Today, hiring remote employees is an option that offers advantages for both businesses and staff. Therefore, it is no longer a question of if employers should consider offering this flexible work option but how to hire remote employees.
It takes time to figure out how to onboard remote employees or what the hiring process should look like if you do. Read on to discover the benefits of remote work, tips on hiring a remote team, and ensuring the onboarding process is smooth and successful.
The Benefits of Hiring Remotely
A study done by McKinsey & Company found that up to 25 percent of the workforce globally will consist of great candidates that work from home. It is an option that offers benefits for both employers and employees.
Benefits of Remote Work for Employers
When you hire remote workers, you pull from a wider talent pool. The recent “Great Resignation” shows that people want more flexibility in their jobs, starting with deciding where to complete their work. Some may prefer an office environment, but others will want to work from home at least part-time.
Not only will remote work options bring in great candidates for jobs, but they will also help businesses keep them. It costs the average business around 1,200 dollars to train a new employee. That is money saved if companies can focus on employee retention.
There is some evidence that working from home is motivating, too. At least one study indicates a 13 percent increase in productivity among call workers working remotely. These are only some of the benefits of remote work for employers!
Benefits of Remote Work for Employees
Remote work allows employees a better chance at a healthy work-life balance. They save money on commuting costs and lower their overall living expenses.
Remote work also helps reduce boredom because they can work anywhere they want. They are not married to a cubicle or office. They can work from home, a coffee shop, or even a shared workspace.
Considerations When Hiring Remote Workers
If your business wants to embrace the remote work lifestyle, there are a few things to consider. First, companies must establish remote work policies to ensure productivity and accessibility. Some policies worth adding include:
- Break requirements – Getting caught up in work and sitting for hours is easy.
- Ergonomic work environments – Businesses want to ensure it is safe for employees to work remotely.
- Proper technology – Remote work doesn’t mean unmonitored. Do you have the technology in place to support a remote workforce?
- Set hours – It’s okay to let employees set their hours, but they should be consistent, just like they would be in an office. Be sure to specify time zones, so everyone is on the same page.
The more thought that goes into ensuring the remote work environment is practical and efficient, the smoother the transition.
How to Hire Remote Employees
Once you have the specifics down for remote workers, the next step is to work out a strategy for hiring a remote team. In general, the hiring process isn’t that different, but knowing how to hire remote employees properly can help you eliminate any bumps in the process.
It starts with creating a job posting. Make sure to list that you are hiring for a remote position or if remote work is optional. Beyond that, you want to clarify the job the way you would if hiring for in-person work. List the salary and benefits and what your expectations are for hire.
You also want to know upfront if you plan to interview remotely and how that will work. For example, some companies prefer video meetings. Others might start with a phone interview for the first contact.
Once you choose a candidate, work out the logistics for onboarding them. You will need a solid remote training program to make it work. Some companies require remote employees to come to their headquarters for training. That might include paying travel expenses.
Tips for Hiring Remote Employees
Communication is critical when it comes to hiring remotely. It is easy to misinterpret things when you are not sitting face-to-face. This is one reason that video interviews make sense. Lay out your expectations in the job posting and repeat them during the interview.
Create interview questions and have the candidate answer them online before the interview. Then you can do your background check before scheduling a video meeting to speed up the hiring process.
Also, consider carefully what job roles might work remotely. Working from home is popular, but it won’t be practical for every job. Don’t try to fit a square peg in a round hole. Also, consider the company culture. How will having remote employees affect it? How can employees communicate with each other, and is it an environment that can be managed and monitored to ensure everyone acts respectfully?
Research where you should post your remote job listing. People looking for remote work are not spending time reading newspapers. Instead, they go online and may look first at job boards for remote or work-at-home options.
Finally, before extending a permanent job, offer a trial period. It’s possible remote work doesn’t suit either you or the employee. Better to find out upfront. Not everyone will adapt well. If an in-person work environment is available, you might allow them to transition if they are unhappy remotely. You may also need time to see if their remote work is up to your standards.
Onboarding Remote Employees
Learning how to onboard remote employees will be one of the employers’ top challenges when assembling a remote team. The better the onboarding, the higher the success rate.
Start Early
You’ll be using many remote tools for this job position, so get them set up immediately. For example, create a remote group on social media or via a communication platform like Slack. This will help both sides adjust to the technology necessary for proper onboarding. Online communication can help remote employees feel like team members, too.
Have the Right Tools
The first day of in-person training would probably start with handing out an employee handbook and other training materials. Companies should have a digital version ready for all training documents. Make sure any training media you use is available online, like videos or quizzes.
Establish Training and Working Goals
You want a way for remote employees to check in and meet their goals. Part of the training will teach them how to use the system for this, so have it up and ready.
Make Learning a Collaborative Effort
Everything is better when you do it as a group. Suppose you hire several employees at once, then onboard them remotely together. That will create a collaborative learning environment that will help forge team bonds.
Also, have others within the company be part of the onboarding process. For example, have the direct supervisor be there as well as human resources. You might have a staff member at the same level who works as a mentor, too. The more people there are to ask questions, the better. Just ensure everyone is giving the same answers to avoid confusion.
Working remotely is the future of business. So start learning how to make it work for your company with online interviews and background checks.
