Cyril Peupion wrote an article in the Business Spectator about Australia's productivity problem. Strategic productivity plans are established but not executed. Australian SMEs who lease offshore staff are not an exception, as productivity problems affect all employees regardless of location.
Here are useful tips to ensure productivity in your offshore staff.
Purpose, not just Payment
In most cases an offshore staff provides ancillary tasks for SMEs. A routine or repetitive job may become boring for some employees.
Offshore staff may also feel disconnected because they are not fully knowledgeable of their client. They know their roles and responsibilities, but they don't know the company's work culture, nor have been to the physical office. Even if there is regular communication online, people still need something real to connect with a name and brand.
Clarify what the business is trying to achieve, and how the offshore staff can contribute to its success. This creates a sense of purpose for each member.
RSA Animate shows the surprising truth about what really motivates people:
Realistic and Feasible Expectations
Quality should not be compromised (or compensated) by quantity. The assembly line approach does not fit all businesses, especially for SMEs who are offering specialised services. It's understandable that you have to produce and sell as much as possible to be sustainable. However, unrealistic expectations and long hours result to burnout and sick days. “Work smarter and not harder” is a outdated, but many businesses still find it hard to execute this concept.
Set a feasible output from your offshore staff. This helps lower the attrition rate and promote employee retention.
Implementation, not just Lip Service
Remember these important reminders when implementing new strategy:
- Offshore staff should always be updated with the new strategy. This provides a sense of direction and belonging even if the staff is in another region.
- Asses if the new strategy is stepping over the values that were instilled by the previous strategy.
- Find out if the new strategy is actively or passively resisted, whether by internal or offshore staff. Find out if there are people in management who are merely paying lip service to the new strategy because they think the changes will impact their own politics and territory.
Engagement, not just Evaluation
Appoint someone from your side to regularly engage with the offshore staff. The POC (point of contact) should visit in person to discuss updates, encourage ideas that can bring value to the company, and check if the staff has enough work/life balance. Employees are more likely to put more effort if they know that their employer sees their capabilities as an asset and not just a means to cut costs.
These tips are common knowledge, but they are often set aside. Companies either focus solely on the bottom line or disregard due diligence. SMEs that want to become market leaders don't only need technology. They also need to cultivate talent.
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