It feels like an ungrateful response. You pulled out all the stops to hire a team with the desired sets of skills, experience, and personal characteristics. You’ve trained them properly with high hopes for performance and business growth.

But now you have to face the reality: several employees don’t live up to your expectations. They just aren’t getting the job done.

You can tell when an employee isn’t productive, right? Always having an excuse, playing the victim, putting things off, taking extended breaks, complaining all the time… Drudgery and underperformance start affecting the entire workplace. Resentment and negativity are spreading. Gone untreated, low productivity can hurt the bottom line and damage morale. You need to put employee productivity first and fix the situation as quickly as possible.

But how to handle unproductive employees? Do you fire them, or do you re-energize your team and re-engage them with the business priorities?

Below you’ll find six easy-to-follow steps to motivate your employees and maximize the productivity of your workforce.

Step 1: Find the underlying cause

It’s easy to focus on the symptoms instead of curing the disease. If you ignore the problem, make ungrounded assumptions, threaten the employees or immediately burn all the bridges, you may unnecessarily lose a valuable employee. Let’s admit that it’s not the best way to address things.
Effective leaders know that there might be an underlying reason for negativity and poor performance. What’s more, they know that if the root problem is organizational, it’s likely to recur. You can’t blame your unproductive employees for the absence of reliable systems and performance management tools.

Before accusing your people, get close. Schedule a meeting. Approach the conversation from a friendly stance and discuss specific examples of performance issues. Let them talk. You may find, to your surprise, that it’s all about being burned out, underpaid, or undertreated. Other times, it can be a missing resource, lack of guidance, a pressing need for flexibility, or a workplace conflict that undermines performance. Frequent distractions and the inability to focus are yet other reasons to watch out for.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to uncover these reasons and seek effective solutions. Even if unproductive employees eventually quit, it’s comforting to know that you did everything you could to help them carry some of their load.

One final hint: listen to what your employees have to say – just the way you do in the case of your customers.

Step 2: Set clear expectations

Motivating unproductive employees means helping your team feel their best and perform their best. Did you even lay out your expectations upfront? Do your employees know what’s expected of them? Yes, they have their job descriptions, but it’s far from being sufficient.

Set up performance improvement targets. Have guidelines and provide a timeline to help employees achieve the final goal. As you proceed, try to identify where they’re falling short and offer support.

Especially when dealing with unproductive (hence, unmotivated) employees, the set milestones should be achievable. This will build trust and remove reluctance; your staff members will know what is required of them and see that you’re willing to help. Stay flexible. Periodic check-ins and progress monitoring will help make further adjustments in the performance targets.

Reinforce accountability and be honest. Consequences should be crystal clear if the employee fails to demonstrate enthusiasm and progress.

Step 3: Create competition

If people don’t feel any urge to show high performance, they won’t. After discovering the root causes, clarifying your expectations, and providing sufficient support, you can evoke the competitive spirit at the workplace – one of the most enjoyable ways to motivate unproductive employees.

This approach might not be self-evident, but there is science behind such a technique. In fact, it’s deeply rooted in our psychology to enjoy overcoming a challenge. Thus, when we receive a stimulus to do things differently, we most often reveal the player inside us. Sparking competition among departments or within a team is a great strategy to push the employees further; they start working more passionately purely because they want to win.

A word of caution here. You should do this carefully to keep the competition healthy without compromising camaraderie.

Step 4: Provide encouragement

Who doesn’t love promotion, praise, and recognition?

Motivating unproductive employees may simply require a carefully thought-out program of regular incentives. Acknowledge the wins and celebrate achievements (even the small ones). The gesture of showing your care and excitement about an employee’s success will prove to be so rewarding.

We hear your objection: “I’d love to, but it’s not in my budget.” But it doesn’t even have to be a financial reward. Think about other ways of providing incentives. Generous paid time off, more flexibility in schedules, employee celebration, more learning opportunities – all these can add a positive vibe and help them avoid the trap of negativity.

Encouragement can be as big as an increased salary and as small as an inspirational speech. Refine your communication tactics when it comes to talking to your team. Positive messages will boost employee morale. Enhanced morale will lead to increased productivity at the workplace. It’s a positive loop, and everyone will surely enjoy it. When going to your next meeting, use the opportunity to connect and inspire; include something positive and inspirational into your messages.

Oftentimes, employees struggle because they feel that their efforts don’t matter or that no one cares about their success. It’s vital to help them understand that their contribution is valuable. You might say, “I trust your ability to take up this task. I’m sure you’re the best fit to pull this off!” Positive labeling will give your employees a reputation they would want to live up to.

