The past year has made working from home a necessity, at least for the companies that can modify its operations accordingly. And from there, it doesn’t take much of a leap to outsource certain key functions.
Sure, quite a few entrepreneurs still have reservations about taking on remote workers from other countries. Some are hesitant because they would rather employ locals (which is fine), and there are those who are apprehensive about cultural differences.
However, economic considerations (i.e., the sheer need for survival) has trumped all of that. Fortunately, this has also led many AU companies to experience the benefits of remote work and outsourcing for themselves.
They’re hardly the first ones, though. Here are just five companies Down Under (some of which began as start-ups) that were able to leverage outsourcing and remote work successfully:
1.) Jobvibe.
Though this team-building SaaS program is based in Sydney, Australia, its core team is a hybrid of local and outsourced talent. Half of its software engineers, UI and UX designers, and sales staff work remotely from across the world.
The in-house team works remotely at least once a week, and the team is able to collaborate quite effectively, with real-time feedback too.
Why outsource? Justin Babet, Jobvibe’s CEO and co-founder, cites access to global talent as the rationale behind their move to outsource. “Many of the roles in our team are technical and require a quite specific skill set. We’re not limited by who’s available in a given city at the time we’re searching.”
2.) MyMediaTrainingDesk.
Initially an office-based team in Brisbane, MyMediaTrainingDesk managed to transition into a distributed virtual team. They’re currently planning to recruit more employees from around the world.
Offering a comprehensive outsourced digital media service for marketing agencies and advertisers, its current team consists of digital advertising campaign managers, analysts and business developers.
Why outsource? Founder Michael Peterson is enthusiastic about how remote work enables his team to be closer to their families and to spend more time doing the things they love. He cites how the better work-life balance has led to greater productivity and increased benefits for the company’s customers as well.
“Although we’re building a great operation here, we work to live not live to work”.
3.) Red Guava.
This is the software development house behind Cliniko, a practice management software for allied healthcare practitioners.
Red Guava’s team comprises developers and support staff, operations engineers, and finance, growth and design specialists. Six of them are based locally, though they work mostly from home and occasionally at the Melbourne office. The rest are distributed across a virtual team from all over the world.
As of this writing, their software has over 20,000 users. A new clinic also signs up every five hours, on average.
Why outsource? Joel Friedlaender, Red Guava’s founder, scours the remote industry for the best talent. But he always looks for people who are passionate about what they do.
“Why try to find a person close to our office when we could look anywhere in the world to hire the best person available? We trust when we hire someone really good that they want to do good work, and we let them do it.”
4.) Strategic Online.
Founded in 2014, this digital marketing agency is based in Sydney, Australia. Their remote team currently has five full-time staff who are free to work from anywhere and they plan to hire more.
CEO and Digital Strategy Director Katina Beveridge cites good organisational and communication skills as key assets in remote workers. She also places great value on self-starters and team players.
Why outsource? “Engaging virtual staff has not only lowered operating costs for the business, but also gives team member’s greater ownership of their work and contribution to the team.” Beveridge said.
5.) WP Curve.
This digital service has embraced remote working from its launch back in 2013 in Queensland. Its co-founders Dan Norris and Alex McClafferty didn’t even meet in person during the first year of operation.
Within just two years, however, WP Curve passed an annual run rate of over AUD1 million. Last I checked, they had more than 40,000 customers.
WP Curve employs programmers and developers, virtual assistants, team leaders, and growth and content management staff. Majority of them come from different parts of the world.
Why outsource? Dan Norris emphasizes how outsourcing gave the business a significant competitive advantage. “The business operates 24-7, and we could never staff a business like this entirely from Australia. This business simply wouldn’t exist without remote workers.”
Do bear in mind that remote work isn’t without a learning curve. To fully enjoy its benefits, doing your homework beforehand, so to speak, is crucial.
This is where partnering with an experienced and reputable remote work agency comes in. The right one can greatly minimise mistakes and mishaps common to those trying outsourcing for the first time, thus saving you a considerable amount of time, money, and frustration.
Remote Staff has been recruiting and onboarding top Filipino remote talent for many AU companies for more than ten years. We don’t just help you find the right remote workers. We also provide you with the support you need to cultivate productive and harmonious working relationships with them because happy, satisfied remote workers often produce the best results for your business too.
Give us a call today or schedule a callback so we can get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
