In the wake of the global pandemic, businesses worldwide have had to adapt and evolve in unprecedented ways. One of the most significant shifts has been the move towards remote staffing. Many businesses, whether in the MSP industry or otherwise are looking for ways to hire remote staff in a cost effective way.
In today’s digital age, the ability to work remotely is more important than ever. This is especially true for MSPs, as they often need to provide services to clients in different locations. Having remote staff allows MSPs to be more flexible and responsive to their clients’ needs. It also allows them to attract talent from a wider pool, as they are not limited to hiring people in a specific geographical area. Additionally, using staff working from remote locations usually increases cost-effectiveness and allows you to cover out-of-hours support easily without having people working at night. Remote workers also report better job satisfaction and work-life balance and the benefits don’t end there. Keep reading to learn more about how to benefit from hiring remote workers.
Support Adventure is a remote MSP staffing agency and we’ve helped more than 80 MSPs with augmenting their helpdesk staff with remote workers from all around the world. If you’re looking to hire remote staff for your MSP, visit our MSP staffing page for more information about our approach and how to become a client.
The Rise of Remote Staffing
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world which triggered changes in online work trends that most were expecting to happen over several years. Today, hiring remote staff is not just a temporary fix to a global crisis; it’s becoming a permanent part of the business strategy for many companies.
The Trends
According to a PBS report, the pandemic has sparked a revolution in the way we work. The report estimates that half of all Americans are still working from home, with a significant portion of these being white-collar workers. This shift has led to a re-evaluation of what work life will look like post-pandemic, with many businesses considering permanent shifts to remote work.
Staffing Industry Analysts suggest that the transition from work conducted in offices to work performed remotely has led to a re-evaluation of how IT talent is delivered to clients. The report indicates that an average of 83% of IT temporary workers supplied by US staffing firms were working remotely as opposed to at the client’s office location.
A Forbes article highlights the rise of remote staffing as one of the biggest changes in staffing in the era of remote and hybrid work. It suggests that the ability to hire remote staff online has allowed businesses to access talent from anywhere in the world, providing greater flexibility for both the business and the worker.
The Opportunities
Remote hiring allows businesses to tap into a global talent pool, unrestricted by geographical boundaries. This means businesses can find the best person for the job, regardless of their location. Remote work also presents unique opportunities in the face of a crisis, such as a natural disaster or a pandemic. It allows businesses to continue operating and workers to keep working, contributing to business continuity and resilience. A more diverse and inclusive workforce, with remote hires from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, fosters innovation and creativity. Offering remote work options can improve employee satisfaction and work-life balance, leading to higher retention rates. This can save businesses the time and cost associated with high turnover. Studies have shown that remote workers are often more productive. This is due to the flexibility and comfort of working in their own environment, leading to increased focus and efficiency.
Whether you’re a business owner looking to hire remote staff or an HR manager looking to improve your current remote hiring practices, we’ve collected some of our most effective practices and ideas about how to hire remote staff worldwide.
Why you Should Hire Remote Staff: The Business Case for Hiring Remote Staff
Access to a Limitless Talent Pool
One of the most significant advantages of remote staffing is the ability to access a limitless talent pool. By hiring remote workers, companies are no longer restricted by geographical boundaries. They can hire the best talent from anywhere in the world, thereby increasing the chances of finding employees who are a perfect fit for their company culture and job requirements.
Reduced Overhead Costs
Remote staffing also allows businesses to reduce overhead costs significantly. With employees working remotely, companies can save on expenses such as office rent, utilities, and other resources that are typically needed for a physical workspace.
Increased Productivity of Remote Staff
Contrary to what some may believe, remote workers tend to be more productive than their in-office counterparts. Without the distractions often found in an office environment, remote employees can focus better on their tasks. Moreover, the flexibility that comes with remote work allows employees to work during their most productive hours. This further enhances their performance and workplace satisfaction.
Increased Job Satisfaction of Remote Staff
Remote work options have been found to increase job satisfaction. Multiple surveys found that respondents enjoyed working remotely and would take the opportunity to work remotely if offered. Many workers have reported that remote work is better for their mental health, contributing to a better work-life balance. Offering remote work options can also help companies retain top talent. A study by FlexJobs found that 63% of global workers surveyed said they would look for a new job if they couldn’t continue to work remotely.
Resilience in Crisis
When you hire remote staff, you open yourself up to some unique opportunities in the face of a crisis. A natural disaster or a pandemic could affect the region where your main business is located. Having remote staff allows your businesses to continue operating and workers to keep working, contributing to business continuity and resilience.
How to Overcome The Challenges When You Hire Remote Staff?
While the benefits of remote staffing are numerous, it’s not without its challenges. However, with the right strategies and tools, these obstacles can be effectively managed and even turned into opportunities for growth and innovation. At Support Adventure, we’ve developed many internal processes to help with all of the challenges below. We provide our clients with a seamless staffing and onboarding process, and long term contract management and HR services.
Sifting Through Countless Applications
With the rise of remote work, the number of applications for remote positions has increased significantly. This can make the selection process tedious for hiring managers. However, clear expectations and well-written job requirements can help streamline the selection process. Tools like AI-based Application Tracking Systems (ATS) can also optimize the remote hiring process. Depending on your company size though you might not be able to allocate the resources necessary to carefully sift through the countless CVs and cover letters that usually accompany the applications to an online job advertisements. That’s where we come in. With our tried and tested selection process, we go through the applications for you. That way you see only the most qualified candidates to fill your available help desk positions.
