Hiring remote workers has become increasingly popular over the last two years due to the pandemic. According to FlexJobs 10th annual survey, it was found that an incredible 97% of workers now desire some form of remote working.

In fact, when you see stats like this:

Remote workers are 13% more likely to stay in their jobs than onsite workers for the next five years (Statistic from OwlLabs)

It becomes obvious that there are as many benefits for your company, as there are for your staff, to employ remote employees. Other benefits to remote working include:

• Improved productivity (According to Finder: 83% of employees report they do not need an office to feel more productive. And a Stanford test back in 2013 found workers at home have a 13% performance increase compared to people doing the same work in an office – evidence from way before it became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic!
• Improved mental and emotional health
• A more environmentally friendly approach
• Increased job satisfaction and retention (See above statistic from OwlLabs!)
• A larger talent pool to hire from (compared to hiring within commuting distance of an office)
• Saved money on office space

At RecruitmentJunky we have always been a remote-first business since CEO Rosanna Kierney founded the company in 2017. So it’s great to see that more companies are embarking on a journey of flexibility!

So how do you ensure you are hiring the right people to work for your business?

Many of the same rules apply when sourcing other types of employees – but there are a few nuances! Here are our top tips and advice on how to find the best talent among remote workers.

Remove rigid requirements for hiring remote workers

While someone may not have worked in a remote role before, they may still possess the skills required to work brilliantly in a remote environment. Don’t limit yourself to only searching for candidates who have previously worked remotely!

Similarly, don’t limit your company geographically. Hiring remotely gives you access to a much larger candidate pool. You’re no longer looking at suitable local professionals within a few miles of your office. You can approach candidates across the country or globe! Widen your job search to connect with more candidates.

Look for transferable remote-working skills

Following on, a good remote worker will have a selection of skills and qualities that will allow them to excel in their role when working remotely. Three specifics you should look for are: good time management, self-motivation and excellent communication.

Ask questions in your interviews that will reveal if your potential new employee has these skills, as well as talent in their career field.

Communication is key when hiring remote talent

Good communication is the backbone of remote work. Collaboration needs to be easy.

Make sure you have a user-friendly communication tool and video calling tool. For example: Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams. You’ll also need a good email and project management tools. This is to ensure everyone is reliable in their communication.

You’ll need to make sure your potential new staff member is reasonable tech-savvy too. They need to be able to embrace and adapt to any new technology, as it is essential to how they will work. They must also know the balance between raising essential questions, and taking the initiative to solving solutions on their own.

Have a brilliant remote culture and benefits package

Your company culture is what will set you apart from the rest. It is vital you can effectively communicate your company values and standards. Giving a broad overview of the company is important for any new hire to hear. Make sure to include it in your hiring process.

These amazing professionals can be difficult to attract. And it can be hard to enforce an amazing culture when your employees all work from home and may have never met! Some of our favourite top tips on building team spirit remotely are:

• Encourage general chit chat among the team before an online meeting.
• Hold monthly or quarterly face-to-face meet-ups (where possible).
• Go for virtual events like escape rooms, lunch and learns, or classes (E.g. cocktail making classes are great fun!)
• Ensure regular video group and team meetings, so no one is left out.

Most importantly, also offer a brilliant benefits package. This will ensure happy employees and attract more top talent! For instance, here at RecruitmentJunky, we offer “Work from anywhere”, not just “Work from home”. This empowers our employees to find what works for them.

Change up your interviewing process

Face time with a remote candidate is still important. Obviously, don’t invite people to the office! But also don’t necessarily go straight for a phone call…

Instead, use video interviews or assessments to help you connect with the candidate. Video interviews mean that candidates can feel confident and reassured that they know who they are working with. It also allows you to form a stronger bond than by a call.

Be clear on expectations

To miss-quote the 2000 film Meet the Parents: “You [and your employees] are now in the circle of trust”. 

Trusting your employees when running a remote business is key. You are giving them the trust and responsibility to handle their own diary. However, you must ensure your new employees are clear on their expectations, working hours and the online team meetings they are required to attend. Even if you don’t have rigid working hours, you need to share the expectations your employees are expected to meet.

The flip side? You should also make information easy to find and transparent for remote employees. For instance, tell them your contact hours and best methods of reaching you too! (And stick to these promises).

Conclusion on hiring remote talent

Hiring remote workers is challenging, but a great way to build your company. Having a diverse talent pool can help your company tackle more complicated problems more effectively.

However, it is a company-wide effort. You will need a strong plan to assimilate and develop remote talent after you have hired them. (This is even more essential if you have a mix of in-office, hybrid and remote workers!). Managers and leaders in your company will need to make sure everyone feels part of the team.

From a fully-remote company, we wish you luck as you start hiring and hope these tips have helped!

Any other hiring advice?

Above anything else, follow the advice from our CEO Rosanna, who recommends to ask yourself these three questions when interviewing candidates:

These questions apply for remote or in-office positions! For more advice from our CEO, follow Rosanna on LinkedIn.

Want help with hiring the right employees for your company? We help businesses hire top talent across the globe. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you with a recruiting strategy to suit your needs.