Tag Archives: managing remote teams

Guide For Global Companies To Effectively Manage Indian Remote Talent

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Recruiting remotely from India opens the door to a wealth of skilled talent in tech and digital fields, offering a diverse talent pool and cost-effective solutions for scaling your team. This guide will help you navigate the process, from finding top candidates using ML-based sourcing and AI-based screening tools to implementing best practices for recruiting, onboarding, and managing remote teams. Let’s explore how to build and manage your dream team remotely in India.

Things to Consider When Hiring Remotely From India

Hiring remotely from India presents several potential advantages. You find access to a talented workforce with competitive compensation rates compared to other regions. Additionally, India boasts a diverse and extensive talent pool, particularly in IT, tech, and digital fields, with many individuals already experienced in remote work. Finally, many Indian graduates possess strong technical skills and demonstrate adaptability, making them well-suited for remote work environments. It’s important to weigh these advantages alongside other factors specific to your needs and location when making hiring decisions.

Things to Consider When Hiring Remotely from India

Hiring Remotely From India

Hiring remote IT and tech talent demands a nuanced approach. Look beyond resumes to assess cultural fit, soft skills, and growth potential. Craft targeted job descriptions and leverage AI & ML sourcing tools alongside niche platforms like AngelList and industry-specific boards. Partner with local recruitment specialists and targeted reach. During the screening stage, use comprehensive assessments for technical skills, communication, and remote readiness. Conduct culturally aware virtual interviews while verifying references and qualifications – even utilizing remote verification services. By acknowledging these subtleties, you can discover the hidden potential within your candidates and build a strong, well-rounded remote team.

Hiring Process

Secure Your Remote Tech and Digital Dream Team: From Offer to Onboarding and Beyond

Secure your remote IT talent by crafting a compelling offer that includes competitive compensation, a remote-friendly benefits package with flexible work arrangements and professional development opportunities. Onboarding sets the stage for success, so design a structured virtual experience to introduce your company culture, values, tools, and team members. Embrace asynchronous communication with platforms like Slack and Asana, and implement remote performance management with clear expectations, regular feedback, and virtual growth opportunities. Invest in cultural sensitivity training and utilize effective remote team management tools for seamless collaboration, fostering a strong and connected team despite geographical separation.

Onboarding, or orientation, is the crucial integration process for your new hires. It’s an ongoing and evolving process, guiding them through the mission, values, culture, teams, systems, and procedures of your company. This comprehensive journey ensures a smooth and positive transition, enabling them to become integral contributors. A strong onboarding program not only fosters connection and belonging but also plays a significant role in employee retention. Studies show that companies with well-designed onboarding programs see significant improvements in keeping new hires, saving time and resources in the long run.

Employee Onboarding Process Flow

Onboarding is a structured process that helps new hires integrate smoothly into your company. This infographic outlines the key steps involved, from pre-boarding to the first quarter.

Employee Onboarding Process Flow

Pre-boarding (Before the First Day):

  • Stay Connected: Maintain communication with the new hire to keep them engaged.
  • Welcome Pack: Create a welcoming package highlighting company perks and social events.
  • Feedback: Gather pre-boarding feedback through surveys to continuously improve the process.

The First Day:

  • Buddy System: Assign a buddy to guide and answer questions.
  • Welcoming Workspace: Set up a dedicated workspace with essential supplies.
  • Inclusive Environment: Verify name pronunciation and learn pronouns.
  • Digital Setup: Set up email and send a welcome email to the team.
  • Introductions & Orientation: Organize introductions, provide an organizational chart, and guide them to lunch options.
  • Team Lunch: Arrange a team lunch to foster a warm welcome.

The First Quarter:

  • Objectives & Connection: Focus on introducing objectives, building connections, and providing mentorship.
  • Development Plan: Collaborate on a development plan and career path.
  • Goal Setting & Check-ins: Set clear, achievable goals and provide regular feedback through check-ins.

