In this podcast, you will learn about four ways to build a strong remote workforce.

This podcast is a text version of an article that originally appeared on Inc. It has been turned into audio by The African Boss.

It was written by John Hall, Co-Founder at Calendar.com

Here comes the article: 4 ways to build a strong remote workforce.
Remote work is growing, and it’s not just in the United States that digital work is taking over. Countries like Estonia are planning to introduce a new kind of visa for digital nomads this year, allowing remote workers to visit for up to one year while working for a company headquartered elsewhere.

They’re opening their arms to the remote workforce that’s expanded 140 percent since 2005. People often confuse working remotely with the ability to work anywhere. However, according to Flexjobs, 95 percent of remote jobs require workers to live in a fixed location.
The other 5 percent support 4.8 million remote workers who consider themselves digital nomads, working and traveling freely across the globe. About 17 million more currently work remotely and aspire to be location-independent. A growing number of companies find themselves building a location-independent workforce from the outset.

“We live our core values and share the same purpose: changing people’s lives,” says Trafilea CEO Santiago Zabala. “This means working for social change through our brands, but also creating a company culture that supports our handpicked team of global remote talents.” Trafilea, an e-commerce group with a network of brands, has grown its remote workforce in recent years, earning recognition as one of the top 25 companies offering work-from-anywhere positions.

Here’s what companies like Trafilea can teach us about supporting remote teams:

1. Invite open communication in all directions.

2. Start with an employee you trust.

3. Focus on goals accomplished, not hours clocked.

4. Check in with video often — and in-person occasionally.

John Hall is the co-founder and president of Calendar, a scheduling and time management app. You can book him as a keynote speaker here and you can check out his best-selling book “Top of Mind.”

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