Finding the right person for a remote role takes a lot of work. We review applications, screen candidates, coordinate interviews, and work with the client until they find the right fit.
But our work doesn’t stop once someone is hired.
At IreneChan.co, we also support our clients with the HR side of managing their remote teams. This helps small businesses and early-stage startups that may not have their own HR person.
We’ve previously explained how startups can hire without an internal HR department. Here, we’ll show what happens after a new team member joins, from onboarding and performance reviews to leave tracking, contract updates, and offboarding.
- We make sure everything is ready before they start.
Once a client chooses a candidate, we start preparing for their onboarding.
We prepare the appropriate agreement and confirm details such as the rate, expected availability, start date, and working arrangement.
Our onboarding checklist for new team members.
Onboarding looks different for each client. Some have their own process, tools, and training, while we help make sure everything is in place for the new team member.
Having these details clear from the beginning helps prevent confusion later.
- We stay involved after onboarding.
Once someone starts working with a client, our support continues.
We remain a point of contact for both the client and the team member. Team members can come to us with HR-related questions, while clients can also reach out when something needs to be discussed or addressed.
This gives both sides a clear place to raise questions and address concerns early.
If you’re building a small remote team without an internal HR department, IreneChan.co can help you hire and support your team beyond the initial recruitment process.
- We check in on performance.
We also coordinate performance reviews at different milestones. We ask the client or direct manager for feedback and also give the team member a chance to reflect on their own performance.
One of the questions from our performance review form.
I’ve shared more about our process in our article on how we approach performance reviews in remote teams.
These conversations help us see where expectations need to be clearer, where someone needs more support, or how their role has changed.
We keep records of these reviews so we can track the team member’s progress over time.
- We keep track of important milestones.
Depending on the team’s arrangement, certain milestones may come with contract updates, pay reviews, allowances, paid leave, or other benefits. The exact support provided depends on the client’s agreement with the team member, their contract, and any applicable local requirements.
A sample record of contract and HR details that we keep track of for each member of a specific team.
We keep track of these milestones, including upcoming work anniversaries. When an arrangement changes, we update the relevant agreement and HR records.
- We help manage leave and other HR details.
For team members who receive paid leave, we help keep track of their available credits and leave history.
We’ve created individual dashboards so team members can view their contract details, pay history, bonuses, and available paid leave credits.
Keeping this information in one place makes it easier for clients and team members to review their records.
Each client has a different arrangement, so we adjust these systems depending on how their team is set up.
- We help clients handle performance concerns and offboarding.
Sometimes clients have concerns about performance, communication, availability, or other issues. We help facilitate these conversations and make sure expectations and next steps are clear.
An excerpt of our Performance Improvement Plan template for documenting areas that need improvement and next steps.
When a role is no longer needed or an arrangement ends, we help coordinate offboarding and communicate the next steps clearly.
Having someone look after the people side of the team can make these situations easier to manage.
Why this matters for small remote teams
Many of our clients don’t need a full internal HR department. They may only have a few remote team members, while the founders or managers are already handling many other parts of the business.
For teams still looking for a hiring partner, I’ve shared what to consider when choosing hiring agencies for small remote teams.
But having a small team doesn’t mean HR work disappears. Someone still needs to keep track of agreements, reviews, leave, milestones, and changes along the way.
That’s why our role goes beyond filling an open position. We support both the client and team member throughout the working relationship, not just during hiring.
Looking for Help Building and Managing Your Remote Team?
Small businesses may not need a full internal HR department, but the administrative and people-related work does not disappear. Someone still needs to monitor agreements, reviews, leave, milestones, and changes throughout the working relationship.
Our role therefore goes beyond filling an open position. We support clients and team members from hiring and onboarding through ongoing HR coordination and, when necessary, offboarding.
👉 Book a call with Irene to learn how more about how we can support your remote team.
FAQs: Hiring and Managing Remote Freelancers
What happens after hiring a remote freelancer?
After hiring, the client typically completes onboarding, confirms the working arrangement, sets expectations, and establishes processes for feedback, leave, milestones, and contract updates. The exact steps depend on the freelancer’s agreement and the client’s HR setup.
Do small remote teams need HR support?
Even small remote teams have contracts, reviews, leave, and other people-related details to manage. Startups without an internal HR person may benefit from external support as the team grows.
Who should manage a remote freelancer after hiring?
The client usually manages the freelancer’s day-to-day work, while HR support can cover contracts, reviews, leave, milestones, and other people-related matters.
How do you track the performance of remote freelancers?
Regular performance reviews help us see how a team member is doing over time. We get feedback from both the manager and the freelancer, which also helps us identify where expectations need to be clearer or more support is needed.
Does IreneChan.co provide HR support after hiring?
Yes. Depending on the client’s setup, we can support onboarding, contracts, performance reviews, leave tracking, milestones, offboarding, and other ongoing HR needs.