Benefits of a Strong Onboarding Process

By providing a structured and supportive onboarding process, you’ll reap benefits that go far beyond the first day and help in managing remote teams better. Here are the benefits – 

Benefits of a Strong Onboarding Process

  • Increased Retention: Studies show improved retention rates with strong onboarding programs.
  • Positive Experience: A positive first-week experience is crucial for new hires.
  • Seamless Integration: Onboarding lays the foundation for a successful employee journey.

Managing Remote Indian Talent

Partnering with Uplers can provide you with expert guidance and support for managing remote teams in India. Our expert Talent success coaches offer Fractional HR support which includes L&D mapping and SME (subject matter expert) support for talent’s growth and upskilling. However, if an organization chooses to do it themselves this comprehensive guide will equip you to navigate this process yourself, offering best practices and actionable steps.

Building a Strong Foundation:

  • Culture and Values: Thoroughly introduce your company’s mission, vision, and values. Showcase how remote employees contribute and align with these values. Foster participation in virtual team-building activities to deepen connections and build a sense of belonging.

  • Technology and Tools: Offer a detailed guide on setting up and using essential remote work tools like video conferencing, project management software, and communication platforms. Include troubleshooting tips for common technical issues and establish clear security protocols for remote access.
  • Communication Guidelines: Set clear expectations for communication frequency and methods. Define guidelines for asynchronous communication, outlining response times and preferred methods. Share tips for effective virtual meetings and presentations, emphasizing clear communication and active participation.

Ensuring Productivity and Performance:

  • Performance Expectations: Clearly define performance goals and objectives for remote employees. Establish regular check-ins and performance reviews to provide guidance and recognition. Offer resources for professional development and skill enhancement to support continuous growth.
  • Assign a Buddy to navigate the system and walkthrough

Remote Work Best Practices Checklist

Empowering Your Team for Success requires a checklist to ensure a smooth journey for the onboarded employee. This infographic highlights key strategies to cultivate a thriving work environment that fosters both productivity and well-being for your employees.

Remote Work Best Practices

  1. Equipment & Workspace:
  • Provide the right tools: Ensure employees have the necessary equipment for optimal performance.
  • Create a productive space: Foster a comfortable and well-organized workspace.
  1. Communication Etiquette:
  • Speak clearly and professionally: Emphasize clear and respectful communication styles in all interactions.
  • Write effectively: Promote professional written communication for accurate messaging.
  1. Time Management:
  • Track your time: Utilize time-tracking tools to understand and manage workload.
  • Focus and flow: Implement the Pomodoro Technique for enhanced focus and productivity.
  1. Collaboration Skill:
  • Be an active participant: Encourage active engagement in meetings and discussions.
  • Leverage tech for teamwork: Utilize collaborative tools for seamless project management.
  • Share knowledge: Foster a culture of open communication and knowledge sharing.
  1. Work-Life Balance:
  • Disconnect to recharge: Encourage employees to set boundaries and disconnect after work hours.
  • Take breaks: Promote the importance of regular breaks to maintain focus and well-being.
  • Balance is key: Prioritize a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout.

Enhancing the Experience of the Employee

  • Support System: Identify key personnel (e.g., IT support, HR) who remote employees can readily reach out to for assistance.
  • Feedback Mechanism: Provide a clear channel for employees to share their experiences and suggest improvements to the remote work setup. This feedback can be used to refine your approach and address challenges effectively.
  • Training and Development: Offer regular training sessions or workshops facilitated by remote work experts to address common challenges, provide best practice guidance, and support continuous learning and development.

By implementing these best practices and utilizing this guide, you will find building and managing remote teams much easier, and will be able to foster a productive and inclusive work environment for all.

how to manage a remote team

How Tech and Digital Agencies Can Manage Distributed Teams for Remote Effectiveness

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Remote hiring is growing at an unprecedented rate across the globe. Access to a wider talent pool and reliable offshoring employment partners have made it easy for digital agencies to fulfill their talent needs. In this regard, India has risen as the most preferred country for offshoring requirements, mostly due to its massive talent pool of 6.5 million skilled, remote-ready, and cost-effective digital talents.

