The hiring process in itself is quite complicated let alone remote hiring. However, something like remote work which seemed like a forced and temporary move back during the pandemic is now a global phenomenon. From employees refusing to get back to the office to employers witnessing an increase in productivity with their remote employees, going remote when hiring is more of a necessity now. Why? Because that’s where you might just find qualified candidates.
That being said, remote hiring is in no way a walk in the park. Recruitering remotely for remote positions has its own set of challenges. From communication gaps to scheduling issues, tracking and more, hiring managers or recruiters, remote hiring has opened doors to new challenges. To help you with some of the most pressing issues of remote recruiting, here are 10 tips followed by a tool that can streamline your remote recruiting process.
What is a “remote” hiring strategy?
Remote recruiting is no different than traditional hiring, only that it's meant to hire remote employees. When we talk about a remote hiring strategy, it might differ in terms of communication, assessment and onboarding because it’s done remotely.
Remote hiring processes have more levels of assessments and skill tests. Additionally, interviews are conducted virtually and considerations like time zones and cultural differences are made when devising a remote hiring strategy.
Further, when evaluating candidates for remote positions, it's crucial to assess their technical proficiencies, relevant job skills, and their adaptability to remote work environments. This includes their ability to effectively manage their time, collaborate remotely with team members, and troubleshoot issues independently. Remote workers must demonstrate strong self-discipline, clear communication skills, and the capability to stay focused and productive in a non-traditional work setting. All while meeting the standard qualifications for the role.
Tips to streamline remote hiring
1. Build a comprehensive job description
Job descriptions are integral to the job application and selection process. A clear and detailed job description not only provides the applicant enough information to make a qualified decision but also helps recruiters discover candidates that align with job requirements.
Optimize your remote hiring by crafting a precise job description that focuses on job requirements, technical skills, and responsibilities. Mention, in detail, qualifications, experience, and essential soft skills. Simplify candidate evaluation to find ideal work-from-home fits for your team. This clarity will attract suitable talent for your remote job.
2. Build positive employer branding
We can’t stress enough on the importance of building an employer brand that showcases diversity, skill first hiring approach and an overall positive work environment. When thinking of remote hiring, showcase your company's remote-friendly policies and initiatives prominently on your website and social media platforms.
Make sure to highlight benefits like flexible working hours, remote work equipment provisions, and virtual team-building activities. It’s also important to prioritize transparent communication throughout the hiring process. Everything from a complete and inclusive career page to clear job descriptions, outline expectations for remote work, and offer insights into your company culture.
Another way you can increase your branding is with testimonials. Encourage current remote employees to share their perspectives, illustrating the benefits and opportunities of remote work at your company, on social media, company blogs or places like Glassdoor.
3. Use the right hiring platforms
Looking at the rising environment of remote work, new platforms have emerged that help remote employers find remote employees, explore these platforms. You can also explore Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites for communities and groups with underrepresented people. Remember, even when hiring remotely, diversity is an important factor to integrate in your process.
Learn more about Diversity in hiring: 10 Helpful Tips to Create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Recruitment Strategy
Don’t rely solely on traditional methods and job posting sites, make your hiring efforts more efficient by finding and filtering the right channels to choose when hiring for remote employees.
4. Streamline and standardize your interview process
First, prepare a standard format for the interview to assure an unbiased hiring process. Next, streamline your interview process by identifying the tools you need and the steps to follow. Develop standardized interview questions tailored to assess remote work competencies, communication skills, and adaptability.
Further, implement clear evaluation criteria to ensure fair and objective candidate assessments. You can also provide interview training for hiring managers to maintain consistency and professionalism.
5. Be transparent
From the company’s culture to the acceptance of remote work, rigidity, flexibility, work ethics and overall expectations from the ideal candidate, be transparent about every aspect of the job with the candidate. Keep in mind, the hiring process serves as the initial impression of your company for potential employees. You must prioritize transparency to build honesty from the outset. Dedicate time to candid discussions about work expectations, hours, salary, management style, company culture, and other pertinent aspects.
6. Use the right tools
Juggling between different job openings, posts, candidates and the limited time to execute tasks can be extremely challenging. Hence, whether its AI job description generator or software for candidate screening, use the right tools to make your hiring process more efficient. ATS systems can help you centralize tasks like job posting, interview scheduling, and onboarding, among other things.
7. Be thorough
You want to save time but learning everything about the candidates applying for the job is also important. So, what do you do? Well, plan ahead. A clear plan will help you get those answers you need to make the right decision. Don’t forget to be thorough, use interview and skill assessment tests to get a comprehensive understanding of the candidate.
8. Take follow ups
Don’t abandon the unselected candidates. Inform them about application status at the earliest and try to take a review of their experience throughout the hiring process. Do this especially with the applicants that moved several steps in the process but didn't make the cut in the end. Take out time to take reviews from selected candidates as well. You can do it immediately after onboarding.
9. Simplify onboarding
Don’t over complicate the onboarding process with too many steps. Keep the onboarding to the point and focus on what matters the most. Establish clear expectations and communications. Don’t hesitate to ask the candidate if they need any additional training and make sure you give the onboarding process some time. Having the process pre planned will also help.
10. Find errors and keep improving
After successfully making a remote hire, take some time to go back to your process and delve deep into the steps where you found difficulties. Find ways to fix it, making your next hiring journey more refined.
Discover top remote candidates with Skima
Skima is the one tool you need to identify the right candidates for your remote job. Skima ai screening and candidate matching technology discovers the top candidates for a job role from your database and ranks them with an AI matching score. The higher a candidate’s score, the closer they are to your job requirement. This score is determined by various factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and other relevant criteria specified for the role.
By utilizing Skima, you gain a nuanced understanding of each candidate's suitability, allowing you to prioritize those who closely match your job specifications. Candidates with higher matching scores are indicative of a stronger alignment with your requirements, streamlining the selection process and increasing the likelihood of finding the ideal candidate for your remote job.
