Know These Dos and Don’ts before You Hire Remote Employees

Working remotely used to have a negative light, but now that increasingly companies are embracing work-from-home methodologies, it’s never been more positive.

With the help of technology, employers and employees can now communicate effectively anywhere they are, with whatever medium they prefer, such as video conferencing, online messaging, etc.

However, not all companies succeed with talent recruitment. There are several reasons why hiring fails.

To name a few, lack of support from management, unclear policies, no systems and frameworks, no investment in tech, and more.

Avoid the pitfalls of hiring remote employees by learning the following dos and don’ts:

DOS

1. Be clear about your expectations

When creating the description for the remote work, be clear as to what you’re expecting from the potential candidate.

Don’t rely on ads that you see online. Don’t copy and paste a description that you saw just because you’re looking for the same position.

Tailor the description based on your needs, based on what you expect from the potential candidate to avoid frustrations and mistakes in the future.

2. Do a paid test

Ask the potential candidate to do a test and pay for it. Some companies skip the pay and just ask their candidates to do a test, but this is an unfair practice.

The candidate will exert effort, and they should be rewarded for it, whatever the position they’re applying for. So plan a test that will assess their skills, depending on the position they’re applying for.

3. Identify who the work is not for

It’s great if applicants can self-select themselves and identify if the work is for them or not. You can help by providing as much information as possible about the work, whether it’s in the job description or the ad you come up with.

Specify who your ideal candidate is, describe the culture of the work, identify the specific skills you’re looking for, and the like.

4. Make proper assessments

When you’ve narrowed down your choices of candidates, ask them to do assessments to help you decide who’s the right fit for the role and your company.

These assessments or exams will vary depending on the position available, but if you have a couple of candidates vying for the same position, ask them to do the same assessment to help you gauge who performed better based on your expectations.

5. Search in the right places

Looking in the right places is an important factor when hiring remote workers. You can always go the usual route of looking into popular job boards, but the competition is tough.

Many companies already look that way. A good alternative is the word-of-mouth approach. Ask your colleagues for referrals.

If they have remote staff working for them, they could always recommend a family member or a friend looking to work remotely.

DON’TS

1. Don’t choose the cheapest rate

When you’re hiring for a certain remote position, you’ll come across applicants who have been in the industry for quite some time, and they’ll have a set rate for the services they provide, either hourly, weekly, or monthly.

You can expect higher rates from applicants who have more years of experience or better skills. You’ll also find other ones who are cheaper.

Don’t choose the cheapest rates to save on costs. Follow your process to make sure you hire the most suitable for the job.

2. Don’t focus on the degree

A common mistake business owners make when hiring employees is focusing on the degree of the applicant.

Don’t ignore an applicant especially when you see potential, just because they’re not a degree holder. Base your decision on the results of the hiring process, how they performed during the interview, what the results of their assessments are, etc.

Give all candidates an equal chance because you’ll never know who will meet or even exceed your expectations in the end.

3. Don’t make assumptions

Making assumptions during a hire is one of the worst things to do. This applies in many aspects. For example, once you’ve asked an applicant to perform a paid test, don’t assume you’ve been clear about giving out the instructions.

Be open to questions and clarifications. Another example is don’t assume your chosen candidate has all the equipment needed for the job, i.e. fast internet connection, high-specs desktop computer or laptop, etc. You should specify all these in your job requirements.

4. Don’t save up on tech investments

Don’t be hesitant about investing in your company, whether it’s for hiring or another department. Technological advancements contribute to the success of a business, so if you’re being stingy about it, don’t expect growth and progression.

Technology trends in HR covers various software you can use to make hiring easy and successful, such as applicant tracking systems and interviewing software.

5. Don’t skip final interviews

If you have a Human Resources (HR) department, it’s only common that they take care of the hiring process from the beginning, but don’t let it all end without your participation.

Your HR personnel may be following a process for hiring, including questions to ask, but involving yourself in it will help in choosing the right candidate for the job.

Hiring remote employees can be challenging, but knowing the right strategies and avoiding common mistakes is a great start to finding the best remote workers for your business.

Read more business articles from our guest authors at SugerMint.