However, a study reveals that 40% of digital agencies find it difficult to manage their remote talents post-onboarding. Clearly, managing a remote team requires a different approach from sourcing remote talents. But what exactly should you do?

In this blog, we will discuss the common challenges digital agencies face in managing Indian remote talents and suggest strategies to overcome them.

Challenges of Managing Remote Teams from India

remote team management

Contrasting communication style

The Indian talents are used to communicating in a high-context form of communication which involves body language and non-verbal cues. They respect the hierarchy and avoid using harsh tones or detailed questioning to avoid any confrontation, preferring to discuss larger topics separately from a group. However, global digital agencies prefer a straightforward communication style  where everybody is open to add their viewpoints. This difference in propagating ideas can lead to some disconnect between managers and Indian talents and impact remote team management.

Time zone difference

If you want to find cost-effective and skilled talents in India, you must face the caveat of the time zone difference. The impact of this challenge is visible in coordinating and managing a remote team, as one talent may have to work at odd hours to complete any urgent task from a team in another country. Therefore, many global agencies are compelled to either ask the talent to work in night shifts or let them work during daytime asynchronously.

Monitoring productivity

Digital agencies are bound by deadlines and it is important to maintain productivity across all levels. It becomes very difficult in a remote environment to measure how well a talent is performing by simply looking at their daily output. There needs to be a system in place that helps in tracking the efficiency of the remote talents for effectively managing teams remotely.

 Strategies for Managing Remote Teams

  1. Clear communication protocols
  2. Establish a remote-friendly culture
  3. Goal setting and performance management
  4. Promote flexible work timings
  5. Using technology and tools for productivity

how to manage a remote team

Hiring and managing a remote team are very distinct challenges. Once you onboard the remote talent, it is up to you to ensure they integrate well within the organization and do not feel misplaced in the team. It must be noted that managing a remote talent is very different from managing an on-site one, which is why you need a different approach.

Here are a few strategies that can help digital agencies in remote team management:

1. Clear communication protocols

You must establish communication channels and relevant protocols for reaching out to other employees across the agency. New hires are very reluctant to speak out in their first few days, as they aim to acclimatize with the company’s culture. Knowing how to reach out to someone will help them gain confidence and reduce communication challenges in remote team management.

It is also important to set a precedent of the expected response time, as nobody should be kept waiting for a long duration. Time is of the essence in remote collaboration and even slight delays can push deadlines. Develop a habit within the organization to respond to texts and emails as soon as possible to avoid any operational setbacks.

2. Establish a remote-friendly culture

Working in a remote setup requires the entire agency to be empathetic and trusting of each other. The trust between colleagues and managers to finish a project on time is essential to build understanding and team chemistry. Empathy for each other in a distributed setup helps in developing a sense of community and belonging, which further improves team engagement, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. This step will also help in managing cross-cultural remote teams.

3. Goal setting and performance management

One of the most important tasks for managers in digital agencies is to establish performance expectations with all the talents. To make it big in a fast-paced environment, like a digital agency, the employees must perform consistently well and meet client requirements. It takes only one team call to define the KPIs for the team members and explain how these goals will help in achieving bigger milestones. The remote talent will feel a valuable member of the organization once they start tracking these goals and their impact.

4. Promote flexible work timings

A digital agency in, let us say South Africa, has to overcome the time zone difference to leverage the massive Indian remote talent pool. In such a scenario, digital agencies must provide flexible work hours and set a workflow that accommodates the talent without compromising the quality of work. Several global companies hold regular meetings with their remote teams to check up on their activity and progress for the day. Asynchronous communication for team meetings is a good option, only if response time is not crucial.

5. Using technology and tools for productivity

There are several software and remote team management tools which aid in smooth communication and collaboration between remote teams. Zoom and Skype are the most popular voice and video conferencing tools for virtual team meetings. Microsoft Teams and Slack are used in many organizations for instant messaging and organizing channels of communication. Digital agencies can also use virtual whiteboards and project management platforms to make team meetings more interactive and ensure visibility about tasks.

