As we all now know (hopefully) a global pandemic has taken the world by storm! As a result, there have been massive changes to the typical workforce. With safety in mind, 88% of employers encouraged or required employees to work from home. With such a massive influx of remote employees, companies (and employees) have seen the potential for an increase in remote worker hiring.
The reality is, employees are willing and able to perform their job functions remotely. Which means a big shift for HR departments within these companies. Recruiting has taken a new shape, in the form of remote recruiting. So, how can you implement new strategies and processes to effectively recruit employees for remote positions?
The best place to start is to clearly identify the role, responsibilities, and requirements, and experience you expect of your prospective employee. Map out qualities and skills the ideal candidate would possess, and strategize how to evaluate their off-paper skills, like communication skills, motivation, and culture fit. Consider adding an option for the prospect to include a short video answering a question like “What inspires you each day?” or “What kind of dog would you be and why” to understand their personality better.
Once you’ve nailed down your ideal employee persona, begin writing the job description! The job description should include the job title, job description, position details, skills and qualifications needed, and a short description of your company. The excerpt where you explain your company is a great place to introduce your company’s culture to the prospective employee.
Consider your online presence. Employer branding is an essential part of your talent acquisition strategy. Ensure your social profiles, website, and emails are all portraying your brand as you would like potential employees to see it. Job seekers have become increasingly focused on company culture over the last few years, which means you need to show them how great your culture really is!
Before a candidate even applies to your open position, they are researching your company online. They want to know what your employees are like, what you do in your free time, how do you onboard (and off-board), how you interact with one another, and how you keep culture thriving while working remotely. The best way to explain this aspect of your company is to show them! Try creating a recruiting page on your website with video elements to highlight your company’s communication style.
Recruiting top talent doesn’t start with posting a job description, it begins way before that! One way to create a strong talent network is to create communities of engagement online. Utilize both social media and networking to build relationships with potential candidates for future opportunities.
Another way to build a strong talent network is to create relationships with colleges and high schools in your surrounding area. In universities, professors are a great resource for students leaving school and getting into the workforce; create relationships with them! Most colleges have a career fair, or some sort of showcase for local businesses, sign up for those opportunities and begin meeting prospective employees.
Even with a video interview, a candidate will reveal quite a bit about themselves in non-verbal ways. Pay close attention to how quickly and professionally they respond to your emails prior to the interview, and how well they communicate during the entire process.
Be sure to ask questions related to their remote work experience and how they work best. Inquire about the tools they use to remain focused. Be sure to ask about their work style, you can tell a lot about a candidate by understanding how they work best. Those who don’t appreciate a schedule and structure may not be a great fit for a 9-5 remote job.
Another great way to tell how equipped your remote candidate may be for the role in question is to implement a sample project into the hiring process. Ask your candidate to perform a task by a certain deadline, and you’ll be able to see how they work, if they can produce the caliber of work you will expect, if their communication is timely and (if you give them a team member to ask questions of) how they might work with your team.
Hiring a team to assist your HR Department with recruiting can be super helpful. A recruiting team already has the expertise and experience to drive results for your company. They can also help to screen potential candidates, saving you and your team precious time.
At Culture Works, we understand the ins and outs of talent acquisition. Our team is well-equipped to help your HR Department hire the most qualified, culture, and role-aligned employees. Contact us today to see how we can help your company operationalize your culture through talent acquisition.