By: Milour Allen De Leon
As mentioned in our Overcome Challenges with Your Offsite Professionals blog post, disappearing offsite workers are one of the problems we have to deal with. In this blog, we will share with you why offsite professionals opt to disappear and how we can prevent it.
Here are some reasons why offsite workers tend to disappear and how to prevent them:
1. Unfamiliar with Tasks Given
Some offsite professionals feel stuck when they are given a task they are not familiar with and don’t know how to start the tasks or given project. This happens when the offsite worker does not have a clear understanding of the assigned task and the instructions given were unclear. As employers, we should not assume they know how to do. Keep in mind that when you give a task to your offsite worker, never assume that they understood the first time. You can ask clarifying questions or ask if your given instruction is clear. Usually, new or inexperience offsite professionals have the tendency to not have a clear understanding about the task given. It is important to always check in with your offsite professionals as to where they are at with the project.
2. Underutilized Offsite Worker
Giving easy tasks to your offsite worker is a great way to test out their skills and reliability. But keep in mind, giving them easy task that is not challenging their skill level is not good. Why? When you give them easy tasks, it tends to be repetitive and a boring task for them and they will start looking for something that challenges them. You might think, should they be thankful because they have an easy job? Always keep in mind the offsite professionals are also like regular employees. Tasks that challenge their capability and skills help them develop their skill set and would see themselves growing with the company. Completing a challenging task makes them feel fulfilled and tend to stay. To prevent this from happening, train your offsite worker to do more challenging tasks. Teach and encourage your offsite worker to communicate with you. This allows them to grow as an individual and helps them become a highly skilled offsite worker that tailor fit to your needs. When they consistently meet your expectations, give them an increase.
3. When There’s No Feedback
If you take time to schedule and sit down with your employees, it makes them feel that you value and care for them. If they don’t hear from you, it gives them an impression that you don’t really care about what they do, and would end up feeling demotivated. As a business owner or a boss, we want to make sure we are always on top of things and we check on our employees regularly and ensure that they are doing their jobs efficiently and extend help if necessary. You save a lot of time with all the work that your offsite workers do, so take at least 5 minutes each day to check up on them. If you are going on vacation, inform them how long you will be gone for.
4. When They Don’t Know How to Manage Stress
A lot of people don’t know how to manage stress. In some cases, they would choose to go on no show because they are not well prepared for the stress that comes with virtual work. When they realize that they are not ready to take on bigger tasks, they tend to leave. To avoid your offsite worker from being stressed out, do not give them all the tasks big time. Invest in their learning and training. With the right skills to do the job, and in the right timing, your offsite professional should be able to handle the responsibilities you assign to them.
5. Worried About Not Making You Happy
Offsite professionals are after making their bosses happy. They take pride in performing their job really well. So, when they’re in a situation where they do not know what to do, expect the worst. As mentioned in the previous blogs, if there is no enough constructive communication and feedback, the offsite worker would feel like they are on their own. They would feel abandoned or left wondering if they did something wrong. Communicate with your workers regularly. Give sincere and honest feedback that will help them feel motivated and perform better at work.