 Best Practices to Manage Distributed Teams for Remote Effectiveness

With the above strategies, you can also rely on some best practices of managing remote team effectively, trusted across several digital agencies:

remote team management tips

1. Ensure smooth onboarding

A survey reveals that organizations with a strong onboarding process improved their new hire retention by 82%. The onboarding experience sets the organization’s tone and approach towards everything and creates an everlasting impression on the talent. Challenges amplify in a remote setup, where everybody is virtually connected and the new hire needs a lot of hand-holding before they familiarize themselves with the workflow.

Manage all the paperwork as quickly as possible and lend a helping hand to the talent if they are facing any issues. The managers should introduce the talent with the larger team to build their rapport and break the ice. It is also important to field the talent’s questions and keep an open channel of communication to build trust, which will help in managing remote teams.

2. Create well-documented procedures

The standard operating procedures (SOP) vary in every agency. From a simple task like requesting leaves, to more responsible ones like dealing with a client’s requirements, there must be certain SOPs in place that set the workflow and eliminate vagueness regarding the next steps. Hence, it is up to the managers to prepare these procedures and populate them across the remote team, so everybody knows the next actionable step without asking around.

3. Regular check-ins with team members

In an on-site opportunity, it is very easy to simply walk to the next desk and check up on a colleague. In a remote scenario, however, managers will not notice if the talent is skipping their lunch or juggling too many tasks at once, proving a challenge to managing a remote team. This is why it is important to check up with the remote team members on a daily or a weekly basis to understand their workload, challenges, and deadlines. You should also inquire about the existing tasks before assigning them something urgent.

Another good practice is to avoid overloading the inbox of other team members. For example, “reply all” is only necessary if the entire group has to be updated. By keeping only relevant stakeholders in a particular conversation you can avoid other members from constantly switching windows to check up on mail which does not even concern them.

And this is how you can ensure full productivity and effective remote team management in a distributed setup. Use the above points as your reference to keep your remote talents motivated and aligned with the agency’s culture.

uplers guide managing remote teams effectively

Uplers Guide to Managing Remote Teams – A Sure-shot Win!

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Many companies, such as Uplers, are 100% operating and managing remote teams.

However, despite the widespread usage of remote working models in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak, there is still not enough insight or resources into how to prepare your remote team for success.

If you are at such a crossroads, we are here to share our experience.

With a massive workforce of over 600 employees, Uplers sets the de facto standard for remote team management. Additionally, Uplers is at the front-line of discovering practical and implementable remote-first hiring trends that have helped 7000+ companies hire and manage a remote team.

We are remote, and we have helped business turn remote.

Our success has set such high standards that we often receive questions on how we have pulled it off. So, here is a look at –

How Uplers made Managing Remote Teams Effortless:

1. Establishing a Company Structure

Establishing a Company Structure

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The company structure lays the foundation for workplace culture. For higher success, you need to find a remote employee who is a fit for your organization, and for that, you need a company structure.

Here is how you can develop structure:

  • Determine the nature of governance that you need for managing remote teams. It could be formal, informal, or both.
  • Identify the key leaders to coordinate, inspire, support, and refine the management part.
  • Outline and document a standard remote work policy for business operations.
  • Delegate and distribute monitoring activities to action committees and task forces.
  • Keep the feedback loop open for all inputs from the employees.

To make communication easy and free-flowing, you will have to adopt an informal company structure. However, you also need a formal company structure to back it up and hold your teams accountable. Hence, it’s all about striking the fine balance.

2. Creating a Remote Team Onboarding Process

According to Gallup, only a mere 12% of companies find onboarding important. In contrast, consider the fact that onboarding your remote employees can lead to better outcomes such as increased productivity by 20-25%, along with a 25% drop in turnover rates.

You can onboard your old employees and new hires in a remote environment in the following ways:

  • Share a pre-recorded message or conduct a video conference to offer a warm welcome as part of the new hire welcome kit.
  • Ensure that remote employees have all the necessary equipment to do their job.
  • Start a buddy program and pair up new hires with experienced employees.
  • Communicate the remote work policy to minimize confusion and get everyone on the same page.

