4 Steps to Finding that Right Remote Employee

Hiring Remote Employees January 11, 2023

Priyanka Bhadani

Writer

Recruiters have a challenging task in seeking out the best remote candidates to fill remote positions. With hundreds of applicants on a job board, countless emails from interested parties, and a competitive economy, hiring remote employee is a complex job. Though it may be easy enough to eliminate the unqualified individuals, it's entirely more complex when choosing between 5 highly qualified ones.

Organizations need to have independent, motivated, and self-starting individuals they can trust enough to work apart from the leadership team. Though there is no foolproof way to hire a remote workforce, the company can establish some best practices to optimize results. Read ahead for the tips used by top companies when hiring remote workers.

4 Tips to Hiring Remote Employees

The work culture is rapidly transforming due to advancements in technology and evolving business needs. With advanced software solutions and communication mediums improving connectivity, workers are no longer required to be close to the office.

As a result, organizations from New York to California are taking advantage of the benefits provided by hiring remote workers. However, this shift in work culture does not come without its challenges.

Remote workers prefer the work-life balance afforded to them, which is highly beneficial to businesses. Effective full-time remote workers tend to be more productive, less costly to the organization, and more engaged, not everyone is suited for the role. Because a remote employee is under minimal supervision, he/she must be self-motivated, honest, and reliable.

Businesses must establish a set of standards to ensure the right job seekers are hired for remote work. The top best practices to hire remote employees include

1. Choose Qualities and Hire Accordingly

Hiring a remote worker is not simply about hiring the best person for the job. It's about finding a candidate that has a certain set of qualities that will make him/her effective as a remote employee.

Before the business initiates the hiring process, the leadership team should discern which skills and qualities are essential for a full time or part-time remote employee in that particular line of work. Once these qualities/skills are established, the organization should make certain to include them in the job description or recruiting form.

Examples of top qualities in remote workers include-

Self-starter
Reliable
Trustworthy
Well-organized
Experience working in customer support
Creative
Effective communication skills
Tech-savvy
Ability to solve problems with minimal assistance
Ability to respond to communications using different mediums

When first interviewing the potential remote hire, the recruiter should discern how well the individual communicates over the phone and how long it takes for him/her to respond to emails or phone messages.

These qualifiers are important in pinpointing whether or not the potential team members can respond quickly to communications when off-site, and whether he/she is professional enough to be trusted alone.

2. Optimize the Recruiting Experience

Throughout the interview process, the business should make sure to create a welcoming and innovative recruiting experience for the potential new employee.

This can help to relax the candidate so he/she feels comfortable enough to be authentic. Authenticity allows the business to pinpoint true ability in a large talent pool.

Though not always feasible, many organizations have interviewed candidates on-site to help establish a better relationship. If not applicable, a video call is another way to speak to an individual face-to-face.

This provides the recruiter an opportunity to assess body language and eye contact, which is standard practice during face-to-face interviews.

3. Pick the Correct Questions to Ask

Just because a potential team member has an impressive resume with years of experience in that field doesn't mean that he/she is suited for a remote job. Many on-site employees have a difficult time adjusting to off-site work because they perform better around others, find it difficult to stay motivated, and are easily distracted.

Interview questions must be utilized to assess the candidates that would not be suited for the role, along with the ones that will. This can also help to optimize the recruiting process in the future, as the organization will know what qualities not to look for.

The recruiter should continue assessing the list of qualities and pinpoint the best questions to help the company evaluate those characteristics. Questions should give insight into how much of a self-starter the person is and how well he/she works independently.

Examples of behavioral questions may include-

What is a specific scenario in which you had to work without others? How did you handle this situation?
Have you ever been responsible for overseeing the communication status of a business project? How did you manage this task?
What communication software tools have you used in the past and which are your favorite? Why?
Do you have any experience with file-sharing or transferring documents? Explain in detail.
What is an every day situation where you had to employ strategies to meet a business goal?

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, here is an overview of the remote employee onboarding process -

Hiring remote workers is different than hiring an on-site employee because the candidate must be able to work in an isolated environment with minimal supervision. This requires employing several best practices to ensure the correct person is hired for the job.
Organizations must establish a set of desired qualities and skillsets in candidates before beginning the remote hiring process. Employees need to be self-starters, reliable, honest, and motivated to perform their work remotely.
Businesses should create a welcoming environment to establish legitimacy and help the candidate open up in the interview. This is a way to pinpoint talent and ensure a great remote candidate is hired for the role.
Picking the correct questions can help eliminate unfit candidates and pinpoint the top remote candidates. It can also optimize the recruiting process in the future. Including behavioral questions is particularly important to pinpoint whether the person is capable of working remotely.