Remote work has existed for years, even before the pandemic. However, it became mainstream during mandatory lockdowns and later evolved into a preferred long-term setup for many beyond 2020.
Despite the clear benefits of remote work, many business owners still struggle to see the value of a distributed workforce. Concerns abound about productivity, particularly whether high-quality work can be delivered by someone thousands of miles away.
In reality, failed offshoring is rarely due to the remote hires themselves, but often, because of the hiring company or client.
Why does this happen, and what can be done about it?
The Offshore Blame Game (And Why It’s Wrong)
Remote workers are often blamed for poor performance, especially when they struggle to deliver in their first few weeks on the job.
However, this is not entirely their fault.
“They Didn’t Get It” Isn’t the Whole Story
Just because an offshore hire fails to deliver as expected does not mean their talent is lacking. Nor is it necessarily due to cultural differences in offshoring.
More often than not, the claim that “they just didn’t get it” points to a breakdown in clear, explicit communication issues in offshore teams. Unlike onsite teams, offshore workers rely heavily on precise instructions where nothing is left to assumption.
For example, when a manager assigns a task and says, “make it look professional,” the offshore hire may not realize this actually means, “use our 2024 brand guidelines.”
Output Gaps Often Reflect Input Gaps
There is an unspoken pressure on remote hires to prove that they are just as skilled, if not more so, than their onsite counterparts.
Yet companies often overlook a simple truth: the quality of output from a remote team is directly proportional to the quality of input they receive.
Hence, the first 90 days are critical. New hires need consistent guidance and feedback, ideally through a dedicated mentor who shows them how things work and closely supports them until they can operate independently.
What’s Often Missing in the Handoff
Delegation is one of the most crucial parts of a new employee’s first few days.
Unfortunately, some managers treat tasks as something to simply “toss over the wall,” leading to breakdowns in delegation:
- No Documented Expectations or SOPs – Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are the backbone of a remote team. Without them, offshore hires are forced into a guessing game. Without clear instructions and guidance on how tasks are done, remote workers, and even onsite employees, are left to improvise.
- No Real Owner of Handoff Success – Accountability drives success. Unfortunately, many organizations face an accountability gap: executives sign the contract, HR handles the paperwork, but no one is clearly responsible for ensuring a new hire’s success in the first 30 days. Moreover, without proper onboarding, onshore peers may view a remote worker as a burden rather than an asset. Meanwhile, offshore hires may hesitate to ask questions for fear of appearing incompetent.
- Feedback Comes Too Late or Not At All – Mistakes can go unnoticed for a long time, especially without regular feedback. Unlike frequent check-ins, delayed feedback can feel more like a performance review than a coaching opportunity. As a result, new hires may develop a fear of failure, becoming hesitant to take initiative, particularly when they are still unclear about expectations.
3 Offshore Handoff Personas That Sabotage Success
Now that we’ve established that a new hire isn’t always to blame for “failing,” who is responsible?
Here are some examples.
#1. The Micromanager Who Won’t Let Go
Some managers fear that an offshore hire will disrupt their well-established processes.
As a result, instead of delegating tasks fully, they hold tightly to control them, even while the remote worker is expected to handle the work.
Illustration:
Mark hires John, a senior developer. However, instead of letting John focus on his tasks, Mark insists on reviewing every line of code as it’s written and requires John to provide updates three times a day.
Unsurprisingly, this makes John feel trapped. Eventually, he stops taking initiative, or worse, begins looking for a new job. Meanwhile, Mark becomes burned out from doing more himself and ends up blaming John for underperformance.
#2. The Abdicator Who Disappears After Assigning
Meanwhile, there’s another type of manager who is the opposite of the micromanager.
While the micromanager constantly hovers over new hires, an abdicator disappears completely after delegating a task.
Illustration:
Gail is assigned to supervise Anna, a new offshore hire. To get her started, Gail sends an email on Friday at 5 PM with the instructions: “Here is the client data. Please build a 20-slide deck by Monday. You’re the expert, so I’ll leave the creatives to you.”
Anna accepts the task willingly, but she has many questions about the client profile, as she was not given sufficient information. She tries to reach out to Gail, but receives no response over the weekend.
On Monday, Anna is unable to complete the task, leaving Gail frustrated and blaming Anna.
#3. The Assumer Who Thinks “It’s Obvious”
Finally, there’s the assumer, a manager who expects everyone, including new hires, to “just get it” instantly.
This type of manager often has a lot of experience and expertise – but unfairly expects the same level of understanding from everyone else.
Illustration:
Owen has been with the company for a decade and is assigned to monitor Alex, the new offshore hire. On the first day, Owen tells Alex to run the weekly report. While this instruction seems obvious to Owen, it actually involves:
- Pulling data from three different sources;
- Cross-referencing them in an Excel spreadsheet; and
- Sending a PDF copy immediately afterward.
Without this specific knowledge, Alex complied with the instructions as best as he could. He did a standard report and handed it over to Owen who was baffled at the results and ends up berating Alex for not exercising his best judgment – when the latter wasn’t given enough context and background information to begin with.