Hire Pre-vetted & High Performance Remote Teams

3. Using a Wide Range of Tools

Using a Wide Range of Tools

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The demand for tools to manage offshore teams has shot up by a staggering 281%! The message is abundantly clear: you need tools for managing remote teams effectively. Whether you wish to communicate the completion of a task or manage the organizational workflow – tools will help you all the way.

Here is a round-up of all the basic tools critical for a successful remote team management :

  • Slack – Remote team communication
  • Zoom/Skype – Video conferencing and screen sharing
  • Google Drive/DropBox – File sharing, organization, and management
  • Loom – Screen recording
  • Trello – Project management
  • Toggl – Tracking remote team tasks.

Depending on the nature of your business and its process flows, you will need more niche tools including time-tracking software and time management tools to help manage your team.

4. Conducting Regular Online Meetings

You need to communicate and over-communicate at every step of the way. It ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them. Hence, online meetings will play a crucial role in managing remote teams effectively and keeping them on track. The trick is to keep the meetings interactive, straightforward, and frequent.

To make your online meetings more productive, follow these tips:

  • Identify the perfect meeting cadence and stick to it. Typically, conduct all-hands meeting monthly, departmental meetings weekly, and stand-up meetings daily.
  • Prepare an agenda and share it with the participants before the meeting.
  • In case this is the first time attendees are meeting each other, encourage them to introduce themselves.
  • Give everyone a chance to share their inputs and contribute to the meeting.
  • Leave room for casual conversations.
  • Follow up on meetings and communicate the next line of action, the proposed deliverables, etc.

Also Read: In-house Vs Remote Teams: Debunk Hiring Myths

5. Acknowledging High-performing Employees

Acknowledging High-Performing Employees

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According to a Gallup survey, not appreciating your employees’ efforts can decrease the engagement levels and spur the attrition rates. Rewarding and appreciating high-performing remote employees will play a pivotal role in remote teams’ success.

The following are some excellent ideas for recognizing the efforts of your remote employee or teams:

  • Celebrate achievements over virtual face-to-face meetings to rekindle the in-office feeling.
  • Distribute gift cards to recognize and appreciate their specific actions.
  • Make the recognition public by sharing it over your company’s intranet, website, or other channels.
  • Timely recognition will motivate employees even more.
  • Offer courses and training as rewards for nurturing the employee or team’s professional growth.

6. Engaging Employees and Collecting Feedback

Rewarding and recognizing your teams or employees is one of the many tricks to keep them engaged. Employee engagement gives your remote team a sense of belonging and purpose, which pushes them to improve their performance. Interestingly, according to The Wall Street Journal, this sense of belonging may even trump the effects of reward programs!

Here are a few secrets for managing highly-engaged remote teams:

  • Communicate, communicate, and communicate. Communication should be at a team level as well as an individual level.
  • Managers must conduct one-on-one meetings with team members, especially if they sense mental health issues or register a dip in their performance.
  • Set clear expectations and communicate the KPIs and deliverables that govern the individual or team’s performance.
  • Celebrate the achievement of goals.
  • Encourage personal or professional development through online learning.
  • Have informal events such as virtual parties, book club meetings, etc.

7. Following a People-first Approach

Remote working already follows a people-first approach. According to MIT’s Quality of Life Survey, remote work delivers the following results:

  • 90% noticed an improvement in family and personal life.
  • 85% believed that it reduced their stress levels.
  • 80% felt more engaged and displayed higher morale.
  • 62% registered greater trust and respect.
  • 93% reported better collaboration and teamwork.

However, managing remote teams also comes with its fair share of pitfalls, which you can overcome by:

  • Indulging in small talk to build rapport and combat isolation or loneliness.
  • Encouraging employees to unplug.
  • Measuring achievement of goals rather than the time put into it.
  • Using videos or video conferencing to improve engagement.
  • Gathering feedback from employees.
  • Using GIFs and animated emojis to communicate.

