1. What is remote staffing and what is a business process outsourcing company?

Remote staffing, also known as outsourcing, is the business practice of hiring a 3rd party to perform a task or service for you, it can be either short or long term. A remote staffing company or business process outsourcing company, a BPO, is essentially a human resource and information technology company that manages remote staff. They handle the administrative side of having remote staff so you can focus more on operations.

2. Why remote staff/outsource?

To put it bluntly:

  • Saves time
  • Saves space 
  • Able to scale up as quickly as you need it to
  • More cost efficient

3. What are the cons?

  • Finding a BPO who can manage your staff without any communication issues could take some time
  • Time difference (mostly affects you during the recruitment process and your staff after hiring)

You will also hear about it negatively affecting your onshore staff, having remote staff alleviates pressure from your staff as they can be freed up from doing backend or laborious tasks.

4. What size companies can use remote staff/outsourcing?

Any size company can use remote staff/outsource workers, previously only large companies had access to these sorts of resources, but there was a market that wasn’t touched yet and . There are certain BPOs that cater to smaller and mid-sized companies, some only cater to large fortune 500 sized companies, and there are some that will take on any company that is interested.

5. What jobs can I get remote staff for?

This is dependent on what BPO you choose. The two most popular jobs to outsource are customer service and technical support. With all the advancements in technology, any job that doesn’t require face to face interaction can be done remotely. All jobs that can be done over a phone or behind a computer are viable options. Jobs like architectural draftsman, estimators, backend administrators, accountants, bookkeepers, medical billers, medical transcriptionists, graphic designers, and developers can all be done remotely. If you need a job that can be done from a remote location, mention it when inquiring and something can be set up for you. Industries like architectural and engineering, financial and accounting, medical and health services , as well as tech and startups, all commonly use remote staff. 

6. Is my information secure?

Your information as well as the information of your clients and customers are all safe. Apart from signing non-disclosure agreements, your data is safe behind firewalls and virtual private networks. All systems have some form of encryption, antivirus software is installed on all computers, as well as monitoring software, to make sure everything is secure.

7. How do I get started? 

The first step is to contact a remote staffing company/BPO you’re interested in working with. After you get a scheduled talk or meeting, you can see if this business model is for you. Make sure to ask questions and figure out if the company is a good fit for you. After that see if there is a plan that works with your budget and your requirements and you’re off.