Hiring offshore employees can be a disaster if you don’t know how to properly manage them. A common misconception is that remote employees overseas work similar to outsourcing models where little to no oversight is required. Those new to offshoring quickly discover that motivating people not physically working with you will require a little more effort than you might be used to.
Some managers falsely think that money is the only tool needed to get anyone motivated to do what they need. Yeah money is a key motivator for people to search for jobs but once they land the job money will lose its value over time. Your offshore employees will be quick to quit their job if they feel uncomfortable with the working atmosphere with no regards to their salary.
It is super important for you to have a vested interest in making your offshore employees feel valued and part of the team in order for them to be as productive as possible. The output they provide is going to be directly linked to the satisfaction they have in working for your company. Your success in offshoring is going to heavily rely on the morale of your remote employees. The trick is to make them feel as if they are an integral part of the team and not just some overseas worker.
Ways To Motivate Your Offshore Employees
- Reveal Business Objectives. All staff should know the company’s greatest objectives and offshore employees are no different. Understanding how their work fits into the big picture will give them that much needed sense of accomplishment. For a real boost in motivation you can assist them in getting their professional goals aligned with the future success of the company.
- Provide Training and Professional Development. Offshore employees are eager to learn new skills that often times are not available in their home country. Employees that are offered professional development and routine training classes are sure to stay motivated in putting those newly acquired skills to work. Simple education sessions covering business etiquettes and communication improvements can go a long way in the professional growth of your overseas employee.
- Communicate Often. It is important to learn about your offshore employees interests as much as, if not more, than your in-house employees so you have a clear idea what motivates them. Being careful not to come off as a micromanager, you should be checking-in with your remote employees on a regular basis. You get the benefit of keeping your employee motivated while at the same time getting progress updates to ensure they are on track to meet personal and company goals.
- Ensure Adequate Work Environment. Oversea remote employees might not have the required internet connection and hardware necessary to be as productive as possible. Obviously this can be extremely demotivating if they don’t have access to the tools required to complete their work. Getting your offshore employee setup in coworking spaces will greatly increase their productivity and overall satisfaction of working for your company.
- Recognize and Reward. One of the easiest ways to keep your offshore employees motivated is by publicly acknowledging their achievements. Quickly recognizing when they go above and beyond can easily be accomplished via social media, Skype or even email. These simple recognitions will have even more power if you find creative ways to tie them into bonuses and salary raises.
The limits of what can be accomplished with offshore employees is endless as long as they are motivated. The recommendations in this article are not going to result in overnight motivation but with consistency will have overseas employees eager work each and everyday. Money alone is not going to be enough to keep offshore employees excited working for you so make sure you are proactive and creative in applying different motivation techniques.