8. Holding Team-building Activities

Holding Team-Building Activities

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Your teams no longer enjoy the convenience of having in-person brainstorming sessions or exchanging gossip by the water cooler. However, that does not mean that it is the end of their social life!

Here are some team-building activities that we use at Uplers:

  • Weekly trivia (related or unrelated to work)
  • Online Pictionary
  • Life Story in 5 minutes
  • Two truths and a lie
  • Throwback pictures
  • Sharing bucket lists
  • Home tours

9. Giving Up on Micromanaging

Finally, and most importantly – avoid the temptation to micromanage.

When your employees know that they enjoy your trust, they will outperform and make remote teams management a piece of cake!

Key Takeaways

In these unprecedented times, remote working is paving the way for success. We, at Uplers, swear by these tried and tested strategies that make offshore team management easy. And now that you know how to manage a remote team effectively, you are on a journey to success! It is all about putting these plans into action.

Ready to fast-track remote hiring with pre-vetted remote professionals? Contact us now!

Inhouse team vs remote team vs dedicated team1

In-house Team Vs Remote Team Vs Dedicated Team Model: Which Is The Best Choice?

The changing landscape of IT outsourcing has revolutionized the way businesses operate. The vital need to find a quintessential alternative to the in-house resources has given rise to offshore teams. In 2019, the global market size of IT services offshoring amounted approximately $92.5 billion. Furthermore, there is a momentous growth recorded in the digital offshoring value every year. But, does it mean a step back for the in-house team?

main reasons to it outsourcing disadvantages and advantages

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The business arena hints transition from the regular in-house vs outsourcing game. The Remote Team model and the Dedicated Team model are other promising contenders to keep an eye on.

The fleeting growth of IT services offshoring market from $45.6 billion in 2000 to $92.5 billion in 2019 is evidence of the fact that businesses are ready to leverage the alternatives to the in-house team model. But, does that mean that remote and dedicated teams are better options than the in-house team model? Let’s open the book of facts & reasons.

Download: Guide to Hiring Top Indian Remote Talent

The main sections of the article include:

1. In-house Team Model

2. Remote Team Model

3. Dedicated Team Model

4. In-house Team Vs Remote Team Vs Dedicated Team: Comparison Table (Exclusive)

In-house Team Vs Remote Team Vs Dedicated Team Model: What to Choose?

In-house Team

What is In-house Team Model?

This model simply means utilising your in-house team for your projects. This is the most common model as it offers the CEOs maximum trust. A team that shares your vision and business goals. There is no better challenger in this game if your in-house team has the right skill-set.

Best Fits For?

‘All business types’ – Simple as it may sound, be it start-ups or large enterprises, every business type can have their best bet on their in-house team unless the team fails to deliver the right expertise and meet the company’s desired efficiency. In that case, in-house vs outsourcing comes into light.

Successful IT leaders, PayPal, Salesforce and Amazon depend on their in-house team for their development solutions. But, we have a list of pros & cons below to analyze which is better outsourcing or inhouse.

benefits of outsourcing over problems with inhouse team

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Pros of In-house Team Model

  • Intellectual Property is Sheltered

Every business has its individual business processes, client data and intellectual property that if leaked is likely to cause the business a loss in its reputation, revenue, or client base. That is where a business can confidently depend on its in-house team. Amazon leverages its in-house team for most of the development tasks to protect its development secrets.

  • Building Skills and Constructing Transferable Standards

Every business invests time, efforts and a certain amount of revenue in training its in-house staff for the right skillset. These skills are transferable in-house and can be utilized to build functional standards across the company. These standards can be followed by a new set of employees and the company saves on the training cost of new employees.

  • Seamless Coordination and Efficient Management

The efficiency of face-to-face communication and seamlessly assisted operations cannot be compared with any other digital communication standards. The in-house team gives managers the right platform to polish their management skills, draw great productivity and offer quality solutions. Conversely, remote team management has been a challenge for businesses. And PayPal extensively depends on its in-house team to offer the most superior quality solutions and products across the globe.

