- March 26, 2021
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Remote Work
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By Mike Swigunski, Forbes
A substantial portion of a business’s success is attributed to hiring suitable candidates at the correct time. Remote working has become the new normal, but hiring high-quality candidates and virtual onboarding can be challenging. The hiring process can be stressful enough in person and even more difficult in a remote setting. If you plan to hire remote workers for your team, follow these tips to hire the best talent out there.
Generally speaking, if you do not understand what you are looking for in life, you will never find what you need. The same holds if you are an employer. It will help if you have a detailed scope of what you are looking for in your remote workers. Hiring is not a “one-stop” solution and it should be carefully considered before getting started.
After publishing a job application, you will inevitably get more applications than you can sift through thoroughly. Therefore, it’s essential to quickly discern which candidates are suitable for setting up an interview. One of the best ways to do this is to require a short video introduction that requests a few details. Not only will this highlight the serious applicants, but it’ll give you another resource to make a decision.
As you are sifting through job applications, you might first look at an applicant’s experience. However, you might also want to consider their past work experience and their soft skills. If they constantly shift from one job to another, their dedication and work ethic might be an issue. Applicants with long-term work experience on their resume usually indicate that they have been a consistent source of good work for somebody else. In addition to the hard skills and experience, it’s crucial to interpret their soft-skills and how they might fit in with the company culture.
Although you are hiring remote workers, you will still get an excellent feel for who they are as a person and as a remote worker. To do so, have them schedule an interview on a platform like Zoom and request a small task beforehand. This can be as simple as completing a personality quiz or any job that will give you more in-depth insights into selecting the best candidates.
One of the best ways to onboard new employees is in groups. A group-hire can make the onboarding process much more efficient, add healthy competition and provide cross-training between new employees. If you only have the budget for one new hire, it might be worth waiting until you can bring on at least two people. In the long-term, this will save a lot of time and be a better all-around experience.
After you hired one or more remote workers, one of the most important steps is to have clear guidelines and expectations. A common mistake is simply giving them an assignment and assuming that they will deliver efficient work for your needs. The expectations need to be extremely clear and written out. This should cover everything from working hours, standard processes, response times, company culture, and everything in between.
Transitioning to a remote environment can be a difficult adjustment since the in-person element is removed. Although it’s challenging, it is vital to remember that you are building a relationship with your new employees. Figuring out how to align a new hire’s ambitions with the company’s goals will lead to a win-win for everyone involved. Each individual is motivated in various ways, and it’s imperative to figure this out early on. Building a solid foundation starts with clear communication and getting to know your employees, which is essential for success.
If you are just getting started with your first remote hires, know that this is not a process to treat lightly. You will likely make some errors, hire the wrong people, and so on. However, each mistake that you make along the way will only serve to make you a better employer.