Many organizations prefer the hiring process to be face-to-face as they can analyze the candidate better. Organizations also look for the vibe of the person along with qualifications and skill, just to know whether he/she can get along with the team or not. However, over the last one and a half years, many organizations had left with no other option than to hire remotely because of the pandemic.

The situation has led to the reinvention of the hiring process. The HR team is now required to hone their skills to hire the best talent remotely. Over the last year or so many people got used to video calls and the entire remote working setup which would help in hiring the remote team. But, along with this, you need to keep certain points in mind while you hire for a remote team, let’s look at a few of them.

1) Create the right process:

Remote hiring is quite different from conventional offline hiring. Thus, defining the entire process of hiring is very important. This will also allow your hiring team to notice the change and stay aligned accordingly. Invest in the right tools and technologies to ease out the hiring process. Many organizations have integrated the entire hiring process.

For the same, you can use tracking systems and learning management systems like Paylocity. The best thing about an LMS is that it is quite affordable. If you are not too sure, you can check out the pricing models such as the Paylocity Pricing model, and compare it with that of others before making the purchase. 

2) Define what you want:

Defining the job roles and responsibilities is very important, be it remote or in-house. Defining the role of the candidate is the right way to understand whether the candidate is the right fit for the organization or not.

So, in addition to the job description, you can list down a few other things that you would want in a candidate. For instance, should have a home setup or must-have collaboration skills, etc. List down the skills that are particularly needed for a remote job.

3) Assign a task before the written exam:

Since it’s a remote job many people tend to apply as they don’t need to come for the interview process, unlike the offline process. Thus, you don’t know who is seriously interested in the job or capable of doing it. To make it more specific, request the applicants to fill the online form which consists of behavioral questions or related topics.

You can also ask them to record a video of them introducing themselves and send it to you. In this way, you can filter out a lot of people and you only get the applications of candidates who are genuinely interested in the job.

4) Look for soft skills:

Communication skills and teamwork are more important for a remote job than a conventional office job. Because one doesn’t have in=personal interaction with other teammates, they need to communicate only online. In this case, communication skills and other soft skills play a big role in getting along with the teammates more easily and getting the job done. 

5) Offer the best experience:

If it’s offline hiring, you can showcase the infrastructure and the work culture very easily. But if it’s online hiring, then you should be welcoming enough to attract the top talent and make them feel that this is the kind of company we are looking for.

Use video-conferencing for the interview as it can make them feel like a one-on-one interview. You can also experiment by offering a virtual tour of the office and introducing your team members to the potential hire. In this way, the candidate will also be honest to answer your questions which is all you need to hire the best talent.

6) Customize the questionnaire:

Almost every job interview has a fixed set of questions like how would you deal with deadlines, work pressure, and office politics, etc. Although these questions are mandatory, you need to add some more questions to ensure you get what you want from a candidate.

Ask the questions that can help you to judge whether the candidate can take ownership of the work or whether they can get along with other team members or not which is very essential for a remote team. In this way, you can pick the right talent that is suitable for the job.

7) Keep the expectations clear:

Once you start hiring remote workers, you have to be very particular about your expectations of them and vice versa. Keep the whole conversation transparent and communicate with the new hire clearly on what you are expecting from them in terms of timings, company culture, and standard processes, etc. You shouldn’t take your new hires for granted assuming that they will deliver the work according to your needs. 

8) Train them in groups:

Hiring in groups and training them in groups makes the onboarding process more efficient. It provides cross-training between the employees and creates healthy competition among them. With this approach, all the new hires can have some time to know each other which will be helpful when they start working. 

9) Build a good relationship with them:

Throughout the entire interview process, ensure everything is done transparently. You should be welcoming the new hires with positive energy and make them feel like they belong to your company. Because it’s a remote job, for the time being, you have to be communicating with them throughout their initial days of training.

If it’s offline training, your employees can get along with each other but here they should first get to know each other virtually which is a big task. To break the ice initially, arrange formal meetings regularly with all the team members till everyone is comfortable with each other.

Conclusion:

The remote hiring process can be difficult as no one is used to it. However, enough research on how to make the hiring process that is appropriate for online interviews and leveraging the right tools and technologies will help you ace the remote hiring process.