Original post by Josh Tolan via ventureburn
With technology making it easier for startups to go virtual and decrease overheads, many entrepreneurs are opting to have their teams telecommute. A recent study by Stanford University found a company can save approximately US$2 000 per employee just by allowing them to work from home. For startup companies without deep pockets, running a virtual team can be a great way to keep overhead low while the company grows.
Still, virtual workers can present challenges in the hiring process, especially when it comes to finding the best people. You need someone who is not only right for your startup, but right for the telecommuting lifestyle. But in the end, it doesn’t matter whether your employees wear suits or pajamas, as long as you hire the best people for your startup.
Don’t be afraid of the telecommuter
For startups, hiring a virtual team can seem stressful, yet it’s a savvy move. You might assume members of your startup team need to be in the same room burning the midnight oil, but with new technology and social tools, constant communication is now simple. This is probably why nearly 34 million Americans at least occasionally work remotely. By 2016, this number is expected to rise to nearly 63 million, compromising about 43 percent of the U.S. workforce.
The other major concern employers have about virtual teams involves employee productivity. What if you hire someone great just to discover they’ve been spending most of their day at home playing Candy Crush instead of crushing their projects?