Step 5: Utilize employee feedback

No two employees are the same. With all of the personality and character diversity, some employees are simply looking to make their mark. They’re ambitious, and mediocrity is no option for them. Give this employee a chance to speak up and make sure you cater to those individual, specific needs.

Open the doors. Provide a safe environment for everyone to share insights. Trust your employees’ competence and professionalism. Listening to your employees’ opinions and engaging them in decision-making are potent moves to boost their self-worth. When they know they have a say at the table and their voices count, this spikes up their self-confidence. All of a sudden, an unproductive employee turns into a passionate worker and a corporate ambassador for years to come.

If you’re skeptical about this point, consider the following highlight: this approach catalyzes a manager’s listening skills and pinpoints high-level struggles that would otherwise remain unnoticed.

Last but not least, motivated employees will put your efforts back into the business because an engaged workforce also means increased profitability. According to Gallup, engaged employees contribute to 21% higher profitability and 20% higher sales.

Step 6: Allocate time for having fun

Have you ever peeked into company review websites to see what employees write about their work experiences? In their negative reviews, employees usually complain about being treated like machines who are supposed to work without getting tired. They also hate showing up to the office merely for a paycheck, and they’re increasingly looking for a healthier work-life balance. If these points describe your company’s culture, you can’t possibly expect your team to operate at their peak productivity.

Invest in people and their experience. Workers have desires and hobbies, and they often lack socializing opportunities. There is nothing wrong with having a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude. A bit of fun will fight unnecessary stress and help them stay on track.

Motivating unproductive employees may simply require mixing up work with social opportunities. When you give the employees a chance to take scheduled breaks and enjoy time with their teammates, you give them a reason to show commitment and dedication.

Brainstorm together to come up with a preferable option: Friday happy hours, an extended lunch, a trip out with co-workers, having potlucks – these can improve relationships and make an impact on how people work together. It’s also the shortest – and the smartest – path to building new connections and expanding the professional network.

By the way, there is research to give foolproof assurance to this point. Researchers from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School carried out a six-month study and were able to find scientific evidence to what may seem quite obvious: happier employees are more productive. Happy employees not only worked faster,” the survey revealed, “but also achieved 13% higher sales than their unhappy colleagues.”

Did you hear what Spanx founder Sara Blakely gave her employees after the company signed a big partnership deal? Every employee received a ticket for two to anywhere in the word…and $10,000 to spend while they were there!

Wowzers! THAT sure gave her employees something to be happy about.

But that’s easy enough for her, you might say. When you have over a billion dollars, you can throw $10,000 around like it’s a $5 bill.

But what about the rest of us? How do you keep good employees happy and productive when you don’t have the kind of cash to wow them with extravagant perks?

The good news is there are plenty of ways. Let’s look into seven ideas for keeping employee satisfaction high. But first, let’s look at the benefits of having a happy team in the first place.

The Benefits of Happy Employees

The labor shortage is a real problem within many industries today. When employees have a boss who pays them a low wage and treats them like a number, they’re sure to take an exit ramp as soon as they encounter one. And a company pays huge consequences when the team doesn’t want to stick around.

Yet, a pattern of chronic turnover is really a symptom of a much deeper problem. It’s like identifying a weak floorboard and then pulling it up to discover a floor full of termites.

A company culture is at the foundation of employee satisfaction. When it’s healthy and strong, it’s easy to recruit employees, and they stick around. But if it’s unhealthy and toxic, things start to fall apart.

As former CEO of IBM Louis Gerstner wrote in his book, Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance, “Culture isn’t just one aspect of the game. It is the game. In the end, an organization is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value.”

What is culture exactly? It refers to many facets of a company, collectively: its systems, processes, employees, leaders, and an ethos that connects them all. Three of the central components that shape employee happiness include opportunity, appreciation and well-bring.

Opportunity means providing employees with the means to develop skills, continue with their education, and be a part of a broader mission or movement. Appreciation means acknowledging all of their hard work, routinely. Well-being is looking out for the physical and psychological health of employees, as well as fostering work-life balance.

When a company builds a solid foundation for its employees, and executes on a strategy to create an employee-centered culture, it only stands to gain. Let’s look at four key benefits to building a thriving culture of happy employees.

1. It Builds a Central Asset

Every leader knows that the skills and work power of its employees are the fuel that allow a business to scale and succeed.

In a real way, having a powerhouse team is at the crux of an organization’s success: far more than any material asset it may acquire along the way. The employees ARE the business, that is to say.

There’s no better way to serve the business’ bottom line than to build a culture that prioritizes employee well-being.

2. It Builds Your Reputation

Believe it or not, when your employees leave the office, they freely gush about what it’s like to work for you. Word quickly gets around about the work culture and practices at your organization. If they like the job, then these reflections generally are positive.

