During the global pandemic, businesses all over the world got used to hiring employees remotely. At first, they did not have another choice. But then it became clear that companies willing to hire remote employees have an advantage over competitors. In such a way, they can get the best talent from anywhere. They don’t have to pay for new employees’ relocation and are not limited to finding candidates in expensive urban areas where usually their offices are. Expanding the search for potential candidates opens opportunities for choosing among more talented professionals, and the chances of finding “the one” increase.
Remote hiring might seem easy at first glance: personal meetings are no longer required, so it should take less time. On the other hand, more opportunities to find the best talent also mean more applications to process. Moreover, the ineffective organization of remote interviews can significantly slow down the hiring process. Fortunately, these problems can be solved.
Organizing remote hire
Remote hire consists of the same steps as traditional recruiting. Human resources check candidates’ background and expertise, as well as soft skills and reliability, set a date for an interview, and send a job offer. Still, some points need serious attention.
Usually, it all starts with testing, which is the best way to evaluate a specialist remotely. Some companies look only at the candidate’s work experience and test results but do not consider that even an experienced specialist might not be productive enough when working from home. The candidates’ personal skills and their self-motivation abilities can be assessed online using questionnaires. Do it to be sure.
The next step is a personal interview. Sometimes coordination here can be difficult, especially when team members work in different locations and time zones. So don’t forget to record the interview and share it with your colleagues. The decision-makers can then review the interview and give their answer.
Onboarding is crucial for remote workers
The figure to begin with: 88% of the organizations do not onboard new employees well. According to Gallup’s research, only 12% of employees were satisfied with the onboarding process. Another study shows that one out of five new employees is not ready to recommend an employer only because of the lack of communication in the first weeks.
Meanwhile, according to Glassdoor research, successful onboarding increases employee retention rates by 82% and their efficiency by 70%. Finally, of the 1,000 employees surveyed in 2019-2020, 69% said that a comprehensive onboarding program kept them at the company for at least three years.
Onboarding of one new remote employee can interrupt the entire team’s schedule. Instead of reinventing the process every time you hire new talent, use video tutorials, guides, and FAQs to replace face-to-face or video training. Make high-quality materials and share them with all new employees.
On the first working day, a new employee should receive a welcome letter in the newly created corporate mail with a presentation of all available resources, benefits, processes, systems, and activities in the company. The employee should always have the opportunity to ask any questions and get the necessary training.
The control must be supportive
Managing employees remotely might be more complicated than in the office. Tools that are suitable for routine working situations are not always effective. A manager needs to consider the motivational, organizational, and psychological factors that affect employees.
Some applications monitor remote employees’ activities and collect their statistics. Here’s why such apps work:
- Business processes become more transparent.
- Employees know that management is monitoring their productivity, so they work better.
- Management understands how much time is spent on a particular task, so the planning is better.
Still, control must come hand-in-hand with support. It is important that employees trust management and each other, especially when working remotely. Human Resources should find out what motivates each team member, what are his/her interests, hobbies, etc. It takes time, but employees will become more loyal and more productive.
Remote employees should be motivated. To keep their motivation high, don’t forget about communication. You can keep in touch by email, messengers, or video chats. The channel is up to you. It is also helpful to check if the worker needs help and answer possible questions promptly.
Remote workers are deprived of communication with colleagues. To prevent people from “falling out,” create a dedicated corporate channel in the messenger or email thread for employees to communicate informally, send memes to each other, share new tracks, etc. Remember, what you need here is healthy relationships in the team.
Common mistakes
Some companies are used to hiring one employee for the position and hoping for the best. Meanwhile, remote hiring demands less cost from the business, so why not hire several people at once and choose the perfect talent?
Setting just one control point a week. In the beginning, check the new employee’s results at least a couple of times a week. Just imagine, if something goes wrong, you have wasted a whole week.
Believing that candidate is loyal by default. A good employee always has more than one job offer. They contact other companies. So, it is your job to convince your new hire that your company is the best. Make them want to become a part of your team.
Hiring a weaker employee, but right now. When human resources need to find an employee urgently and can’t find a suitable candidate, they hire a weaker employee. They hoped that they would teach him everything. But is your business ready to wait that long? Let it take a little more time but choose the candidate who can cope with the current tasks.
COVID pandemic changed our lives and the way we work, and it seems like some of the changes are here to stay. Hiring remotely is one of them, so it is time to think about how you can make your team stronger. Forget about the geographical limits and choose among only the best.
Author BIO:
Yuliia Mamonova
With 5+ years in digital marketing, as a Head of Content, Yuliia is driving Lemon.io growth with her spot-on writing and clear messages. A writer and a researcher at heart, Yuliia knows how to engage with the readership and build a story that’ll stand out.
Yuliia has written over 1500+ pieces over the last few years, reshaping the world of FinTech, start-ups, and content marketing with her skills.
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