How to manage your remote How to manage your remote employees from overseas:employees from overseas:

An Italian manager’s An Italian manager’s experience going GLOCAL!experience going GLOCAL!

Why to have branches with Why to have branches with only local staff employed?only local staff employed?• Keep the structure as light as possible, Keep the structure as light as possible,

without staff from the HQ.without staff from the HQ.• Cost savingCost saving• Avoiding to have a person having the full Avoiding to have a person having the full

control of the market: for small/medium control of the market: for small/medium companies is difficult to make staff rotation.companies is difficult to make staff rotation.

• efficiency: one area manager can coordinate efficiency: one area manager can coordinate from the HQ several branches officesfrom the HQ several branches offices

How many employees can we How many employees can we have without any “decision have without any “decision maker” in the branch?maker” in the branch?

• The more people we have, the more The more people we have, the more difficult becomes managing them, as the difficult becomes managing them, as the local employees will receive instructions local employees will receive instructions only from the HQ.only from the HQ.

Difficulties faced by the Difficulties faced by the management in the HQmanagement 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 Fading of the strategy from the top to the

bottom.bottom.• Imposing the company policy; for the local Imposing the company policy; for the local

worker it may becomes unclear to understand worker it may becomes unclear to understand the way the company acts in the market.the way the company acts in the market.

• Checking the honesty of the staff.Checking the honesty of the staff.

ProblemsProblems faced by the faced by the employeeemployee• Lacking of direct instructions Lacking of direct instructions • Feeling of incapacity to communicate Feeling of incapacity to communicate

constantly with the boss.constantly with the boss.• Feeling of distance from the HQ which Feeling of distance from the HQ which

may bring to unmotivated behavior may bring to unmotivated behavior and – in some cases – dishonesty.and – in some cases – dishonesty.

• Feeling his efforts are not recognizedFeeling his efforts are not recognized. .

How to match employer and How to match employer and employee’s needs?employee’s needs?• Keeping daily contact using all available Keeping daily contact using all available

technologies, such as: technologies, such as: Teleconferences and phone callsTeleconferences 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 The supervisor should also reply in the

shortest possible time in order to avoid to shortest possible time in order to avoid to increase the sense of loneliness of the increase the sense of loneliness of the employee.employee.

• Avoiding “avalanche effect”. Avoiding “avalanche effect”.

ExampleExample 1. 1. How the structure could be.How the structure could be.

Supervisor based in the HQ

Employee basedin the HQ Local Employee

ExampleExample 2. 2. How the structure couldHow the structure could be be

Supervisor based in the HQ

Local employee

EXAMPLE 1EXAMPLE 1• The communication is The communication is

among three persons. among three persons. • The local employee has The local employee has

two contacts.two contacts.• Horizontal and vertical Horizontal and vertical

control of the local control of the local employee.employee.

• The group works with a The group works with a teamleader and a teamleader and a rotation of the rotation of the information.information.

EMPLOYEEBASED ON THE

HQ

LOCAL EMPLOYEE

SUPERVISORBASED IN THE

HQ

EXAMPLE 2EXAMPLE 2• Direct communication.Direct communication.• The control is only from the top to the The control is only from the top to the

bottombottom..• The employee receive direct instructions The employee receive direct instructions

promoting a faster action on both sidespromoting a faster action on both sides..• There is the risk to deteriorate the There is the risk to deteriorate the

relationshiprelationship, , as theas the locallocal employee might employee might tend to consider tend to consider the the Supervisor responsible Supervisor responsible for all the misunderstandingfor all the misunderstanding. .

If the supervisor participate, If the supervisor participate, together with the local together with the local

employee, actively in the employee, actively in the business the company never business the company never

lose the control of the lose the control of the markets. If any person markets. If any person leaves, the other still leaves, the other still

maintain the key information.maintain the key information.

Is any employee suitable for Is any employee suitable for working alone?working alone?• If the employee loses If the employee loses

motivation it is difficult motivation it is difficult to recover, often could to recover, often could be advisable to be advisable to replace them. replace them.

• To be able to work To be able to work independently the independently the employee needs to be employee needs to be motivated and motivated and ambitiousambitious

• If the employee is well If the employee is well motivated, for him the motivated, for him the opportunity is very big opportunity is very big as he may play a key as he may play a key role in the commercial role in the commercial strategystrategy. .

The importance of the The importance of the communication for the success of communication for the success of the teamthe team

• The Supervisor from the HQ should The Supervisor from the HQ should follow up the activities of the local follow up the activities of the local employee in a more intense way.employee in a more intense way.

• The Local Employee should pay attention The Local Employee should pay attention to the instructions, be patient and make to the instructions, be patient and make an effort to explain his needs.an effort to explain his needs.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION• To manage remote employees from To manage remote employees from

abroad is possible, but it requires abroad is possible, but it requires some extra efforts.some extra efforts.

• The local staff and the Area Manager The local staff and the Area Manager needs to improve the communication needs to improve the communication between each other.between each other.