In 2020 so many businesses and organisations are making the shift towards remote working. We’re currently living through the age of digitalisation, so this shift was likely always inevitable. Still, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the next industrial revolution has been moved into hyperspeed. Many companies are still finding their path when it comes to remote working, but it’s also crucial that we think about the next step: remote hiring.
As a company with a remote workforce, there will inevitably come a time when you have to hire a new team member. Or perhaps that time is already upon you and that’s why you’re here. Either way, read below for a comprehensive guide on making sure you find the perfect person for the job.
Communication is More Important than Ever
When hiring a remote worker and conducting interviews, make sure you’re looking for an employee with exceptional communication skills. Communication is crucial in many roles, but when working remotely, your team will need to rely heavily on communication to continue operating successfully. Here are a few ways you can ensure potential employees have 10/10 communication skills during the hiring process:
- When interviewing, make sure they are confident talking to you via Zoom, Skype or video call. As a remote worker, the majority of interaction with colleagues, clients or you- their management team, will happen this way. Look out for eye contact, confidence and an ability to convey their ideas clearly even though you aren’t talking face to face.
- Ask for examples of a setting, task or project where they had to give consistent and regular updates on their progress. This will be key when working remotely since everyone has to make that little bit more of an effort to remain on the same page. If the candidate shows an understanding of how to give regular progress updates and understands how crucial they are, they may be a good candidate for your remote role.
- Ask the interviewee about a time when they communicated with a boss or client via written communication, and their point was misunderstood. How did they address the situation? How did they adjust their approach?
Look Out for a Sense of Initiative
Working remotely means being able to take initiative and do things for yourself. Those who need to be micromanaged or would rather have regular feedback and instruction are likely not suited to working remotely since they’ll likely flounder and feel unable to fulfil their job responsibilities. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Ask if, in previous roles, they have ever suggested a new or more effective way of completing tasks? Were these suggestions taken on board?
- How would the candidate respond to an unmotivated team or team member? How would they remain motivated and perhaps even motivate others?
- If the candidate uses proactive words and phrases like ‘I would provide a solution that…’ or ‘In my opinion, the best way forward would be…’ they’re showing signs of being a motivated employee and being able to problem-solve without constantly needing the guidance of others.
- Ask the candidate how they would handle a challenge they had been unable to troubleshoot or solve alone. This question is essential because, while it’s crucial to be able to work independently, it’s also vital that remote workers know when to ask for help. When you can’t physically see your employees regularly, it’s more challenging to detect when they’re under stress or feeling lost. In these circumstances, your remote employees should always know when it’s time to ask for help rather than sitting at home floundering for hours, days or even weeks.
Your Onboarding Process Should be Highly Comprehensive
When it comes to hiring a remote employee, the onus isn’t only on your new employee to approach the new role successfully. Remote hiring means your onboarding process needs to cover all bases. When your new hire isn’t sitting in an office full of people where they can easily speak to the person next to them when they hit a roadblock or walk into your office when they have a problem, they need to be given thorough training and a crystal clear understanding of their role from day one. Here are a few suggestions for your remote onboarding process:
- Start with a virtual meeting either with yourself or the whole team so that your new employee feels welcomed and not like they’re just one more cog in a virtual machine.
- Give a straightforward and easy-to-digest overview of all of their job responsibilities and what your expectations are.
- Provide in-depth training in any workflow processes or the various systems that you might use and allow your new hire time to familiarise themselves with these systems, so they don’t feel out of depth later.
- If your remote employee is going to be working with clients or customers, make sure they know how they are expected to do this. Give them a thorough education on the clients, their preferences and what their services/products are.
- If at all possible, organise an in-person get together with the whole team. Social events and team building are an excellent way to make a new employee feel more aligned with their team and their organisation.
WorkPlan Learning is designed to keep your team engaged and working cohesively no matter what your location or work style. If you want to make sure the goals of your team are aligned and guarantee your businesses success, get in touch with us for a free trial today!
ALSO READ: Why Employees with a Growth Mindset are so Valuable
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