Tips For Effectively Hiring Remote Workers

Working remotely is becoming increasingly common in today’s world. Hiring remote workers can be very beneficial for your company, but only if you know how to hire the right people.

Here are some tips to help you hire remote workers!

Encourage Flexibility

When hiring a remote worker⁠—or anyone, really⁠—you want to emphasize that it’s flexible in the job description, you’ll attract a lot more applicants.

“Do not try to replicate co-located work remotely. Give employees the freedom to choose what is best for them as long as they are being productive and getting work in on time.” – COO Alliance

Working remotely takes an entirely different approach than working in an office⁠—so don’t treat it as such. Make sure your applicants know that as long as they show up for video meetings and get their work done on time then they can work by their own schedule⁠—this will certainly expand your talent pool especially to people with remote work experience.

Put Them to the Test

It’s important to see first hand whether a remote worker is good at the job before you hire them. They may claim to have strong enough time management skills for the job, but that needs to be proven.

“Sure, remote job seekers can claim that they’re magnificent time managers. But unless they are put to the test, you might not find out that they are serious slackers until after you’ve already hired them.” – Remote.co

By giving the candidate a small task reflective of the kind of work they’d be doing for your company, you’ll be able to see if they’re a good fit. Make sure to give them a specific deadline and take notice of any tech troubles they have as well as their ability to communicate their questions clearly online.

Look for the Soft Skills

Your remote worker must have the technical skills for the job, but it is vital that they possess soft skills, too.

Harver lists some of the most important soft skills your remote workers need to have:

• Great communication skills
• Powerful collaboration skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Good time management skills
• Self-discipline
• Accountability

These are the kinds of skills that, unlike technical skills, you can’t simply hope that your remote worker will learn and get better at. If they don’t have these soft skills from the beginning they’re not going to make a good fit for a remote position.

Use Video Interviews with the Team

A remote worker needs to be comfortable on a video call. It’s how a lot of important communication happens⁠—like team meetings.

“You can argue that it’s actually more important to make a hire who works well with their team when the position is remote. Everyone needs to work together as if they’re in the same place, even though they obviously aren’t. They need to effectively keep in touch using the right tools and make an effort to build a rapport with their colleagues.” – Recruiter Box

It can be very effective to involve the candidate’s would-be immediate colleagues in the interview process. By assessing how the candidate communicates with the team you can begin to see if they would collaborate well virtually. Everyone on the team needs to be happy working together and comfortable doing so through video.

Look For Behavioural Issues

A potential remote worker can have all the skills you’re looking for on their resume, but unless they know how to be productive while working remotely, none of those skills will matter.

“As you interview potential candidates, it’s important to understand their behavioral approach. It’s particularly important to understand why they work remotely, how they work remotely, and their future plans.” – Inc

Someone who is simply excited by the idea of working from home won’t necessarily be good at it. You need to gain insight into their working habits⁠—especially if they’ve never worked remotely before. An employee who is only seeing the job as an easy way to make money without taking off their pajamas will not have the behavioral commitment that is necessary to succeed in a remote job.

Hiring someone for a remote position is significantly different than workplace hiring. Each kind of work requires certain skill sets and a more vital emphasis on specific ones—like communication, organization, and collaboration. When hiring a remote worker you need to understand that the process might be a bit different than usual, but the same basics apply—find the best person for the job!If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!