How to manage your remote employees from overseas: An Italian manager’s experience going GLOCAL!

Why to have branches with only local staff employed? Keep the structure as light as possible, without staff from the HQ. Keep the structure as light as possible, without staff from the HQ. Cost saving Cost saving Avoiding to have a person having the full control of the market: for small/medium companies is difficult to make staff rotation. Avoiding to have a person having the full control of the market: for small/medium companies is difficult to make staff rotation. efficiency: one area manager can coordinate from the HQ several branches offices efficiency: one area manager can coordinate from the HQ several branches offices

How many employees can we have without any “decision maker” in the branch? The more people we have, the more difficult becomes managing them, as the local employees will receive instructions only from the HQ. The more people we have, the more difficult becomes managing them, as the local employees will receive instructions only from the HQ.

Difficulties faced by the management in the HQ Following up the activities of the employees. Following up the activities of the employees. Coordinating and giving instructions. Coordinating and giving instructions. Fading of the strategy from the top to the bottom. Fading of the strategy from the top to the bottom. Imposing the company policy; for the local worker it may becomes unclear to understand the way the company acts in the market. Imposing the company policy; for the local worker it may becomes unclear to understand the way the company acts in the market. Checking the honesty of the staff. Checking the honesty of the staff.

Problems faced by the employee Lacking of direct instructions Lacking of direct instructions Feeling of incapacity to communicate constantly with the boss. Feeling of incapacity to communicate constantly with the boss. Feeling of distance from the HQ which may bring to unmotivated behavior and – in some cases – dishonesty. Feeling of distance from the HQ which may bring to unmotivated behavior and – in some cases – dishonesty. Feeling his efforts are not recognized. Feeling his efforts are not recognized.

How to match employer and employee’s needs? Keeping daily contact using all available technologies, such as: Keeping daily contact using all available technologies, such as: Teleconferences and phone calls Ask the local employee to make daily report. Ask the local employee to make daily report. The supervisor should also reply in the shortest possible time in order to avoid to increase the sense of loneliness of the employee. The supervisor should also reply in the shortest possible time in order to avoid to increase the sense of loneliness of the employee. Avoiding “avalanche effect”. Avoiding “avalanche effect”.

Example 1. How the structure could be. Supervisor based in the HQ Employee based in the HQ Local Employee

Example 2. How the structure could be Supervisor based in the HQ Local employee

EXAMPLE 1 The communication is among three persons. The communication is among three persons. The local employee has two contacts. The local employee has two contacts. Horizontal and vertical control of the local employee. Horizontal and vertical control of the local employee. The group works with a teamleader and a rotation of the information. The group works with a teamleader and a rotation of the information. EMPLOYEE BASED ON THE HQ LOCAL EMPLOYEE SUPERVISOR BASED IN THE HQ

EXAMPLE 2 Direct communication. Direct communication. The control is only from the top to the bottom. The control is only from the top to the bottom. The employee receive direct instructions promoting a faster action on both sides. The employee receive direct instructions promoting a faster action on both sides. There is the risk to deteriorate the relationship, as the local employee might tend to consider the Supervisor responsible for all the misunderstanding. There is the risk to deteriorate the relationship, as the local employee might tend to consider the Supervisor responsible for all the misunderstanding.

If the supervisor participate, together with the local employee, actively in the business the company never lose the control of the markets. If any person leaves, the other still maintain the key information.

Is any employee suitable for working alone? If the employee loses motivation it is difficult to recover, often could be advisable to replace them. If the employee loses motivation it is difficult to recover, often could be advisable to replace them. To be able to work independently the employee needs to be motivated and ambitious To be able to work independently the employee needs to be motivated and ambitious If the employee is well motivated, for him the opportunity is very big as he may play a key role in the commercial strategy. If the employee is well motivated, for him the opportunity is very big as he may play a key role in the commercial strategy.

The importance of the communication for the success of the team The Supervisor from the HQ should follow up the activities of the local employee in a more intense way. The Supervisor from the HQ should follow up the activities of the local employee in a more intense way. The Local Employee should pay attention to the instructions, be patient and make an effort to explain his needs. The Local Employee should pay attention to the instructions, be patient and make an effort to explain his needs.

CONCLUSION To manage remote employees from abroad is possible, but it requires some extra efforts. To manage remote employees from abroad is possible, but it requires some extra efforts. The local staff and the Area Manager needs to improve the communication between each other. The local staff and the Area Manager needs to improve the communication between each other.