Time Zone Differences
Hiring from a global talent pool can result in time zone differences, causing inconveniences in scheduling interviews and conducting real-time assessments. However, hiring managers can optimize time zone overlaps for live interviews and real-time evaluation. Automatic scheduling tools can also be used to match the interviewer’s time zone.
Vetting and Skillset Evaluation
Evaluating the skillset, experience, and expertise of candidates can be challenging in a remote setting. However, dedicated test projects and customized skill assessments can help in vetting candidates effectively. In Support Adventure, we’ve developed our own Training and Testing program for remote IT support technicians and help desk staff. It is designed to test their technical capabilities as well as their business communication and customer support skills. Additionally, we provide reference and background checks for all our candidates before presenting them to our clients.
Onboarding Difficulties
Onboarding new employees remotely can be tricky. However, planning and conducting introductory sessions with the new joiners can help them understand the workflow and processes, thereby enhancing their learning curve. When working with us, we’ll take care of all the pre-onboarding steps, attend the initial session on the first day and provide plenty of advice and consulting as needed to help you make your onboarding process smooth, precise and friendly to your new remote staff.
Contractual Legalities
Drafting legal contracts for remote employees can be a tedious task. However, understanding the labor laws of individual countries and using standard templates for drafting contracts can help speed up the contractual process. As well as with the previous challenges, our model also takes care of all the contractual obligations with the potential candidates. All your company has to do to hire remote staff, is sign a staffing contract with Support Adventure – the rest is taken care of.
Salary Disbursement
Transferring salaries to remote employees can be a complicated offshore challenge due to different tax laws of countries and international money transfers. However, accurate salary calculations and invoicing can help in ensuring proper salary disbursement. Support Adventure covers many key steps of this process. These range from time tracking, managing PTO and unplanned time off as well as the accounting side of things. We provide you with a single invoice based on the actual time your Support Adventure staff has worked.
Attracting High-Quality Remote Staff
Attracting high-quality remote staff is crucial for the success of your MSP. Here are some strategies to consider:
- Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits: To attract top talent, you need to offer competitive salaries and benefits. This includes not only monetary compensation but also other benefits such as flexible working hours, professional development opportunities, and health insurance.
- Create a Strong Company Culture: Even though your staff may be working remotely, it’s still important to create a strong company culture. This can be done through regular team meetings, social events, and clear communication.
- Provide the Necessary Tools and Resources: Make sure your remote staff has the necessary tools and resources to do their job effectively. This includes things like a reliable internet connection, a comfortable workspace, and access to any necessary software or hardware.
Retaining Remote Staff
Once you’ve attracted high-quality remote staff, the next step is to retain them. Here are some strategies to consider:
- Provide Ongoing Training and Development Opportunities: Providing ongoing training and development opportunities can help your remote staff feel valued and engaged. This can include things like online courses, webinars, and mentoring programs.
- Communicate Regularly and Effectively: Regular and effective communication is key to retaining remote staff. This can include regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and clear communication about expectations and goals.
- Recognize and Reward Good Work: Recognizing and rewarding good work can go a long way in retaining remote staff. This can include things like bonuses, promotions, and public recognition.
How Support Adventure Tackles The Challenges of Hiring Remote Staff?
At Support Adventure, we pride ourselves on being a leading provider of Managed Service Provider (MSP) staffing services. Our expertise lies in identifying and staffing the most competent MSP help desk professionals from across the globe.
Immediately Available Remote Staff for MSPs
Support Adventure’s global recruitment program is designed to consistently source the world’s most talented IT Support Technicians and other helpdesk staff. Our global approach aimed at English speaking IT professionals allows us to reach the worlds most qualified IT professionals independent of their location. When you become our client, you’ll gain access to our database of pre-screened and vetted remote helpdesk staff of all technical levels available to be onboarded immediately.
Screening and Vetting
Our unique Training and Testing Program allows us to handpick the best candidates for our clients. We cater to both technical and administrative roles for MSP clients in English-speaking countries worldwide. Our extensive pool of pre-screened candidates spans all time zones, ensuring we can meet your staffing needs no matter where you are.
Our staffing services cover a range of roles, including Help Desk Technicians, System Administrators, and Service Coordinators. All our technicians have successfully completed our rigorous 5-step Training and Testing Program, which assesses their skills and abilities in real-life scenarios. The program covers both technical and soft skills, ensuring our candidates have the qualities your MSP looks for in remote hires.
Contracts, Accounting and HR
We understand that HR, accounting, and contract-related tasks can be time-consuming. That’s why we take care of all these aspects for our clients. Our approach not only provides significant cost savings compared to local hiring but also ensures our staff receive above-market rates.
We believe in long-term relationships, which is why we only fill dedicated, long-term positions. This approach allows our staff to fully understand your systems and grow with your company. We also offer a no-commitment 30-day trial period to ensure the right fit.
With experience finding positions for over 200 remote technicians and other help desk professionals, while helping 100+ MSPs hire remote staff, we are confident in our ability to meet your staffing needs. For more details or to become a client, please visit our MSP Staffing services page.
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