WFH certainly had its heyday in 2020 and many businesses have embraced it as the way forward. As these businesses grow and look for talent not previously available to them due to geographic barriers, how do you market to, identify and ultimately hire someone you’ve never met? Hiring at a distance is a whole new ballgame for many companies. While there are no set guidelines, here are some Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when it comes to hiring remote workers.
Do’s- Advertise Aggressively
- Consider advertising your open roles on job boards like Indeed and/or social media like LinkedIn instead of just your company page. If you want to recruit candidates in a specific city or country, it might be a good idea to advertise your open roles on local job boards like Google. There are also many job sites dedicated to remote work specifically. Sites like Remote.com and We Work Remotely are fantastic sites to start your search.
- Include a Skills Assessment
- You might want to search for someone who already has most, if not all, of the essential skills needed to excel in the position. Remote work is about independence and self-reliance, so you want to see how well these individuals work well autonomously. An assessment gives you the opportunity to observe how well they work unattended. This is a good way to thin out your candidate pool.
- Schedule multiple video calls.
- Have at least 3-4 interviews with multiple people from different departments. This gives a larger section of the company an idea of the type of person joining their workforce. Effective communication is the number one priority when it comes to a remote position. Being able to effectively sell yourself to multiple people within the organization should come naturally.
- ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
- Spend time identifying the right interview questions that’ll help your team of interviewers determine whether or not candidates are qualified for a position. “Winging it” or simply chatting with a candidate is not enough, delve into not just their experience, but work style, track records on meeting deadlines, preferred mode of communication (email/Slack/phone), etc. Aside from learning whether or not they’re qualified for the specific role, specific and targeted questions test their communication and problem-solving abilities.
- Forget the logistics of working from home
- Keep in mind unless this candidate has remote experience, this is all brand new to them as well. Ask them if they have questions about working remote, ask if they have any distractions or limitations that might hinder their remote performance, and ask questions that relate to the candidates’ past experience working remotely or autonomously. You want to know if these candidates can do their jobs offsite.
- Forget Technology
- You need to set up your new hire for success. If they don’t have a reliable internet connection, good laptop, good camera and audio, and access to all of your company’s resources remotely, they will not be able to do their job properly. You must ensure they have all the tools they need to be successful.
- Post unclear/vague job requirements
- Making sure your job postings are as accurate as possible will lead to the most qualified applicants. Things to considered include job duties, collaboration abilities, and time zone requirements. You need to be as clear as possible when hiring someone that you may never meet for a position in your company. Jack of all trades will not do well remotely if they do not know where to focus and have clear responsibilities.
- Forget about creating a corporate culture that includes everyone – present or remote
- This might be the hardest trick to pull. Companies will need to modify and re-invent their corporate culture so that everyone feels part of the team even if they have never set foot at the company’s headquarters or if the company doesn’t have any physical headquarters. A company’s culture is the people in that company: how they interact with each other and support each other; what is valued, rewarded, and promoted in your company sets the tone for these interactions. Take time to evaluate your current culture and make room and space for those working from home.
Remote work is hard, and remote hiring is even harder. Finding qualified candidates without ever meeting is tough for everyone involved. By following these do’s and don’ts, Hybridge hopes the remote interviewing process becomes enjoyable for you and for them. And when it comes to setting up your work force for success, call us and we will make sure all of your employees have the tools they need to succeed – info at Hybridge.com