This not only translates into dedicated employees, but it also means they’re more likely to refer your company to friends and professional acquaintances. Over time, building this solid reputation means that you’re more likely to recruit the best and the brightest to come work for you.

3. It Pays Dividends

Have you ever sent someone a birthday card simply because they’d sent you one, and you felt a need to return the favor?

In his book Influence, Robert Cialdini writes at length about one of the strongest forces in human behavior, reciprocity. It’s the idea that we feel innately obligated to return favors to one another. This age old social contract spans across all cultures and applies not only to personal relationships but working relationships as well.

When you’ve gone out of your way to create a great environment for your employees to work in, including respecting their life outside of work, supporting them in their professional path, and showing appreciation for everything they do for you, they’ll feel an innate responsibility to return the favor.

They’ll feel compelled—even obligated—to perform above and beyond their best. And even when circumstances demand that you part ways, the employee may turn into a boomerang employee, or at least will spread a positive word about you.

4. It Builds a Strong Productive Team

Have you ever struggled with a situation where you had a highly skilled employee who was a horrible team player and he caused all sorts of strife within the team? This scenario could spell disaster in the long run. The productivity of a team depends as much, or even more, on the coordination within the team as on the skill sets of individual members.

When a company builds a strong employee-centered culture, where psychological safety is a priority, then a team is more likely to have strong rapport. Ultimately, this creates a team that consistently produces top-notch work for the clients and customers.

In sum, having a strong culture and happy employees go hand in hand. And more than anything else, happy employees drive revenue and profits in a company. Now, let’s look at some ideas for keeping employees happy.

Seven Ideas to Keep Employees Happy

Let’s face it, most jobs are a real slog at times. Whether it’s dealing with difficult clients, writing tricky code, or multitasking with a long project, simply getting the job done has many of us tuckered out by the end of the day.

This is why it’s so critical to create an environment that’s about engagement, mutuality, and getting the pom poms out to encourage and empower employees.

Here are seven suggestions for keeping employees happy and productive.

1. Explain the “Why”

Employees are far more likely to be committed to job duties when they feel connected to its overall objectives.

While a boss may have perfect clarity as to the significance of, say, a company marketing goal, it’s not unlikely that a support services employee is simultaneously wondering, “What is the point of calling, then emailing, and then emailing again all of our past customers to pitch a new product?”

By creating a culture of transparency, a company let’s all the employees “in” on the strategic objectives. Seeing behind the curtain, and offering their own two cents as well, gives employees pride and a sense of ownership as they go about their daily tasks.

2. Provide Opportunities for Outreach

Of course everyone wants to do work that is meaningful, but this is especially true of the younger workforce. Both Millennials and Generation Z want to find work that connects them to a meaning and purpose outside of simply earning a living.

Seeking ways to connect the company to the wider community is one way to boost these employee’s satisfaction with their position. Depending on the organization’s core values, this might be volunteer work within the community or pro-bono work.

3. Get to Know Employees

As much as they might enjoy working for you, employees are loyal to themselves first. They have practical and personal needs that they’re looking to fulfill in their professional lives.

Take some time to understand these desires. Find opportunities to sit down with them and get to know what makes them tick. Take some time here, as much as two or three hours if you can spare it! Understand where they’ve come from in their career, who their mentors are, and ask candid questions about where they are headed and what you can do to get them there.

This knowledge is so valuable in identifying what kind of projects to assign someone to, and where to direct an employee’s career during his or her time with you. When employees understand that you’re about empowering and crafting their success, they’ll feel personally satisfied about the time they invest in you.

4. Onboard and Offboard With Grace

Every relationship is defined by “critical moments.” These include things like introductions, first arguments, and departures. These moments define the nature of a relationship and how it progresses.

Seizing on these critical moments is key to an employee’s satisfaction. It lets them know they’re seen and understood, and builds the foundation for strong workplace relationships.

For example, when an employee is just hired, assuage her concerns. Let her know that you see her as an individual, believe she has something valuable to contribute, and are glad to have her on board. Have a thorough process in place that checks all the boxes. This includes providing her with all necessary equipment, training her in any new job skills and having her meet with a mentor to answer questions.

And off boarding is a critical step, too. It’s important to consider the relationship that you have with employees even after they leave the company. Keeping the relationship intact is mutually beneficial. A thorough system that seeks to maintain contact let’s everyone stay on good terms.

5. Build a Strong Professional Relationship

We spend more time at work than we do with our families and friends, as we know all too well. And it turns out that many employees are actually pretty lonely at work. Water cooler banter apparently isn’t sufficient for creating camaraderie in the workplace.

And a lonely employee certainly isn’t terrifically happy!

