When it comes to expanding your remote workforce, timing is of the essence. Choosing to do so too soon could mean unnecessary expenses, whereas waiting too long might lead to overburdening your organisation and damaging its reputation. Making the right decision at the right time is therefore crucial to your success.
There are several indicators that point towards the need to take the next step in business development. For instance, insufficient resources can prevent you from capitalising on potential business prospects. Additionally, current staff may exhibit signs of strain as a result of being burdened with an overwhelming workload.
It is recommended to consider expansion only once you have a consistent cash flow and a sustained upward trend in sales. Expansion should be evaluated when the business is running efficiently with minimal risks.
During the Intercom World Tour in 2023, Des Traynor underscored the significance of hiring the appropriate personnel during a business expansion. Given that he had guided Intercom’s astonishing expansion from just four individuals to a team of nearly 400, he was well-suited to convey this message. Des remarked that “Regardless of the complexity of the issue, it inevitably boils down to a people problem.” This is a valuable reminder of the crucial role of selecting the right individuals when a business is expanding.
To ensure that your organisation is equipped to handle growth while maintaining healthy internal relationships, it is crucial to formulate a clear and effective strategy for attracting and retaining exceptional talent. While it has become increasingly common for businesses to expand their search for new talent, it is important to recognise the benefits of considering candidates from a wider geographic area. Leveraging technology to facilitate virtual interviews and onboarding procedures can enable your organisation to access the finest available talent, regardless of their location. Moreover, retaining top talent can be accomplished by offering competitive remuneration packages, comprehensive career advancement opportunities, and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.
Growth Stages of a Company
Starting a business can be a hectic and demanding period, as we are all aware. We have all heard the inspiring tales about a company’s modest origins, when a committed group of individuals toiled tirelessly, frequently well into the night, to bring their hopes to reality. To expand your business, it is essential to begin the process of recruiting staff as soon as practicable. If the second phase is successful, you will have numerous teams collaborating. While horizontal organisational structures may be trendy now, once a company begins to gain momentum, it becomes critical to establish a clear chain of command.
Consequently, not only will your role within the organisation evolve, but the business as a whole will progress as well. You may not be a manager, but rather a creator. Even if you have a background in coding or engineering, a startup cannot thrive without employees who are willing to roll up their sleeves and tackle challenging tasks. However, as the business grows, you may expect this to change. As founders, your focus will shift from production to management. The same applies even if you are in a later phase and will be leading two teams as a team leader. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that you are thoroughly prepared to scale up prior to embarking on this journey.
Preparing for Business Expansion
It is crucial to plan for business expansion well in advance, before it becomes imperative. Failure to do so could result in a situation where you have to employ an entirely new team in a compressed period of time, such as unexpectedly acquiring a major client. Before proceeding, it is advisable to take some time to consider how you can sustainably scale your organisation. When bringing new employees on board, it is essential to clearly define the existing company culture and values, so that everyone is aware of what is expected. It is also a good practice to identify aspects of the culture and values that you wish to maintain, as these are likely to have been influenced by the individuals who already work for the company.
When exploring the possibility of internal promotions, it is crucial to evaluate whether current team members possess the requisite skills to navigate the transition into new positions smoothly. While a highly skilled programmer may not have any intentions of being a Chief Technology Officer, they would need to acquire a comprehensive set of management skills to excel in the role. Consequently, investing in the professional development of our current employees is critical to avoiding potential challenges in the future.
To ensure your workforce stays well-informed and united in pursuing the same goals, it is crucial to establish clear and concise company objectives. This will guarantee that any new staff members are fully cognizant of the company’s vision, goals and values. As such, it is recommended to invest some time into refining and communicating these concepts.
When adding new members to a small team, it is vital to maintain a level of flexibility, as this can potentially alter the team dynamics significantly. Employing individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds can confer a variety of benefits, such as fresh perspectives and unique approaches to problem-solving. Nonetheless, these new changes can be challenging to adjust to for those who are averse to change. If you find yourself in this scenario, it is recommended to concentrate on your own growth and be receptive to novel ideas.
Hiring the Most Suitable Team
Finally, we have come to our forte! At our small recruitment firm, we specialise in remote, technical hiring and are highly proficient in pairing individuals together to ensure effective collaboration. It is a well-established fact that hiring unsuitable employees can impede the expansion of your organisation, which is why we exist to provide our assistance.
The key things to lookout for include the following:
- Ensuring that an applicant’s skills and capabilities listed on their resume are authentic is crucial. Various techniques can be employed to validate the accuracy of their claims, such as conducting reference checks, posing relevant questions during a face-to-face interview, and even administering practical tests to assess their proficiency. All of these methods can aid in comprehending an applicant’s actual skillset.
- Verifying that a potential hire comprehends and aligns with the organisational culture is critical. As we have previously mentioned, it is essential to pose relevant questions during the hiring process to determine whether the applicant shares the same values, attitudes, and sense of humour as the current team.
- For any company, an crucial factor to consider is the amount of time spent working in the office. It is necessary to determine whether it is more beneficial for the organisation to have an employee who works the same hours as the rest of the team or an individual who works a slightly staggered schedule to extend the workday. The pros and cons of each of these scenarios should be thoughtfully assessed to determine the optimal choice for the needs of the company.
It is imprudent to hastily recruit the first person you encounter or delay the search for the perfect candidate with the belief that you will find them in the future. It is crucial to keep in mind that you can always revise your decision at a later point, akin to the popular saying that it is possible to change your mind after getting married. Hence, it is essential to exercise caution when making your final decision.
When you have identified the suitable candidate for the job, the subsequent step is to ensure that they are onboarded effectively. The preparation time and effort invested will now pay off since you can provide the requisite assistance to ensure that your new developer quickly assimilates into the team and makes a valuable contribution.
This Benefit is Only Attainable from a Distance
If you are seeking to fill open positions, why constrain yourself to a restricted talent pool? By widening your search, you have the chance to discover proficient developers from all around the world, providing an augmented probability of discovering someone with both the required skillset and suitable mindset for your company.
For remote workers, the ability to work independently and innovatively is of utmost importance, thereby ensuring that they possess these qualities when they are hired. It is also pertinent to mention that such individuals often exhibit higher productivity levels compared to those working in an office environment.
If your company’s goal is to expand quickly, having the ability to recruit new team members swiftly can be a significant advantage. As opposed to permanent staff, you do not require long-term planning. We can handle all the necessary processes and provide you with a list of qualified individuals for the interview process. While conventional recruitment agencies may take as much as four weeks to identify a suitable candidate, we can achieve the same outcome within two weeks. I would describe this as a rapid response!
Expanding a business to a larger scale can be a formidable task, but the benefits it can provide make it a highly rewarding pursuit. If you are prepared to commence your search for eligible candidates, feel free to contact us at Works. We are available to extend our support in case you require it.
