Almost by accident, Kraig Kleeman founded The New Workforce to help companies scale with off-shore talent. After successfully selling his first enterprise, he authored a best-selling book geared toward C-suite-level communications. As he consulted with clients about the methodologies in his book, he noticed the majority clamoring for help with execution.
That demand prompted Kleeman to partner with a business process outsourcing operation in the Philippines. For over a decade, he traveled to train and develop staff, and then the pandemic brought his work to a screeching halt.
“We had tough decisions to make,” recalls Kleeman. “The pandemic hit that part of the world especially hard. The Philippines is not a first-world economy, so there was no stimulus money like there was here. With no work in sight, we were on the verge of unraveling the partnership, but I still had a nagging sense that the remote and hybrid work boom was not just a flash in the pan. I began to see that my ready-made remote workforce was exactly what my C-suite level clients needed to scale their businesses quickly.”
How strategic offshore hiring scales teams fast
In scaling and growing a business, the primary concern is getting the right people in place. As the job market grows increasingly competitive, more and more companies look overseas for the top talent that will enable them to expand.
When it comes to hiring offshore talent, Kleeman understood both sides of the equation. He had firsthand knowledge of how to train and equip an offshore BPO, and knew the needs of US companies wanting to outsource.
“I found that companies wanted to hire talent through someone like me,” Kleeman explains. “They wanted to negotiate with someone who understands return on investment, productivity yields, and the need to create systematic processes. In a nutshell, I had the experience to show how strategic offshore hiring enables companies to scale quickly. I empowered them with access to a world of top talent even in locations where it’s difficult or impossible to find local workers with the right skill set.”
Before hiring anyone, Kleeman advises hiring managers to thoroughly understand their business’s needs and define the roles they wish to fill. “Rather than hiring offshore talent based on price or location, hire based on skill set and experience,” he says. “Make sure to bring on candidates with the experience and training they need to start immediately.”
How training offshore staff elevates a company’s capabilities
Training is critical to the success of offshore hiring. Kleeman hired an initial group of high-quality workers and set them up with laptops and high-speed Wi-Fi, but he did not stop there.
After equipping his team to work remotely, Kleeman trained them on the popular CMS, CRM, and SaaS software he knew they needed. For example, his sales staff receive certification in tools such as Sales Navigator, Salesforce, Zoom info, and HubSpot.
Kleeman also requires all his offshore staff to receive training in the use of artificial intelligence. “SaaS literacy and AI literacy are the two pillars of our workforce,” he explains. “Before we hire any of our staff to companies in the US, they present how they plan to use AI to increase productivity in their particular field. For example, before being trained in AI, our amazing content writing team could only quickly deliver content when the subject matter was in their wheelhouse. Now, AI helps them research at 10 times the pace, and their training in SaaS tools enables them to repurpose expert content on all topics into infographics, checklists, and one-pagers. As tools and software improve, we see our team delivering better and faster results.”
The right offshore talent enables companies to maintain quality while accelerating growth
In the fast-paced race to scale, businesses can easily lose sight of quality control. “You need to be able to trust your offshore team members to get the job done without micro-managing them from afar,” observes Kleeman. “The best way to establish this level of trust is through regular communication, both in person and online.”
Kleeman believes that finding the right offshore talent is half the battle. The other half involves extensive training and communication.
“We only hire and train the very best,” Kleeman says. “In fact, one of our first hires was a 19-year-old woman named Janine. Right away, we noticed her incredible work for our client. The moment she came off contract, I made her my executive assistant. In less than 90 days, I promoted her to manager of operations for the entire company. I still run finance and lay down the strategy, but at 20, she runs everything else.”
Offshore talent enables companies to scale by optimizing costs
Offshore talent optimizes costs in a wide range of areas. Currently, Kleeman trains offshore talent in the areas of customer support, content writing, graphic design, video editing, and cold calling.
By hiring offshore talent in these spaces, companies can cut costs in expensive office space, equipment, and salaries. This frees up capital to grow the business and gives startups an edge over competitors who are not utilizing offshore resources.
“In today’s connected world, companies need to take advantage of global talent to scale their business,” concludes Kleeman. “By strategically leveraging technology and global resources, they can decrease costs while increasing productivity and quality. The benefits of offshore talent are clear, but not all employees are a good fit. As with any hiring decision, find the talent that contributes to your organization on multiple levels.”