Employee-centered business cultures have systems in place that allow coworkers to simply get to know one another.

One way to do this is with regular skip level meetings. These meetings create a flat-organization dynamic, and allows employees to air concerns and communicate issues with upper management. This practice builds trust across all levels of the organization.

Another way is to simply have routines for employees to spend social time together. One example is weekly one-on-one lunches, with the intention to just talk without any agenda. Having an opportunity to share their story and their lives with one another gives employees a sense of place within the organization. And as an added perk, when employees get to know and like each other, daily work performance improves.

6. Develop the Position

Have you ever contributed to a project and felt like your efforts went unacknowledged, or were taken for granted? It makes you feel like a cog in a wheel and is a sure recipe for an unhappy employee.

A healthy work culture gives employees autonomy over their work. It’s not about command and control or filling out a gantt chart then telling them to go complete the assignment.

Rather, seeking ways to increase the employee’s responsibilities as they grow into the job makes them feel like a contributing member of the team. Having systems in place to steadily grow a position allows for continual learning, which keeps employees stimulated and energized about their role.

7. Duplicate the Magic

After you’ve been at it for a while, it’s possible to look for patterns in hiring practices, and employee satisfaction. Sit down with leadership and HR to evaluate the processes. What systems worked best for recruiting and retaining employees? What not so well?

Seek feedback from employees and former employees too. What do they most like about working for you?

When you identify things that go well and other things that don’t, it’s easier to put a system for success in place that keeps employees happy.

Struggling to find the right person locally for your vacancy? Or maybe you don’t have the resources to hire another full-time employee. Projects of all sizes can be outsourced to cut costs and ensure you get the best person for the job. Hiring a remote employee works slightly differently from traditional employment, but it isn’t that tricky to work out.

The worldwide talent pool means you’ll be able to find a good fit that comes in at your budget. You can fill any number of positions remotely including one-off projects, temporary roles, and full-time opportunities. Understanding how the remote process works and what expectations to have are key to successful collaboration.

In this article, we’ll talk you through everything you need to know about how to hire remote employees. Including, where to look, what to include in the job description, and what kind of roles are perfect for remote work.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Remote Employee

Undecided if hiring remotely is the right option for you? That’s understandable if you’ve never done it before, or you’ve had a bad experience. Many companies have successful remote teams and they reap the benefits of doing so. Let us tell you why hiring a freelancer could be the right decision for your business.

Cost-saving

There are various ways that remote employees save you money. Firstly you can hire cheaper labor than you can locally. Overheads are decreased since you don’t have to buy equipment or office space. Sicknesses will decrease and you’ll be able to make savings on your energy bills.

Wider talent pool

There are millions of talented people in the international talent pool which means finding someone qualified will be a piece of cake. Not only does this mean you can find people for a fraction of the price but you’ll find people with a wide range of experiences they can bring to the role.

Environmental benefits

Even the earth can benefit from your business hiring remote employees. Your carbon footprint is decreased as your employees don’t need to commute to work. Environmentally conscious employers should consider transitioning their team to remote working if that’s possible.

Productivity increases

Productivity gets a boost from remote workers. In fact, remote workers are more likely to stay and work overtime if you need it. Working from home eliminates office-based distractions, and if you can allow flexible hours, people can work at the best time for them. Not everyone is suited to the 9-5 lifestyle Henry Ford popularised in the 1920s.

Less employee turnover

Remote working has led to a reduction in employee turnover so if you’re hiring for full-time opportunities, your people are going to stick around longer. The simple truth is most people like working from home because it saves them money and eliminates their commute. Reducing the commute is a leading cause of people leaving their jobs.

Hands-off management

Remote workers need more autonomy to do their work, managers aren’t physically there to check in on things. Managers of remote teams need to trust their employees and focus on output rather than how they got there. It creates a nicer atmosphere for workers and frees managers up to focus on more important work, safe in the knowledge that the work will be done.

Advantages for remote workers

Offering flexible and remote working can be really beneficial for your staff. It saves them money on travel, food, and other random office expenses. Time saved on the commute means your people can spend more time with their loved ones. Depending on your needs you can offer them more flexibility such as the hours they work and the location they work from.

What Are the Challenges of Hiring Remote Workers?

While we’ve listed many advantages to hiring remote employees, it’s not all smooth sailing. There are a few challenges that come with the territory.

Communication can be difficult

Since you’re not in an office together, communication becomes more difficult. You need to have systems in place for reporting progress, sharing files, and getting feedback. Setting up regular video chats or using project management software will help make sure everyone is on the same page.

Coordination can be tough

If tasks aren’t well coordinated then things can quickly fall apart when working remotely. This means dividing work into manageable chunks with specific deadlines and making sure everyone is aware of what they need to do and when they need to do it.

