Today’s economy is forcing businesses to find more cost-effective ways of staffing their operations. Additionally, the rise of the remote hiring process has presented new challenges and opportunities for companies that are trying to staff their locations efficiently. With remote hiring on the rise as a viable staffing solution. Many businesses are now turning to third-party vendors for help in finding remote employees and managing those relationships.
Remote hiring can be a challenge for any company, but with the right strategy and support from your vendor partners, it can also be an opportunity.
In this blog post, we’ll share how Ace Technologies used a combination of our expertise in recruiting, training and retention to help them launch their Remote Hiring Process.
Why Remote Hiring?
Understanding how and why to use a remote hiring model is a great first step in implementing a successful remote hiring process. There are a few key reasons why businesses may want to consider a remote interview model.
For example, remote hiring can be a great option for organizations with highly specialized skill sets, such as designers or software engineers, who may be difficult to source in certain locations.
Remote Recruiting can also be a great solution for businesses that are growing quickly, as it can allow them to scale their workforce quickly without having to invest heavily in real estate.
Remote Interview Process is also a great solution for companies that have seasonal or temporary needs because it can be a low-risk way to manage spikes in demand without having to invest in hiring and training more full-time employees.
Expert Recruiting Strategies
When launching a new remote hiring process, it’s important to start with a recruiting strategy that is well-suited for remote candidates.
A first step in recruiting for a remote program is to identify the specific types of candidates that you want to attract.
Most companies that use remote hiring processes as a solution for their workforce will want to focus on sourcing candidates with specific skill sets, such as software development or customer support.
However, other companies will want to use remote hiring as a strategy to source candidates. Who are difficult to find in their local area, such as chefs or sales specialists.
Expert Training Strategies
As you’re building out your remote hiring process, it’s important to find ways to shorten the training period for new hires.
When a company hires a new employee, they’re committing to a three-month training period that can sap productivity from the rest of the team. This is particularly true for knowledge workers or those who require access to specialized tools or systems.
A remote hiring process can lead to shorter training times because you’re recruiting candidates. Who are already trained in the specific skill sets you need. Additionally, in a remote hiring environment, training periods can take place virtually and can be built into each employee’s schedule.
Recruiting the Right Candidates
When recruiting candidates for your remote hiring program, it’s important to find ways to reach candidates who are used to working remotely. When recruiting for any position, it’s important to clearly define the role so that you attract the right candidates. However, when recruiting for remote positions, it’s especially important to identify the key responsibilities of the job and how they differ from other roles in the company.
Rather than listing general duties such as “working remotely,” it’s helpful to highlight the particular elements of the role that make it a remote opportunity. By doing this, you can help to attract candidates who are specifically interested in a remote role.
This will make it easier to find the right candidates for the job and will also help you to avoid hiring remote workers who may not want to be in a remote position.
Training New Employees
One of the biggest challenges when recruiting for a remote team is ensuring that new hires have the training they need to be successful in their roles. When recruiting for a remote team, it’s important to avoid assuming that remote workers have the same skills as employees who work in your office.
Instead, you should look for ways to train new hires on the specific knowledge and skills they need to do their jobs remotely.
Remote training strategies will differ depending on the type of role you’re hiring for.
However, there are a few best practices that will help you to succeed with remote training.
- Make training visual – Remote training can be challenging because there’s no visual element to it. To help your team members better understand what they need to do, use visuals like images, videos or GIFs. Be sure to include examples of how a remote team member would complete their tasks in the real world.
- Use a central hub for training materials – Remote workers will need different information than employees who work at the office. Instead of sending new hires links to the same training materials that office workers receive, create a central hub of training materials that remote workers can access at any time.
- Use a blended learning approach – It’s not realistic to expect remote workers to sit in front of a computer for hours at a time to complete their training. Instead, use a blended learning approach, where remote workers have some self-directed learning time and have access to instructors and mentors when they need help.
Retention Strategies for Remote Employees
One of the biggest challenges of managing a remote team is keeping employees engaged. When employees feel unengaged, they’re more likely to leave the company.
To combat this issue, you’ll want to make sure that you’re including retention strategies in your remote hiring process from the beginning. When hiring for a remote team, it’s helpful to look for candidates who have experience working remotely. This can be an important factor in helping you to retain employees because remote workers tend to stay with companies longer than office employees.
When building your team, it’s also helpful to consider the types of people you want to surround yourself with. While having employees who are great at their specific job functions is important, it’s also important to find individuals who will fit into your company culture.
Establishing a Remote Hiring Process
As you get further into your remote hiring process, it’s important to consider how you’re managing the hiring process. When hiring for a remote program, it’s important to have a hiring path in place to make sure that you’re moving candidates through the hiring process efficiently. To do this, you’ll want to establish a hiring path that includes the following elements : –
- Defining job titles
- Defining job descriptions
- Creating a hiring process
- Creating a hiring timeline
Takeaway
Remote hiring is a growing trend in the business world. As you implement your remote hiring process, it’s important to remember that it’s not right for every company. Before hiring remotely, it’s important to make sure that you understand the challenges and requirements of this model.
With the right strategy and support from your vendor partners, remote hiring can be a great way to staff your company without having to invest in real estate. From recruiting to training to retention, it’s important to make sure that remote hiring is a good fit for your company.
