recruiting-strategy
Answers to five of the biggest questions about hiring remote workers
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Remote workers are becoming more and more prevalent in the workforce. With improved access to quality internet access and tools, it has become very easy to set up office in your own home. More and more professionals are seeking improved work-life balance, so the quality of remote workers is always growing.
You will be able to attract workers with the skills you need, without them needing to be within commuting distance
Your organisation is likely to already have a work from home setup, which could easily be extended to utilise the remote workforce. You will be able to attract workers with the skills you need, without them needing to be within commuting distance. You also do not need to cover the cost of additional office space.
Hiring remote workers can offer a number of challenges, but we are here to answer your questions about hiring remote workers.
Finding remote workers is probably the biggest challenge you will face. It’s not the most mainstream means of going about your work day and it can be tough to find the quality candidates you need. Referrals can be effective, as it offers one layer of quality control.
Another effective way of finding remote workers is posting to job sites that exclusively cater to remote workers. Sites like RemoteOK and Working Nomads are two examples of such sites.
Getting a clear impression of someone’s attitude to work and level of motivation can be tough through a laggy, jumpy Skype call. You will have to modify your interviewing process, as the candidate may not be able to get to your office at all.
Your line of questioning in an interview will have to be very direct and you will have to seek examples of where a candidate successfully worked remotely. You will have to establish how they direct their work and manage deadlines, without being in the office environment. Recruiting software will help greatly with communications and scheduling here.
You will need to find a remote worker with significant experience
Simply put: the finished article. You will need to find a remote worker with significant experience. You may want to include an assessment to ensure that their skills are at the level they need to be or that they are able to project manage by themselves.
Time permitting, you should hold out for candidates who have the experience and motivation. They are out there, as there are many professionals seeking a better work-life balance.
How do you manage training or induction when someone is miles and miles away? How do you familiarise them with processes, without being able to sit with them at their desk? You have to work that bit harder to make them feel integrated into your team, otherwise you face compromising your culture.
Once you have training broken up into manageable pieces, make sure to give plenty of feedback and respond to questions. For the first few weeks, maybe a daily meeting where you look at their training or work would be worthwhile.
“HireHive makes the team a lot more productive. We’d be lost without it. Team Leaders can do it all themselves if needed or jump in at the right time and know exactly where everything is and what’s happening.”
Hilary Dempsey Head of HR at Life Credit union
