We can’t escape it: the rise of virtual assistant companies offering remote jobs is not only unstoppable, it’s here to stay. Hiring remotely is not just a fad that will pass, and now, many team managers are fretting: how can we create a fun working environment if our crew mostly do remote jobs or work from home jobs?
We at Proximity Placements understand why traditional and seasoned managers find it hard to create that environment, especially if your team members are literally all over the world! To hire a virtual assistant or a freelancer doing work from home jobs is to deviate and venture into unexplored territory.
Here are five ways to create that tenable working environment, whether you hire your VA from the Philippines, or anywhere:
- Communication is key
Virtual assistant companies should remind you this every time you hire a virtual assistant: what binds you and your freelancer is communication.
Of course, you cannot create a fun working environment – or any environment for that matter – if you are not constantly connected with your co-workers and team members. Communication is key, not only with productivity and the smooth flow of work but also in enabling your VAs to get along and work together in a flawless manner. Managing virtual assistant services can be messy if you don’t readily connect to one another.
The key to having the best communication is the medium. Find the perfect communication medium – be it an app like Trello or a closed Facebook group, something that people taking work from home jobs can readily adapt to. The best communication medium is one that matches your line of work. Ask your team – do you need instant feedback? Visual tools? Notifications and alerts? For example, game developers prefer Discord over other communication apps, for game-specific reasons. The key here is knowing the needs of your team.
- Remote team building
Who says VAs working in a team can’t have team-building activities? It might be a little more challenging than what is usually done in real-life teams, but it can be done! Some start by pairing VAs for certain virtual assistant services, then build that partnership up. Others employ online message boards, where team managers ask things from the team that are not necessarily relevant to their tasks at hand. These message boards facilitate conversations among team members, letting them naturally interact with their co-workers, albeit in a virtual space. Some collaborate on certain social media sites, like Pinterest, where they come up with boards that are not only relevant to their line of work but also a way for the team to discover their similar interests.
- Value opinions
When you hire a VA, you need to keep in mind that the VA is still a person with a range of emotions and opinions, not just some work drone that you can order around. As a team leader, you should foster an environment that has a lively feedback mechanism – not just a top-to-bottom order where tasks emanate from the top and VAs just follow. Empower your employees too by reminding them that they have a say in things. We’re all in this together!
- Maintain a level playing field
Any good team manager knows that exhibiting favouritism or particular fondness for one worker – even if they are all remote employees – always end badly. You need to maintain an environment where everyone is treated equally, where output and performance outweigh personal relations or personalities.
- Have fun!
Who says VAs can’t have fun? You can host virtual parties, games, and whatnot every time the workflow allows it. There are many ways wherein people from different parts of the world can play a single game as if they are together. A little bit of fun and games make people stay, remember that.
Is it your first time hiring a VA? Looking for a placement agency that can offer the best candidates? Go to Proximity Placements and discover the best people your team needs!
