Hiring remote employees can be an incredibly challenging task. And doing so in an effective manner takes a lot of time and effort.
However, knowing useful tips on how to do so in the most effective and efficient manner can help you choose the right candidate for your remote position on every single occasion.
While each business will likely have its own unique method of choosing remote employees, there are certain tactics that should be included in every single search, regardless of the exact position.
The following are six tips to help you hire the right remote employees for your business.
#1. Find Their Motivation
The most important goal in the search for remote employees is to find workers who are motivated to do a good job and have compelling reasons for seeking a remote position, as opposed to one that requires them to go to the office five days a week.
You are likely to come across applicants who are interested in remote work as a means of escaping a normal office environment. Some simply prefer to work in the comfort of their own home. Some may be seeking remote work as a part-time job. For instance, college students, and mothers with infants are common applicants for remote jobs.
#2. Set Up a Conference Call
It is also important to get to know the candidates for the job before making your decision. While email is fine for the first few rounds of correspondence, at some point you are probably going to want to actually talk to them.
A face-to-face conversation is always ideal, but it is not always possible with remote employees, especially if they live far away. Instead of eliminating a highly qualified candidate because they are unable to meet in person, you might consider setting up a conference call. This will allow you to get to know the applicants better, through a real and meaningful conversation.
When conducting your remote interviews, be sure to choose a reliable conference call service, get acquainted with the system before making the call, otherwise, the call may not go as smoothly as you hope.
#3. Be Prepared for Interviews
Whether interviews are conducted in person or through a conference call, it is important to set an agenda for the call and stick to it. You should also write a list of job-related and skill-related questions to ask. Otherwise, you run the risk of missing or overlooking vital information about the candidates. This can make the employee search even more difficult
To conduct the best interviews possible, it may be helpful to consider doing some research into each prospect before their interview, which allows you to ask them questions if you find any prior issues with their previous jobs, criminal history, etc.
#4. Search in The Right Places
If you aren’t looking in all the right places, your chances of finding a good candidate in a timely fashion will greatly diminish. Posting the remote position on online job boards such as Upwork and Fiverr may yield some successful applicants. These sites, however, should not be the only means of listing your job opening.
It can also be helpful to post the position on your own website. Not only does this increase the number of applicants you are likely to receive, but it also impacts the quality of the applicants as well. Think about it, if they found their way to your website, then they are likely already interested in what it is your business does.
Another useful technique to ensure you are searching for candidates in the right places is to reach out friends, colleagues, or business partners to find out about any potential candidates that they may be able to refer.
#5. Prospect a Trial Run
Once you narrow your list down to three or four candidates, it is time to choose the prospect that you find to be the most qualified person for the job. However, there is always a chance you are wrong, regardless of how sound the candidate seemed during interviews.
In some cases, the candidate may be a great fit for the job, but your company is not the right fit for them, which can cause the quality of their work to suffer as a result. Especially with remove positions, you have to be prepared for the chance things do not work out.
A great way to combat this issue is to give the prospect a trial run, which means giving them the job on a temporary basis before committing to them – or them committing to you – long term. This allows both of you to gain a feel for what the everyday operations will consist of and determine whether or not it is a good fit.
#6. Provide Proper Employee Training
Last but not least, be sure to be patient with the new remote employee after you hire them. Make sure to train them in the appropriate manner, showing them the basics of the job first and then letting them learn more about the more in-depth details of the job.
By training the employees correctly, you can ensure each remote employee knows what to expect on a daily basis and delivers great work on every occasion. While it may require extra work to walk them through their first week of training, it ultimately saves you time in the long run.