In light of current events, an increasing number of companies are transitioning to remote work. But for millions of independent, highly-skilled professionals, collaborating through a virtual workspace isn’t anything new. The trend towards remote or distributed teams has been growing for years as technology makes it easier and more people prioritize flexibility. But despite the rising adoption and success of the remote team model, misconceptions about engaging freelancers still linger.
Below, we explore the top three myths about remote talent and share how other companies have built virtual teams that deliver real results.
Myth #1: The best talent is in your backyard
Leveraging remote independent talent gives you access to quality talent you may be unable to find locally.Chess.com CEO and co-founder Erik Allebest is amazed by the talent available outside of their hyper-competitive San Francisco locale. Over the years, he worked with many freelancers on complex projects and said they “…have been at the forefront and technological bleeding edge to help us move our company forward. Many of the developers are ahead of the curve, even more so than developers we would be able to find locally.”
Just as important as finding talent with the right skills is finding available talent. In tech hubs such as the Bay Area, top independent developers may not be available or affordable for some businesses. What’s more, the increasing cost of living may make residing in the Bay Area less attractive to some skilled talent who prefer living and working elsewhere.
That’s why many companies are building highly effective teams by contracting some of the best remote developers outside of their immediate locale. Looking outside the Bay Area, Allebest found highly talented workers who were available, reliable, and could start projects on schedule.
Instapage, another Silicon Valley tech company, secures first-rate talent by relying on a hybrid model of employees and independent talent. At any given time, they work with about 40 independent professionals located outside Silicon Valley. Not only has independent talent helped Instapage maintain a high-quality product, but it also saves them nearly $2.3M annually.
“Freelancers let us stay competitive because we can’t always find the top-quality people here. And the cost savings let us continue to grow the company with limited resources,” says Instapage CEO Tyson Quick.
Myth #2: Camaraderie can only be established in an office
Camaraderie isn’t established by putting a group of people together under one roof. Teams develop connections through a process, which can be tailored to different types of workers.
Chess.com found so much success working with remote teams, that it evolved into a fully distributed company made up of 60 programmers, content editors, and support staff located across 12 countries. Everyone—including CEO Erik Allebest—works from home. Despite their physical distance, Allebest says, “We have a real connection.”
This connection is intentionally fostered. For Chess.com, camaraderie is established from day one. When they work with someone for the first time, Allebest emails everyone the new person’s full biography. Then he invites them into a chat where they share more about themselves with other team members.
The team communicates via HipChat and uses Skype for face-to-face interviews and meetings. Allebest continuously seeks opportunities to build stronger team connections rather than risk letting their physical distance make each person feel like a bunch of “texts on a screen.”
His dedication is rewarded by their reputation for having a fun, relaxed company where people like who they work with and what they do. Not only do his contractors feel more engaged, but they’re also excited to work with Chess.com on future projects.
Myth #3: Remote workers are less productive
Productivity doesn’t necessarily increase when people work in the same building. Productivity is a result of matching the right person to the right work. This is where engaging remote talent can be advantageous.
Independent professionals often focus their experience around specific skill sets, such as developers who work mainly on mobile apps. Or designers who specialize in Japanese animation. When you match the ideal talent to a project, they may be more productive because their combined experience and skills are tailored to a project’s needs.
The ability to find specialized skills is why Conal Gallagher, CIO, and CISO at Flexera, turn to independent talent through Upwork. When his team engages an expert for work outside the team’s core competencies, they can cut project times in half and ship out features faster. Because team members don’t need to shift their focus from what they’re working on to quickly learn something new.
“The speed and flexibility in assessing skills through Upwork is a huge advantage for us,” says Gallagher. “Any IT department will tell you that the team is never big enough. In the past, we were heavily constrained by the number of people within the IT team. It’s liberating to know that now, we can scale and build our team dynamically as needs indicate.”
What’s more, productivity isn’t just influenced by people loving what they do. Independent professionals are also entrepreneurs. They’re motivated to remain productive because their performance affects their reputation. In turn, that impacts their chances of attracting future work.
Rethinking how we work
In business, it’s not always easy to discern facts from myths. Unlike the Loch Ness monster and unicorns, business-related myths can seem factual and bias how we operate—which may affect our success.
From these examples, you can see how distributed, or remote teams helped startups to global industry leaders scale quickly, optimize resources, and be more agile. Thanks to technologies increasing efficiencies and making it easier for companies to engage the world’s best talent, the myths around remote talent are fading into the past.
