with you is never easy. Management in general has always been more of an art than a science. Why are there are thousands of books written on management? Because it is hard. Add in the new virtual layer – how do you influence through written communication? How do you nip issues in the bud when your team is working while you sleep? – and you have an even greater challenge ahead of you. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you are providing the right level of guidance and motivation to your employees – wherever they are in the world.

Let go

The hardest thing for new managers to do is let go. Shifting from a contributor to a manager is not easy. You go from being judged on your ability to accomplish work to your ability to motivate others (Luckily for any entrepreneur there is still plenty of work to get your hands dirty with!). Many new managers react by not ceding control and either micromanaging or not giving enough to their employee. This leads to bored employees, which is never a good thing.

There is no magical solution here. You simply have to let go and give your new team member a chance to thrive. The best thing to remember is that they are going to do things differently than you. The final product will not be what you would have done because you didn’t do it. Not only is this OK, it is the point. New perspectives add value. Of course, it is important to give clear instruction, which leads me to the next point.

Don’t assume

As the founder of your blossoming enterprise, you have been thinking about your big idea, product or business for a long time. You are probably at Stage 75. Whoever you are hiring is at Stage 0. Tribal knowledge transfer is not often talked about but is crucial in arming your employees for success. They do not know everything you know about your business. Many founders make assumptions that people know or understand more and in doing that so much is lost. Not only does this mean the person you are hiring is less likely to succeed but it also means, even if they do succeed, it will be a watered down version of what your company could be.

This loss of knowledge is even more prevalent with virtual employees, whether it is a startup or a multi-national corporation. Being remote means you are away from the epicenter (for a startup that is usually the founder’s head and for a multi-national it is corporate HQ). Disseminating information often becomes a game of telephone gone wrong. The message changes every time it is retold until it morphs into something entirely.

This is why it is good to write things down and when I say things I mean everything. Not only will this help you get information out of your head and onto paper in an organized manner but it will mean it is repeatable. You can share the same information with the next person you hire. If they hire someone, they can share that information. It creates a continuous message, which is crucial for any startup’s success.

Lastly, when hiring someone new, knowledge transfer can seem like a very, upfront laborious effort. Isn’t it easier and quicker to just do it myself? It may be in the short term. But it never pays off in the long run. Taking the time to properly educate and train your new virtual talent will ultimately pay great dividends.

Leverage technology

Technology has made having a virtual workforce possible. But it can also make it feel as if they’re not virtual. While telephone is convenient, try to do video chats whenever possible. There is a great psychological benefit to seeing a face. It makes the situation more real and increases loyalty and passion. You are working for someone. Not an email address.

While video chats are necessary, it is also important to have frequent real-time communication, which is where services like Slack can be helpful. There is nothing more frustrating as an employee than to meet a road block and not receive any feedback for a long period time, which essentially kills your momentum and flow. As the boss, you need to be responsive and provide detail instructions. This is why it is helpful to have work schedules overlap, at least for a portion. If your virtual employee is in another time zone, make an effort to be available during his/her operating hours. This will enable you to respond more rapidly and make it feel like you’re on the same team.

Schedule meetings

Having a weekly sync is crucial to maintain consistency. The saying, “out of sight, out of mind” is true.” Having something regular on the calendar keeps everyone honest. Even if you schedule the meeting for 30 minutes but finish in 10 that consistency can make the difference.

Use collaboration tools

This becomes even more important when you have multiple employees but even when it is just you and someone else, there is a risk of duplicating work. You’re hiring someone to accomplish more. Lack of visibility into what is being worked on can create redundancy and waste time. Using tools like Google docs, allows you to see real-time changes and ensures you’re working off the latest version of any draft. Tools like Trello  are a great way to assign and manage tasks and notify people when projects have been completed and when new ones are under way.

Give feedback

This seems obvious but is probably the number one complaint employees have of management – virtual or in the office. Employees want to do good work and they want to get better. If they receive no feedback, positive or negative, they can only assume. Just as you shouldn’t assume, it is dangerous for an employee to assume as well. While feedback is essential, a pat on the back goes along way as well. This is especially important for virtual employees who don’t get the benefit of office banter, which can help foster a relationship. Make sure you make a conscious effort to review people’s work, offer constructive feedback and reward them when they achieve success.