Hiring people to join your team is always a challenge, but when filling remote positions, you are faced with a whole new set of difficulties. Even though remote employees won’t spend their days interacting face to face with an in-office team, they still need to fit with the group and culture. In addition, they must be able to self-monitor, self-motivate, and stay on track with their workloads off-site. Let’s explore some of the ins and outs of hiring remote employees.
The Basics of Hiring a Remote Employee
Working remotely is on the rise, with 43 percent of Americans working off-site, according to a 2016 Gallup study. With the considerable size of the remote workforce, human resources teams find themselves in a unique situation in which they need to learn the best ways to scout and hire remote talent. From the wording of job descriptions and postings to finding the best talent pool, HR groups must adapt their hiring practices to accommodate this shift in job structure.
Unique Challenges for Remote Employees
Remote team members are held accountable for the same deliverables as on-site employees, all while working in a very different environment with its own set of challenges. From communication skills to tech ability, they must possess some basic but important traits that set them up to succeed. Retaining off-site employees and watching them flourish within your organization can only happen if you When remote employees are given a support network and resources that accommodate their success, they can easily thrive.
Identifying the Right Person
People motivated enough to work from home and meet targets are a special breed. Not everyone is cut out for this type of work, so it is very important for HR teams and recruiters to identify the characteristics that successful remote employees share.
Interviewing for Remote Positions
Your HR team likely has a standard script or interview template. However, unique interview questions are required for remote employees. Drilling down in interviews lets you see if they have the personalities and qualities that remote roles require.
As any seasoned HR professional knows, once you’ve successfully hired, your work isn’t over. Remote employees require an individualized onboarding process that will enable them to jump into their new positions with the support and access they need. Technological advances have played a huge role in shaping the remote workforce. Take advantage of this technology, establishing systems to ensure that off-site employees can contribute their work and ideas in the easiest and most efficient way.
Attracting and hiring people who excel in remote roles isn’t difficult, but getting it right requires following a different playbook. Expanding your HR practices to include remote employees requires some strategic forethought, but when you properly hire and incorporate them into your team, you will easily realize their value to your organization.
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