Remote work has been around for quite some time now. The pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in remote work arrangements across all industries, especially among white-collar workers not just in America but all over the world.
Given the present circumstances, it seems that remote work will continue to increase in popularity especially among those who were displaced from their jobs this year and those who are looking for other means of employment
4 Things Employers Need to Remember when Hiring Remote Workers
As far as businesses are concerned, their success is dependent on the collaborative work of those who are in management and the ones from rank-and-file.
For this reason, human resource services and recruitment specialists need to create and uphold high standards in the recruitment process regardless if they’re looking for on-site employees or remote workers.
Although the screening process is typically the same, there are, of course, certain concerns and conditions that need to be considered and met when it comes to hiring work-from-home employees.
1. Determine the kind of remote situation you need to hire for
Remote work arrangements vary depending on the company’s needs at the moment. Businesses have the option of coming up with a fully-remote employment set-up or part-time. Some allow employees to work from different offices or have flexible working arrangements.
Once you know what type of remote work arrangements will work best for your company, you can proceed to streamline your qualifications and filters. For instance, if you’re only looking at operating remotely on a part-time basis, it might not be necessary to hire someone with a background in remote work. But if you’re looking at building a remote team from scratch, it will do you good to look for people who have considerable experience in doing remote work.
2. Identify which time zones you plan to consider in your search for remote workers
The wonderful thing about working remotely nowadays is that technology has allowed businesses to expand their horizons and take away the limitations set by geographical locations. Employers and recruiters now have access to a wider talent pool globally. This means that companies can now perform at an even more optimum level.
If your business is considering hiring people from different time zones, you need to come up with a system that will allow everyone to work cohesively despite the time differences.
3. Find out how much tech is available to you to make remote work easy for your employees
One of the challenges that remote work has is that all the hardware and software available at the office will not be on-hand in someone’s home. Neither is the easy access to technical support.
As much as possible you would want your employees to be as productive and efficient. Therefore, make sure that when you’re screening candidates, they have the necessary tools and tech that will allow them to perform at their best.
4. Do some research on cultural differences and communication styles
Since you will be most likely to work with people from different parts of the world, the time difference isn’t the only thing you need to be concerned with. You also need to take into consideration some cultural differences and language barriers as you look for the best talent to fill in the position you’re opening.
It may be tempting to just limit your search domestically but studies show that hiring people from diverse backgrounds will most likely get you some of the most creative problem-solvers and critical thinkers on your team.
When it comes to hiring the right people, you need to ensure that you have the right filters that are appropriate for the type of working conditions you’re hiring for. Remote work is as important as on-site work because it allows a business to stay in operation despite the crisis we have today.
