3 Ways to Overcome Remote Hiring Challenges

More and more organizations are embracing a blended workforce to maximize profits and utilize different types of workers. With more than 37 percent of the workforce working remotely and about 34 percent considering themselves independent workers, it’s never been more important to capture remote workers.

Whether or not you set out to look for remote workers, they may be the best hires for your organization. Because remote workers do not have to travel and generally feel more productive and happier about their jobs, they are more likely to work beyond the 40-hour work week. This is just one of the benefits of hiring remote workers as well as higher employee engagement and improved health and wellbeing. Some studies show that telecommuting also saves organizations money. According to one report, allowing employees to work from home about half of the time would save as much as $11,000 per year.

1. Interview with Video – In order to continue saving money but still be sure you’re making smart hiring decisions, organizations often turn to video interviews, which provide the same level of personal interaction as in-person interviews without costly travel. If your employee will be working remotely, it makes a lot of sense to interview them remotely too. Screening with video will also allow you to screen candidates more heavily without an additional time commitment, and you can ensure standardization of questions for all candidates. Rather than flying candidates to an office location or scheduling a phone interview, video interviews cover all of the bases for successfully screening and interviewing remote workers.

2. Know Where/How to Look – Sometimes, when you specify in a job description that a position is remote, you’ll receive an overwhelming amount of unqualified candidates who just want to work from home. If you’re looking for a freelance remote worker, try searching websites dedicated to seeking freelancers, and avoid highlighting the job’s remote needs unless you’re prepared to wade through more applicants.

3. Set Expectations – Whether you’re searching for an employee to work remotely full time or considering allowing employees to telecommute, it’s important to set expectations. Employee trust and communication are vital to allowing individuals to work remotely because business leaders need to trust that workers are doing their jobs. When making a new hire, screen for these qualities heavily, and pay close attention to candidates’ organizational and communication skills as well as their references to be sure that you’re making the right hire every time.

Screening candidates more efficiently and searching for them the right ways can help you locate the right remote worker that you trust to work independently, communicate well and get the job done.