As an entrepreneur, expanding your team through remote hires or virtual assistants can be an effective strategy to reclaim valuable time and channel your energy toward core business activities.Â
This move promises efficiency, but only if your new team members are as well-versed in your unique processes and expectations as they are in their specialized skills.
Although the capabilities of your new hires or virtual assistants may align with your requirements, it’s essential to resist the urge to dive into tasks immediately. The integration of your remote team members into your business depends significantly on their understanding and application of your processes, preferences, and expectations. Hastily skipping thorough training can lead to suboptimal work results, causing dissatisfaction and potential disruption in your operations.
So, before you start offloading tasks, it’s crucial to ensure each team member is properly onboarded and trained. This onboarding involves clear communication and comprehensive documentation of each step in the training process.
Now, let’s explore five tips to help you effectively train your remote workforce:
Tip #1: Determine Their Preferred Learning Style
Different individuals assimilate information differently.Â
Acknowledge these unique learning styles and prepare a diverse training curriculum with written instructions, visual aids, and auditory content. This approach caters to varied learning preferences and ensures efficient training.
Tip #2: Make the Most of Video Tutorials
Videos can simplify complex procedures.Â
Utilize screencasting tools like Loom or Cloud App to create effective video tutorials that visually and audibly guide your remote employees.Â
Remember, the human attention span is limited; aim to keep your videos concise and engaging – ideally less than seven minutes.
Tip #3: Utilize Task Checklists
Checklists serve as a point of reference, ensuring that no task detail is overlooked.Â
Create these checklists using versatile platforms like Google Docs or project management tools such as Trello or Asana. These platforms also allow you to track progress and set deadlines, making workflow management a breeze.
Tip #4: Implement Screenshots for Clarity
For tasks that have complicated or specific steps, annotated screenshots can offer much-needed clarity.Â
Use tools like Skitch, Snag-It, or Cloud App to capture and annotate screenshots, drawing attention to key steps and important details.
Tip #5: Keep Communication Lines Open
Clear, regular communication is vital to the success of remote training.Â
Be it for providing feedback, addressing queries, or simply discussing tasks, keeping the communication lines open is essential. Use Slack for quick messaging and Skype or Zoom for more comprehensive discussions or virtual meetings.
Know When to Outsource
Outsourcing is the perfect way to streamline your workday and get more done without stretching yourself too thin. However, you need to stay realistic about your outsourcing needs. If you’re looking for lots of varying tasks to be offloaded, one full-time virtual assistant is unlikely to be an expert in everything.
The decision to take on a new employee can always be a challenge. However, when you outsource the tasks and projects that are slowing you down and preventing you from working as efficiently as possible, you’re able to get more done in less time.
Whenever you hire a virtual assistant or remote employee, you want to work with an individual highly skilled and experienced in the tasks you need. When you work with Automation Agency, you can rest assured you’re working with high-trained professionals capable of taking on whatever Design & Tech tasks you throw their way because you don’t get just one assistant but a team of experts.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload or you’re constantly performing tasks you don’t enjoy, book a call to see if Automation Agency is the right solution for outsourcing some of your marketing tasks.
