What to Look for When Hiring Remote Workers

As remote work continues to gain popularity, it’s important to know that not every candidate is suited for it. If you’re a fully remote company or allow telecommuting, look for key characteristics during the hiring process that may indicate whether candidates can work without in-person supervision. This article will explore 6 of these traits.

1. Great Communication Skills

Since remote work limits in-person discussion, it is important that candidates possess great communication skills. In most situations, overcommunication is necessary to keep team members informed. If hired, candidates without strong communication skills can create inefficiencies and frustration for their coworkers and cost your organization valuable time and resources.

2. Motivation to Succeed

It’s important to know why candidates are seeking your particular remote position and what benefits they find in working remotely. Maybe they desire more flexibility or are motivated by your company’s values, your product, or the work itself. You need employees who are 100% committed to your mission and avidly seek to participate in something bigger than themselves. They must know how to effectively communicate, respect and adhere to defined rules and guidelines, and identify and solve problems without in-person help.

3. Acknowledge Potential Hurdles and Challenges

Evaluate whether candidates acknowledge that remote positions require a great deal of discipline and self-motivation. How do they plan to successfully navigate challenges? If a candidate thinks the position will be easy or “fun” or that working remotely brings no problems or frees up time for personal activities, perhaps he or she is unaware of the discipline and dedication required.

4. Natural Self-Starters

Ideally, every job candidate will be a self-starter. This is especially important with remote work, since managers can’t hover over employees to keep them motivated and on task. If a candidate needs constant direction, he or she may not be the best fit for your organization.

5. Adaptable

Here at HiringThing, we are quickly growing and always changing. If this is true in your organization, seek candidates who are adaptable and comfortable with variation. If a candidate cannot adjust to new conditions because he or she has “always done it” according to a particular method, he or she may not be a good addition to your team. Flexibility and the capacity to work under pressure are essential for organizations that are growing at a fast pace.

6. A Strong Culture Add

Culture exploration interviews are a great way to ensure candidates will thrive in your environment. They also give candidates the opportunity to get to know you as an organization. While conducting culture exploration interviews, assess candidates’ comfortability with your company. Do they mesh well with your overall values?

Recruiting great individuals for a remote team is not easy, but the right people will help your organization thrive. Keeping these 6 characteristics in mind can help you find the next great addition to your company.

About HiringThing

HiringThing is a modern recruiting and employee onboarding platform as a service that creates seamless talent experiences. Our white label solutions and open API enable technology and service providers to offer hiring and onboarding to their clients. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere to build their dream team.