More and more companies are turning to hiring remote employees. There are a multitude of reasons why a company may consider a remote employee, including a specialized hiring need, increased workload or even workforce flexibility. In truth, many times it comes down to the industry trends that warrant hiring remote or telecommuting employees. Whatever the reason, the hiring process requires extra considerations or criteria in order to make sure you get exactly what you need. Take a look at the following helpful tips to consider before making your next remote hire.
– Remote Worker Profile: Not every candidate is cut out for remote work. It’s a fact that it takes a special person to work remotely so how do you find such a specialized candidate? First, take the time to clearly define the remote position, the character of the person required and any other relevant qualities that will be necessary for the job. Be overly descriptive in this process so that by the time you’ve refined the remote worker role, you have a solid profile to target the right candidate.
– Stay Away from a Quick Fix: Many times hiring managers/department supervisors will opt for a remote position because they have an immediate need to fill. It’s our experience that when you don’t go through the process of determining the remote worker profile and whether or not that candidate is the right fit, you’ll end up being disappointed. Even when you have the best candidate, they might not be the right person to do remote work. Keep that in mind and revert back to the remote worker profile.
– The Right Tools to Do the Work: Most seasoned remote workers already have the necessary systems and tools in place to perform their tasks remotely. Aside from email, smart phone and computer access, the additional tools usually are instant message, video conferencing capabilities, shared screen capabilities and more. Both the employer and the remote workers should have guidelines for what should and can be used and both parties should be proficient in the programs and systems. If either party doesn’t have these setup and organized that should be a red flag for problems down the road.
– Conduct a Test Project: Since remote work is becoming more popular, employers may want to test a potential candidate on a certain project. Employers setting up small test projects can obtain great intel on a candidate in terms of their organization, ability the follow directions, system setup and quality of work. Depending on the job position, employers can decide which assignment would be best to administer.
These are just a few recommended tips to consider when hiring a remote employee. Indeed there are many more to consider and if you’re struggling with finding the right remote worker or just embarking in the remote sector, comment or send me an email and I’ll be happy to help. As technology advances and as companies look for other ways to fulfill workload demands, we anticipate the need for remote employees will increase substantially in the coming years. The best strategy for being prepared to hire remotely is to start planning today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Ingrid Moore
Ingrid Moore is the Founder and CEO of Corporate Resources of Illinois, an employment & staffing agency withover 20+years’ experience located in Schaumburg, IL. Ingrid and her team assist employers with finding the right hire for their business. For more info, follow us on our LinkedIn Company Page, or follow us Corporate Resources of Illinois‘s Google+ page.
