Remote Work: How To Hire Employees Effectively

How To Hire Employees Effectively

Discover how to hire employees remotely—effectively. Here are a few tricks you should ponder on next time you need to do this within your organization!

Remote jobs are becoming more and more popular with employers these days, and why not. It has a lot of pecks that come with it. There is the prospect of working from home, which most people favor because of the life balance. And there is saving the cost of not owning or renting a building for the employer. 

With the pandemic still at large, businesses have turned to remote hiring and others making part of their processes remote. Whichever the case is, remote work is here to stay. In this article, we will look at some factors to consider when recruiting into the company.

Define The “Features” Of Remote Staff

The first thing to do when searching for remote work is to identify the “features” of a remote worker. Unlike traditional hiring, remote work needs some specific skill set to be successful, and you would need to identify these skill sets. Some skills that show a person is suitable are:

  • The ability to prioritize their work: Is the individual able to prioritize tasks correctly and make the right judgment?
  • To be productive under little supervision: Can the individual work and be proactive with little instruction?
  • Have excellent communication skills: Can the person write well and speak fluently? Is the person quick with answering calls and replying to messages?
  • Has a support system in their location: Does the person have a local support system in their home? or is the person holed up by themself?
  • Proven to be trustworthy over time: Have you worked with the person in the past? How reliable were their words and skills?

These are some features you should look out for when looking to hire. Statically people that have these skills are people who have a background in freelancing or working with start-ups. So look out for these types of people.

Sourcing Point

Now that you have decided on what features to look for, the next step is getting people to know you are hiring. Unlike traditional work, you sort out these jobs where people already have experience with freelancing or remote work. Some suitable sites to consider are:

  • AngelList
  • FlexJobs
  • We work remotely
  • RemoteOK
  • Romotive

You can also go the other route and search for candidates, and SignalHire can be a suitable tool to consider in this case.

Posting Job Description

Many times, companies post generic job descriptions, which leaves a lot of candidates a bit confused. It also contributes to unqualified or unsuitable applicants for the role since the job description wasn’t specific.

A good job description goes into the details of the job and filters out applicants not interested in such a role. You may get fewer applications, but you also know they are likely more suitable for the job.

In writing a job description, especially for a start-up, it’s a good idea to be as tailored and specific as you can. When a start-up launches, it’s not unusual for a person to perform multiple roles to save cost. Employees who have firsthand experience of the job can write a tailored job description for it. This technique helps because it’s easier to filter applicants if you know what you need

If no employee has done the job in the past, then it’s also possible to use the expertise of a consultant or a hiring agency to help. It can be as simple as having a meeting and detailing what the company needs from the person skill-wise.

You can also go the traditional way of asking staff if they know someone who would consider new possibilities for remote work, posting on your social media accounts, and using your already established networks.

Create A Unique Application Process

Consider using a unique application process. Instead of asking to send in resumes, you can have a set of questions to answer or login into an applicant network and undergo some tests to determine who is skilled enough and who isn’t. 

Chances are for those who don’t see themselves in the company or do not want the job will probably stop here. Some may forget to continue with the application process, and others step away. Creating this barrier acts as another filtering process for the company. Using ATS (Applicants Tracking System) tools helps to simplify the process. You can use it to weed out individuals by customizing questions that test their knowledge, creativity, resourcefulness. 

CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) tools can help you keep in touch with the candidates and the other employees involved in the hiring process. Using CRM makes for a great candidate experience, and employees are kept up-to-date in real-time with the hiring process.

Test If Candidates Fit With Company Culture

By this point, some candidates are standing out from the rest of the group. But remember, this is a remote job, and you need to be sure their values are ideal for the company. So, how do you test this? You can ask them why they think they are a good fit for the company? You can also ask questions that need them to show those values. 

Tell us a time you were honest when it wasn’t in your favor? A question you can to find out if the person can be trustworthy or Tell us of a time you disagreed with someone and how you handled it? You can ask to get the candidate’s perspective on teamwork.

The candidate may still get away in this stage by inventing some fascinating stories. That is telling you what you want to hear. So then to the next step.

Have Video Call Interviews

Video calls do two things for you as an employer. It helps you interact with the person one-on-one. Bearing in mind all the person has said up until the meeting. The other is to see if the person is comfortable and able to hold video call meetings since that will be their primary form of communication.

Interacting with the person can bring a lot of things to the limelight. The interviewer can observe the person’s character or lack of it. Gestures and body language are also good indicators. It’s easier to spot storytellers (liars) on a video call. And you can also find out if the person has the equipment (Laptop capacity and internet speed) required to work and if the time zone favors them. 

Have A Short Trial Period

So you have chosen a candidate or candidates from the hundreds or thousands that applied. The next step to take is to hire the person on probation. Here you would see how well the person will work with other team members and how effective they are in executing their tasks. This period is often to observe the person. Most times, you’re 95% sure about the person being a good fit but need to clear your doubt about the remaining 5%.

Finally, you offer a letter of employment and introduce the recruit(s) to the team officially. The recruit may have been working there for some time, but with a select few. And while others may know about the trial period, they wouldn’t have done an official introduction yet, until the offer letter is accepted and the company recognizes the new hire as an employee.

Run a Thorough Background Check

There are many reasons why you should conduct a background check on a potential hire. For starters, criminal background reports can provide a lot of insight into a candidate’s character. They may tell the employer if the applicant has a record of theft, violence, or substance abuse in the past.

In addition, it can reduce the risk of legal trouble caused by the actions of a problematic employee. Calling for an employee’s criminal background check can increase security in the workplace by ensuring that you’re hiring trustworthy people

Final Thoughts

In summary, hiring a candidate for a remote job isn’t the easiest of tasks. But it’s something that can be done well. Hopefully, this article was of help to you. Just make sure you start implementing some of the ideas outlined in this comprehensive article.