Lack of team morale

If remote workers feel isolated or unsupported, their work can suffer and so will team morale. This is why employers need to be proactive in creating a sense of community among remote workers. Encouraging social interaction through video chats, Slack groups, or even office lunches can help.

Prepare Your Business for Remote Workers

Before you dive straight into it and expand your team you should learn how to effectively hire and manage remote employees. You may need to adjust the systems and processes that are already in place. Educate yourself on how remote workers differ from traditional employees and what expectations both parties should have.

Here is everything you should know about how to hire a remote worker before you start the recruitment phase.

Know exactly what you want

If you don’t know what you want, you’re going to struggle to ask for it, and people won’t know whether they fit your needs or not. As you would with any job, make sure the roles and responsibilities have been fully considered. Hiring remote workers means you need to give them autonomy to work on things.

This can be done well if they have clear guidance from you as their employer. You should include details about the software you expect them to use and the processes you need to follow whether set out by law or your business practices.

Make a list of skills you need your remote employee to have

Just like a typical job advert, you need to include a comprehensive list of skills you want prospective candidates to have. Make sure to include soft skills such as the ability to work alone, self-awareness, good communication, and initiative.

You’ll likely want to spend less time training someone up remotely if you’re hiring for one-off or temporary projects. As long as you clearly communicate the hard skills you’re looking for you should receive applications from suitable employees.

Understand how freelancers and remote jobs differ from an in-house employee

Freelancers and remote employees often have different goals when compared to in-house staff. They may want more flexibility with hours, working from multiple locations, or taking on a wider range of work.

If you’re looking for someone to commit long-term then it might be best to look for an in-house employee. They’re likely to want the stability of a permanent job, with set hours and a regular salary.

Remote workers have more autonomy than traditional workers, they value the opportunity to have more say on the work they take on. Freelancers are well within their rights to turn down work they don’t want and often work for multiple clients.

Learn to let go of the reins a little

You need to be prepared to trust the people you hire because you aren’t going to be there to oversee everything. This is a good thing for managers because it gives you more of your time back to work on other things. However, for those who are used to being in control, it may take some getting used.

Freelancers have chosen this kind of career because they prefer to retain an element of control over their work. If you’re partnering with established freelancers, they will have their own way of doing things and may not work well adhering strictly to what you want.

Hiring a full-time remote employee is different, as you’re signing them on as a permanent member of the team. While you should train them the way you want, you will still need to exercise trust with people working from home.

Document your processes so your new staff can work to your specification

Some processes are not flexible and any prospective employees will need to learn your way of doing things. No matter how good someone is, they won’t be able to hit the ground running if you don’t have a process document for them.

If you already have processes in place, it should be easy enough to convert these into a format that can be sent to remote employees. If not, take the time to write out clear instructions on what is expected of them and how they need to do their work.

Find someone whose experience and rates align with your needs

When looking for a remote employee, you need to find someone whose skills and experience align with your needs. You don’t want to onboard someone who can’t operate at the same level as you. The most experienced people will cost the most, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting good value for money.

Answer these questions before publishing your job advert:

• Do you need someone to work in your time zone?
• Are there going to be meetings?
• What are your minimum and maximum hours?
• How much do you want to pay?
• What is the going rate for this service?

Rework Your Hiring Process

Hiring a remote employee can be a lot quicker than hiring traditionally. You may need to tweak your hiring process to take advantage of things.

Use video interviewing software such as Skype or Zoom which are great tools for assessing whether someone will fit well into your business culture. You can get an idea of how they communicate and how they deal with problems.

It also allows you to see whether they would be a good cultural fit without having to meet them in person. This is especially useful if you’re hiring remotely for the first time.

It may be worth including a personality test to ensure they have the right soft skills. A test such as the Myers-Briggs can help you to determine whether they will be a good cultural fit.

After you put your job ad up, ask prospective job seekers to send over evidence of their experience. This can be anything from a portfolio to links to their previous work.

As part of the application process include relevant questions that can help to demonstrate the candidate’s competency. Make sure they are business, role, and person-specific so you can get a good idea of their professional experiences.

Include a paid trial period to limit costs incurred by underperforming job seekers. This will also help you to determine whether the employee is a good fit for your company. You’ll be able to easily identify who can or cannot perform at the expected levels.

Common Jobs You Can Hire for Remotely

There are plenty of roles that can be done remotely. Being able to access the freelance market is a good way to keep costs down and find someone for short-term projects.