What Great Handoffs Actually Look Like
The above examples show how easily managers can undermine new offshore hires, often without even realizing it.
Now that we know what not to do, let’s take a look at what effective handoffs look like.
- Shared Understanding, Not Just Assigned Tasks – Assigning tasks is not enough. It’s equally important to explain why a task is being assigned. When a new hire understands the overall business objective, they can make informed decisions and smart pivots when facing roadblocks, rather than waiting for instructions.
- Clear, Documented Expectations and Samples – Create a checklist outlining what a completed task should look like, and include tangible benchmarks. For example, provide examples of finished tasks so the offshore hire can see exactly what “success” looks like and replicate it effectively.
- First 30 Days of Feedback Built-In – A great handoff begins as early as the first week. Spend at least 10 minutes providing feedback to the offshore hire, helping them build confidence in their work. Be clear and encouraging, letting them know that questions are expected and they should never hesitate to ask. This proactive approach helps prevent small misunderstandings, especially in a remote setting.
Fixing the Handoff: A Quick Audit for Leaders
Since we’ve covered what goes wrong in a handoff and who’s responsible, let’s now focus on how to fix it by asking the right questions.
Does Someone Own the Onboarding Process?
If everyone is responsible for the new hire, no one truly is.
Accountability cannot be shared across an entire department. The offshore hire should clearly know who to approach when an immediate issue arises.
Are Deliverables or Outcomes Being Delegated?
Delegation is at the heart of every successful project. When done right, it ensures accountability and helps maintain a high quality of work.
More importantly, proper delegation ensures team members are not left hanging. When they finish tasks early, they know what to do next without having to ask.
What Happens After the First 7 Days?
Onboarding is a marathon. It doesn’t end after you hand over login details.
After the first week, they should be in learning mode with the guidance of their immediate supervisor or mentor. They can observe how their managers work, while managers review their output without micromanaging.
By Day 7, the hire should clearly know what they are expected to master by Day 30.
How Remote Staff Ensures Handoff Success
Handoff and onboarding may seem straightforward; however, they come with nuances that can be tedious and time-consuming.
As a result, many business owners delegate these tasks to outsource providers and Employers of Record like Remote Staff.
For 18 years and counting, Remote Staff has helped Western businesses with administrative support, including onboarding. When it comes to outsourcing, Remote Staff uses a pre-vetting process to ensure candidates are already skilled and experienced in their field.
More importantly, they assign a dedicated account manager to ensure remote workers are properly trained and onboarded, both during the first 7 days and beyond the first 30 days.
FAQs – Offshore Handoffs and Delegation Clarity
Here are some frequently asked questions about failed offshore handoffs and effective delegation for offshore hires.
#1. Why Do Offshore Hires “Fail” Even When They Look Good on Paper?
Skilled offshore workers often don’t fail due to a lack of talent but because they lack context.
When leaders assign tasks without proper SOPs or instructions, the hire is left to guess. And these guesses are often mistaken for poor performance rather than gaps in guidance.
#2. Who Should Own the Onboarding Process?
Onboarding is a shared responsibility, but it should primarily fall on the manager or direct supervisor. Define what success looks like, provide clear examples, and set 30-60-90 day milestones.
If you lack the time or expertise to onboard effectively, you can rely on third parties like Remote Staff, who specialize in offshore onboarding and administration.
#3. How Much Documentation Is Too Much?
The right documentation focuses on speed, not quantity. It becomes counterproductive when reviewing SOPs slows a new hire instead of helping them work faster.
In other words, if your hire spends their first week just reading manuals instead of doing tasks, you’ve fallen into the trap of documentation paralysis.
#4. Can Remote Staff Help with Handoff Planning?
Yes! Remote Staff handles the onboarding process and supports business owners with administrative tasks like payroll, time tracking, and employee assistance.
With these time-consuming duties taken off your plate, you can focus on giving clear instructions for the tasks where you need help the most.
#5. Should I Start with Simple Tasks or Go All-In?
It’s tempting to go all-in, but it’s more effective to follow a crawl, walk, and run approach.
Start with high-frequency, low-risk tasks like checking emails, data entry, filing documents, and backing up data.
If you dump a complex, high-stakes project on a new hire in Week 1, you’re testing their guesswork, not their ability.
Conclusion – It’s Not Hiring Offshore That Fails. It’s the Handoff.
The offshore blame game cannot be won without clearly identifying the ones responsible for a new hire’s success.
No matter how skilled a remote professional is, they are likely to fail in an environment that relies on luck instead of systems. Your input drives the output, your documentation limits guesswork, and your ownership ensures accountability.
In other words, if you provide the right map, the right talent will always find the destination. Without it, even the most skilled offshore hire will get lost.
Need assistance with onboarding? Call us today or request a call back now.
Syrine studies law while working as a content writer. Outside of writing and studying, she tutors, plans events, and browses social media. In 2021, she published Stellar Thoughts.
