What could hiring a remote worker mean for your business growth?

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 15 October 2019

So what is a remote worker and how do you as a small business owner tap into the wealth of talent right here in Australia? The NBN is being rolled out across more and more remote communities, and with this brings opportunity for talented, highly skilled workforce to tap into the so-called shortage in the Australian small business community.

There’s a matchmaker in all of this and her name is Jo Palmer… For those who don’t know about Jo Palmer, she’s the Founder of pointer Remote Roles and a rural powerhouse who’s passionate about remote developing a relationship between the city and bush through onshoring (a word she’ll explain later).

Welcome to the show Jo.

Firstly can I congratulate you for being awarded the Australian National Rural Women’s Award - a title well deserved!

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Tell us about your experience which led you to love the bush and the power of remote working
  • What is it like to work really remotely; is it lonely? Quiet? Inspiring? Tough? Is it harder being so far away?
• Aside from the financial benefits why is it important for professionals in rural areas to stay connected with work?
  • Technical understanding needs to evolve
  • Remaining connected with professional development requirements
  • Maintaining relationships and skillsets
• As a champion of connecting remote professionals with companies based in the major cities; how do you change the mindset that its all too hard to hire remotely? What are the main mindset changes you need to change?
  • THE MYTHS:
    • What are the typical barriers you face - technical misunderstanding, connectivity, education
    • The timezone differences are really going to affect my ability to communicate with my team.
  • THE SOLUTIONS
    • The reality of NBN improvements
    • Increased flexibility for both parties
    • A lot of online certification platforms to stay in the game
  • What are the advantages of working with a remote worker for the employer?
    • Regional understanding/Geodiversity
    • Lower costs for the out of city location
    • Statistically lower staff turnover
    • Accessing a different pool of talent
    • Lower commuting times = higher productivity & happier employees
  • What are the advantages to their community?
    • Stimulating the local economy
    • Improved mental health for the worker and their family
    • Contributing to the drought-proofing of the economy
  • Being a remote worker may Assisting those who may be remotely working due to physical impairments - is it the same process to pair them up with an employer?
    • What environmental/infrastructure changes affect your ability to reach the right workers out in the community?
      • Drought/NBN/floods

To find out more go to their website: https://www.pointerremoteroles.com.au/