The following are some common jobs that can be done remotely with the right skill set:

• Social Media Manager
• Video Editor
• Copywriting
• Software Development
• Website Developers
• Illustrator
• Virtual Assistance
• Voice Over
• Engineers
• Accountant
• Marketers
• Customer Support
• Sales
• Project Manager

This is not an exhaustive list, if there’s a job you think can be done remotely – the chances are it can. The easiest way to find out if a job role is suitable for remote working is to check the freelance marketplace and see if anyone is already doing it successfully.

Where Can Hire Remote Workers?

One of the best ways to find competent remote employers is to check with your network, ask around if anyone has recommendations. Talk to your current employees, people in your professional circle, and previous contractors.

The major benefit of this route is that anyone suggested will be pre-vetted by one of your trusted associates. Reach out to the suggested freelancer and check what their current availability is like. If the stars align, you’ll be able to sign them for your business.

Social Media

A lot of freelancers and remote workers are active users on social media and this can double up as a way to find and hire talented remote employees. Platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn can be great sources for finding potential leads.

Twitter is a great way to find people who are already working remotely and you can get a sense of their skills by looking at their profiles. You can also see what they’re tweeting about and get a sense of their interests.

LinkedIn can be great for finding potential leads that have the relevant skills and experience required for the role you are hiring for. You can also reach out to them directly and ask if they’re interested in hearing more about the role you have open.

Facebook groups have been set up for remote job seekers. You can find these groups and post your job ad directly to them. This is a great way to find talented remote employees who are already active in their job search.

Lastly, check around Reddit for relevant subreddits for digital nomads, freelancers, and remote working. The popular r/ForHire has over 250,000 skilled professionals looking for online work.

Service Marketplace

If you’re not sure exactly what you want, take a look at marketplaces like Fiverr where freelancers list their services and you can choose the best one for your needs.

Upwork operates a similar function through their project catalog but most people post their jobs which freelancers can send you pitches for. Perfect for people who want to speak with multiple people and have a good idea of what they want.

Job boards

Traditional internet job boards like Indeed and Monster are a great way to find people too. Although these platforms may more commonly offer full-time jobs, they also have remote and temporary opportunities. Millions of job seekers use these platforms and it’s a great way to cast a wide net.

Hiring a Remote Employee

The Job Advert

Let’s look at how to hire a remote employee, each of the steps you need to take once the opportunity has been posted. The job advert is the first impression potential candidates will have of your company. It needs to be clear, concise, and highlight all the benefits of working for you.

Your job description needs to be clear, concise, and transparent. If you have a strict budget, mention it. You’ll end up wasting your own time as well as the applicants if this key factor isn’t mentioned.

Make sure the time frame for the job is made explicitly clear. Some freelancers will have multiple clients and knowing the time commitment is essential to their application.

The job advert will need a compelling but accurate job title. The title should describe the role well while also enticing candidates to read the job description for more information.

Here are the things that should be included in your job advert:

• Employment type (full time, part-time, project-based)
• A list of responsibilities
• Minimum requirements from the candidate
• Details about your company
• Ask for examples of their work
• Location (if remote, list the time zone)
• The salary (or range)
• Benefits offered
• How to apply

Review the Candidates

Once the post goes live you’ll start getting applicants. Sort through who meets your requirements and who doesn’t. Use your recruiting CRM software or spreadsheet to keep track of successful candidates at each stage of the hiring process.

There will always be people who don’t read the job advert or don’t have the experience necessary, so these candidates can be disqualified. Don’t worry about contacting every candidate, only those who meet the criteria should be contacted.

Now sort through the qualified candidates and decide who you would like to take to the next stage. If you have multiple stages in your hiring process, try to limit the number of candidates who can get through to each stage. This will help you reduce the number of job seekers you need to interview.

The Interview Process

Now it’s time for the interview process. This will be your chance to get to know the candidate and see if they are a good fit for the company.

The best way to interview a remote worker is to use video call software like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. This will help you see their personality and how they work.

It may not be entirely necessary to speak to them over the video, if you’re confident that they can do the job, you can skip ahead but if you want to vet them personally, hopping on a short interview is the best way to do that.

Dig into their experiences in their field and with remote working. Conduct the meetings in a similar fashion to your typical interviews. Just remember hiring a freelancer is not the same as hiring a full-time employee as freelancers have more agency around what jobs they take and the schedule they work to.

You should consider things like:

• Availability
• Basic communication skills
• An understanding of your project
• History of independent working
• Examples of their work
• A positive attitude
• Values that align with yours
• Check any reviews of their work if available
• Any job-specific skills

Define Communication Standards

Discuss the communication standards you want your remote employee to adhere to, let them know about this ahead of time. Relationships can break down when communication is misaligned.