  • Encouraging Personal Participation and Profound Team Ethics

Other than the sense of accountability, there is always a sense of pride when working on your company’s project yourself. This develops a sense of loyalty, as employees feel more involved and influential with the project. The feeling gives rise to superior work ethics and team spirit.

  • Better Accountability and Planned Budgeting

‘Accountability’, certainly the first concern that shoots up the brain of every business owner when he considers drawing a line between in-house vs outsourcing. It goes without saying that the in-house team model offers better reliability than the remote or dedicated model. Furthermore, the business owner has a say in the salary of his/her in-house resources and can efficiently plan long-term budgeting.

Peter Drucker

Cons of In-house Team Model

  • Long-term Overhead Costs

Every business is liable to prepare payroll for its in-house employees. The in-house team model generally offers long-term employment and the business is responsible to pay for its employees’ health insurance, extra-time benefits, meal and travel expenses, etc. Moreover, the added infrastructure cost and employee retention cost, add up to the investment.

  • Lacking the Right Expertise

Certain geographies face a scarcity of the right talent when it comes to certain skilled business operations. Furthermore, most businesses excel in a single niche, which fades the versatility. This leaves businesses with the obvious option of offshoring. 83 Percent of recruiters have to invest an extensive deal of efforts in sourcing the right talent in-house.

 

  • Scalability Requires Much More Time & Effort

Hiring the right talent in-house for a long-term basis requires extensive efforts and time from the recruitment team. The process can extend from weeks to months and doesn’t meet your urgent scalability goals.

  • Paying Way Too Much

In tier 1 countries including the US, UK, and Australia, the cost of hiring skilled digital resources is way much higher than tier 2 and tier 3 countries. This may be due to the scarcity of the right talent or the high economy of tier 1 countries.

Remote Team Model

What is the Remote Team Model?

A remote team model is defined as a type of outsourcing in which businesses hire several remote resources to build a distributed or remote team. So here, these are skilled resources with great expertise, and available at affordable costs. They work remotely and are dedicated to a client or business on a long-term contract basis.

Also Read: Exclusive Research on Why Remote Working is the Future of IT Industry

Best Fits For?

The model is preferred by clients who have a well-analysed project scope and progress with a clear vision of investment. Other than the cost benefits, the remote work model renders a well-proportioned list of benefits for a business.

remote team vs dedicated team statistics

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Pros of Remote Team Model

  • Increased Productivity

A remote team can increase work productivity by as much as 13% as compared to the in-house team. 2/3 of employers, report some increase in the productivity from their remote team as compared to the in-house team.

  • Negligible to No Upfront Cost for CAPEX

“Office space is not cheap and start-ups need to find ways to save money, especially in the early days,” says Savage of GoShare. Costs like office furniture, electricity, business-level internet and other infrastructure facilities can be saved when opting for a remote team.

  • Access to a Large Pool of Resources

Employers who invest in building remote teams are open to hiring talent from around the world. Owing to the scarcity of the right talent in a specific location, businesses prefer to opt for the remote work model. As the Gartner survey reports, 22% of the CIOs are unable to find the right skillset in-house.

  • Finding the Right Expertise at the Best Price

When seeking for talent to join the remote team, employers look for candidates independent of their location. This allows employers to hire resources from tier 2 and tier 3 countries, allowing them to leverage the lower resource cost benefits as compared to tier 1 countries like the US, UK and Europe.

  • Reduced Overhead Expenses Per Employee

A survey of 2018 reports, an estimated $5 billion in the upfront cost for U.S. companies who hired remote teams (part-time and full-time). With the remote team model, an employer is not bound to bear the cost of health insurance, extra-time benefits, meal and travel expenses, etc. for its employees. Cost remains an important parameter in in-house vs outsourcing decisions.

inhouse vs remote vs dedicated team model remote pros and cons

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Cons of Remote Team:

  • On-on-one Communication and Remote Team Management Becomes Tangled

The digital communication channels including phone, email, chat or video calls, cannot replace the efficiency of face-to-face communication. As a manager, it is hard for business owners to analyze the capabilities and managing remote workers. They need to push greater efforts in skill development and creating the right coordination among the member in the remote team.

