WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIRE A PROJECT MANAGER

A Project Manager will have no other responsibility other than the effective and efficient development, planning, execution, and evaluation of a project. Normally, this will entail working and coordinating with other company managers who oversee company operations needed for the specific project.

For example, if the company decides to do a new product launch, the Project Manager will have to work closely with the product development team, the marketing team, the graphics and development team, as well as the customer service and/or technical support departments. Having a dedicated Project Manager will mean that the product launch will be done successfully without sacrificing the quality of work of the existing managers.

Moreover, a Project Manager will be better equipped to handle post-project analysis and evaluation as this is usually a part of his/her scope of work.

Exceptional Management Skills – whether it’s managing people or managing material resources, a Project Manager needs to be able to make use of available resources in order to successfully develop, plan, and execute a project.

Effective Communication – should be able to explain project details and requirements not just to management but to rank and file personnel as well. This is always a critical element of any project.

Critical Thinking – a good part of a Project Manager’s job is solving problems and implementing sound strategy.

Ability to adapt quickly – even the best laid plans and project implementation programs can have problems in execution. It is an essential part of a Project Manager’s job to make changes and adjustments to running campaigns on the fly.

Being receptive to new things – Project Management, just like any kind of management and operations position, is dynamic and ever-changing. A Project Manager needs to have an endless supply of curiosity and desire to learn – not to mention patience and a thick skin.

Ease of access and the ability to work with you face to face – it’s always easier to work with someone face to face.

Less cultural and social adjustment needed – you’re most probably living in the same city as your local Project Manager so you’re in the same time zone, speak the same language and share the same culture. This makes work so much smoother.

Better team-building opportunities – being in the same place physically creates plenty of opportunity to train, collaborate, build rapport, and get feedback.

Specific skill sets can be harder to find – if you’re limited to a particular geographical area, finding a rockstar will be challenging.

Overhead expenses – if you hire locally, you’ll be obligated to keep an office which means you have to pay rent, pay for supplies, pay for electricity and other utilities. If you already have an office, you’ll have to provide your new hire with a work space which translates to the same thing – increased overhead.

Access to a global pool of talents – you’re not limited to who’s available in your city and what they know. Hiring remotely gives you access to talented Project Managers from different countries who may even charge relatively smaller fees than local recruits. This is true to both project-based freelancers and full-timers.

Little to no overhead – most remote workers work from home so you don’t need to worry about providing them with work spaces. This is especially true for project-based freelancers. However, for full-time employees, you may be required to subsidize their internet connection, computer equipment etc. But these costs are still far less compared to local overhead expenses.

Less contractual obligation – you can hire Project Managers on a per-project basis. If you like their work, continue to give them projects to work on. If you don’t, just don’t give them any more tasks to perform and that’s that.

Trial and error – you can’t really gauge the level of expertise, experience and even work ethic of the remote worker until you take a leap of faith and hire them. The good news is, if you don’t like their performance on the first project, you can just part ways right then and there.

Time constraints – if you hire a remote Project Manager, particularly a freelancer, you need to understand right off the bat that you’re probably sharing him with several other clients (some paying more than you). That means your project is at the mercy of the freelancer’s workload. This may not be the case, though, with full-time remote employees.