Meetings can be a sticking point so be clear if you require things like a daily stand-up. Some freelancers might decide to opt out at this point and that’s okay. People have preferred ways of working and you want to find the best person to work well with you.

If you use communication software that your remote employee will need to download, let them know during the interview or in the job advert. This just ensures everyone is on the same page before the contract starts.

Check time zone limitations with international employees and remote workers who live as digital nomads. If you want them to be working in tandem with your company, you should look for remote workers closer to home.

Check the References

It’s worth checking references for big projects or if you’re unsure about someone. Using platforms like Upwork or Fiverr is great because you can see the person’s reviews on their profile page. Previous employers can describe their experience so you will know if you’re onto a winner or not.

For smaller projects like copywriting or illustration, you can base your decision on the work examples sent. This will demonstrate the candidate’s competency in their field, although it will not necessarily inform on their work ethic.

If you’re hiring a full-time remote worker to work on large projects, checking references is an absolute necessity.

Send the Job Offer

Once you have the right person for the job the only thing left to do is send off a contract of employment. Adjust the contract where necessary based on the details of the project and your discussion with the candidate.

Clearly state what the deliverables are with no room for interpretation. You will also need to define the time scale and any project milestones, particularly if you’re paying per milestone instead of hourly or on completion

If you need the candidate to sign an NDA to protect company secrets, send this along with the offer so they can read it and send it back to you.

Make the offer to the candidate so they can look at the details and return the signed copy to you. If you hire through a marketplace like Upwork, you may be asked to fund the milestones before the employee can start work.

If you want to run a trial first, send the contract with the stipulation that it is a trial and then adjust the contract following the successful completion.

Dealing with difficult clients is no fun. Not only can they make your work hours miserable, but their behavior can also take up mental space in your off-hours too … leaving you cranky, stressed out, and feeling put-upon, long after your workday has come to an end.

Fortunately, there is hope–once you know how to handle these demanding individuals. To help you accomplish that, we’ve identified the 10 most common types of difficult clients you’re likely to run into and what to do when you encounter one of them.

How to Manage 10 Types of Difficult Clients

1. “Always an Emergency” Edward

To an “Always an Emergency” Edward, every project is critical and needs to be completed yesterday. This client expects to be your top priority 100% of the time, even though he’s well aware you have other clients.

While “Always an Emergency” Edwards are challenging, the good news is that there is a solution, and that is not to overpromise. Instead, only agree to what you can reasonably deliver.

If you don’t, the Edwards of the world will continue to expect you to work weekends and late into the evening tending to their last-minute “emergencies” forevermore.

However, after you start setting firm boundaries and stop bending over backward to meet every last-minute request, an Edward will realize that if there’s something important he needs to have done, he better give you more notice upfront … and guaranteed, once he grasps that an emergency on his part doesn’t constitute an emergency on yours, he’ll do a much better job anticipating his work needs.

2. Penny-Pinching Paula

Penny-Pinching Paulas are on a tight budget and have little financial breathing room, should the project’s cost exceed their expectations … which is why when you encounter a penny pincher, you’ll want to be very clear about the scope of the project, as well as its cost.

For instance, if you’re doing hourly work for a Penny-Pinching Paula, give an estimate on the higher end, so she has a full understanding of what the work could potentially cost her.

If the project’s a large one that’s more challenging to estimate, consider breaking it down into milestones and estimating your effort per milestone.

By contrast, if you’re doing fixed-price work for a penny pincher, make sure you’re very clear about what they’ll get for their money before you even start work–for instance, two revisions, rather than endless revisions until they’re completely satisfied.

Bottom Line? While you can’t do anything to improve a Penny-Pinching Paula’s budget, you can provide her with a realistic idea of what the project’s likely to cost, while making sure she doesn’t tack on extras that are outside the scope of the project.

3. “Not This” Nate

A “Not This” Nate can’t tell you what he wants, he only knows that he doesn’t like what you delivered–a scenario that’s especially frustrating when you put a lot of time and effort into producing great work.

Worse, when you get a “Not This” Nate’s negative feedback, you often have no idea what direction to go in next. If he didn’t like work you were really proud of, what will he like?

The solution to working with a “Not This” Nate is to ask for examples of work that he does like, and then put your detective cap on by asking questions, like, “What is it about this work that you appreciate?” and “In what ways would you like the work I create for you to be similar?”

By asking the right questions, you can get a better sense of what your client is looking for and modify the work to their liking. However, if you still can’t get on the same page, there is some good news.

A “Not This” Nate will often assume you’re the problem, rather than his own lack of clarity. So, if you really struggle to make a Nate happy, he probably isn’t going to rehire you, freeing up your time to work with better, easier clients!