  • Scaling Isn’t as Easy as It Seems

Though remote team model, grants access to a large talent pool, finding the right workers to be added to your remote team remains a crucial challenge. The associated concerns include data security, time-zone management and reliability.

  • A Cross-culture Gap Is Evident

Remote workers from different geographies, different time-zones and with no direct connection with the in-house team display a cross-culture gap. This can make remote team management a tough peak. However, start-up culture is more about shared values and goals.

  • Risks Associated to Project Failure

Remote workers are generally self-employed experts who aren’t answerable to a parent agency and work on a contract basis with clients as full-time or part-time resources. Though these experts have a significant level of expertise and a reliable work portfolio, the risks associated to delay in timelines and project failure are higher.

Dedicated Team Model

What is the Dedicated Team Model?

As the name resembles, the ‘dedicated team model’ is about building a team of dedicated resources with the help of a specialised resource agency. This model of outsourcing is leveraged by large & long-term business projects. A perfectly-structured dedicated team is a good harmony of great skills, accountability, authoritative management and affordable costs. The model is constructive for clients having defined project-scope and business goals.

There is a list of pros and cons related to the dedicated team model, which are discussed below in the article.

 

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Best Fits For?

Dedicated team model is the right choice for constant workload projects where the dedicated team is liable to serve a client in the same sense as his in-house team. It can help startups to cut down on the upfront costs of building a skilled team and help large businesses with their team expansion goals.

dedicated team to remote team comparison

Pro’s of Dedicated Team Model

  • Team Dedicated to Your Goals & Processes

Unlike a shared resource team, a dedicated team functions as a team of experts working full-time on your projects. You as a business owner can manage your team independently and align them according to your project and business goals. Some resource agencies grant businesses access to train their dedicated team at their premises and align them according to their processes and time-zones.

  • Manage Team Structure and Scale On-demand

Large enterprises often prefer to choose the dedicated team model to meet their staff augmentation goals. Hiring a dedicated team from a specialized resource agency avails a business the capability to manage their team structure. The business owners can make quick calls about new additions to the team. Unlike managing remote workers, a dedicated team is more synchronized and the outsourcing vendor is liable to help you manage the team seamlessly.

  • Build Team for Long-term Goals

A dedicated team serves the best for long-term projects and the same team working on a prolonged project avoids the hassle related to resource transition. Skills and standards developed across your dedicated team are transferrable and helps you in the long term.

  • No CAPEX and Overhead Costs

Equivalent to the remote team model, the dedicated model helps save business owners from the CAPEX cost, including infrastructure setup, furniture cost, electricity and business level-internet. 44% of US businesses choose offshore development to reduce costs. Clients also save on overhead costs like healthcare insurance, free-time benefits, and meal expenses.

  • Increase in Productivity

The Harvard Business Review claims that businesses experience a 10% increase in the average productivity from the dedicated development team model, without surpassing the budget. Moreover, businesses have access to a larger resource pool across the globe.

Also Read: Myths Associated with Hiring a Dedicated Web Development Team

Cons of Dedicated Team Model

  • Cross-culture Gap

Though a dedicated team works in close coordination with the hiring manager at the client-side, it gets a narrow perspective about the company’s values and goals. This creates a cross-culture gap, which is likely to fade over time.

  • Not Fit for Short-term Projects

Dedicated team model doesn’t fit right for short-term projects. Hiring a dedicated team for a short-term project (less than 2 months) may result in investing more time and finances as compared to the fixed time mode of outsourcing.

A Comparison Graph between Dedicated Team, Remote Team and In-house Team Model

Dedicated team vs remote team vs inhouse team

Summing Up

The Upwork projection states that by 2028, 73% of all teams worldwide will utilise the remote team model. Another parameter that puts the dedicated team model above the other models of outsourcing is that it combines the benefits of an in-house team model with the remote team model. However, there couldn’t be a better bet than the in-house team model, if your resources have the right skill-set and deliver the desired returns on investment. A business needs to scrutinize its goals and capabilities well before making a choice!