4. “Scope Creep” Sally

A “Scope Creep” Sally tries to maximize the amount of work she gets out of you by continually adding extras to her initial project request–which is aggravating enough on its own, but even more so if you’re working for a fixed-price or have a tight turnaround.

The best way to deal with a “Scope Creep” Sally is to detail specifically in writing what the project deliverables are and which items are out of scope, so there’s no confusion.

You also want to make it clear to a Sally that should the scope be revised after you’ve already started the project, there’ll be additional costs and a revised timeline.

5. Airhead Al

An Airhead Al has his head in the clouds. Perhaps he’s juggling too many projects or maybe he’s just organizationally challenged, but whatever the reason, Airhead Al doesn’t give you critical information.

For instance, a client like this might hire you to design a landing page and tell you there’s no deadline, but then two weeks later mention that the page needs to be finished right away because oops, he forgot to mention that it’s for his webinar… which is next week.

While you can’t cure clients of their flightiness, you can head off frustration by making sure you never assume anything when you’re dealing with them. So, pin an Airhead Al down, ask questions, request more detail–in short, never surmise that you have all the key information.

Although Airhead Als might not remember to share important details on their own, you can typically uncover all the relevant information by asking good follow-up questions.

6. “It Won’t Take Long” Laura

If you’ve been dealing with clients for a while, you’ve probably already come across an “It Won’t Take Long” Laura. You know the type … this is the client who tries to convince you that a project won’t take very long at all–when you happen to know otherwise.

In cases like these, it’s best to stick to your guns (i.e., your original estimate), rather than to agree to something you suspect you won’t be able to accomplish. After all, it’s far better to be honest about what you believe is involved than to later look unprofessional, because you agreed to a cost (or deadline) that you couldn’t meet.

You can always tell a Laura that if you start the work and find that it’s taking less time than anticipated, you’ll let her know, but otherwise, your estimate stands firm.

7. “Forget the Feedback” Fred

A “Forget the Feedback” Fred isn’t open to your suggestions–even in cases where he hired you for the very expertise you’re providing! In short, he wants things done in a certain way … a way that you don’t think is in the best interest of his business.

When confronted with this type of client, it’s important not to take things personally. Instead, explain why you’re making the recommendation you are in writing and elaborate on your reasoning. Then, emotionally detach from the outcome and allow your client to make his own decision.

In some cases, you might be able to change his mind, in others, you won’t. However, since the decision affects his business, it should ultimately be his call.

8. Workaholic Wendy

You know the type … a Workaholic Wendy is constantly burning the midnight oil, rarely takes a vacation, and even churns out emails on Christmas. That’s all well and good for her, but this kind of client expects the same dedication from you. Uh-uh.

The best way to handle a Workaholic Wendy is to set expectations right from the get-go. For instance, you might explain to a Wendy that your email response time is 24 hours or that you only respond to emergencies on the weekend–anything else can wait until Monday.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that you establish firm boundaries and stick to them. So, if you’ve already informed Workaholic Wendy that you don’t answer emails over the weekend unless they’re an emergency, do what you said you would–and wait until Monday to respond.

9. Bureaucratic Bob

Bureaucratic Bobs are all too common at large corporations. Rather than being able to make relatively simple decisions on their own, Bureaucratic Bobs need to get input from an entire committee about the latest blog post you wrote or the shade of blue you used on a graphic.

Unfortunately, Bureaucratic Bobs come with the territory when you’re working for big business. And although they may be frustrating, a lot of that frustration comes from the confusion of multiple people providing you feedback.

While you may not be able to change the bureaucracies of Bob’s workplace, you can insist on having just one contact person–someone who can act as your sole company liaison, so you don’t have multiple people providing you with direction.

10. Nitpicking Nancy

Nothing’s ever good enough for a Nitpicking Nancy. This demanding client will dissect and pick apart every little thing you do, finding even the smallest of “flaws.” Don’t worry, it’s not you–it’s them. Almost certainly their negativity predated your relationship.

The best way to deal with a Nitpicking Nancy is to avoid clients like these in the first place. So, how can you identify a Nancy? If you’re on a hiring platform, your first step is to check her feedback from other contractors.

Another telling clue is when a client asks if you provide unlimited revisions. If they have to ask, it’s usually because they already know that they’re rarely satisfied with just one or two edits.

That said, let’s say it’s too late–you’re already working for a Nitpicking Nancy, what should you do? First of all, don’t take it personally, some people just have a negative disposition that doesn’t have anything to do with you.

In which case, this is a client that’s well-worth firing, because nothing will ever be good enough for a Nitpicking Nancy. Not only will she sap your time and energy, but she’ll also leave you incredibly frustrated in the process.

Rather than deal with that, sever the relationship, so you have more time to work with the clients you do like.