When remotely hiring an employee, hiring managers and recruiters are faced with a number of problems. Their applicant pool increases exponentially, which opens them up for more experienced and skilled engineers. This can become a problem when things like outdated resumes or unqualified applicants are entered into the mix.
3 Tips for Finding the Right Employee
- Branch out.
Sites like LinkedIn allow people to upload a resume or make one through the site’s tools. Unfortunately, one issue hiring managers and recruiters face is the applications that turn out to be outdated or incorrect. Since it’s such a popular site with a large amount of traffic, the applicant pool is bigger. This is an issue when qualified individuals are mixed in with people of less experience and little to no skills.
Instead, reach out to a targeted job board such as Unicorn, Careers, or WhoIsHiring, forum, community, Facebook group, or another avenue where you might be able to find someone who is both qualified and open to discussing employment with you. These kinds of people are often either looking for work and haven’t found it or aren’t looking for work specifically yet may be open to a shift in employment.
- Find the passion under a list of skills.
An undervalued aspect of the hiring process is to examine the passions of the candidate. Hiring a qualified individual is crucial, but an unenthusiastic person may not perform well in the long run. Find someone who meets your criteria on a skill-based level and is passionate about what they do as well. For example, conduct two small assessments—one to gauge a person’s skill level and the other to see what their passions are.
During the interview process, ask a candidate about their passions within the field, what projects or jobs they’ve held that they enjoyed, and what other areas or roles they would like to expand their skills into. A good balance of skill and passion is the recipe for the perfect employee.
- Build a connection from the get-go.
Getting a new job is intimidating. Once you’ve hired someone, keep in mind that they are going into an unfamiliar environment—and a remote one. Work on establishing an open, supportive workplace with your employee. Communicate with them clearly on what is expected of them as well as how the company functions. Some companies create a new employee packet or pre-hire program that details these things to dissolve any confusion. Your employee will appreciate the connection and is more likely to settle in easier with the company’s structure.
Occasional, or scheduled, virtual meetings to keep everyone on the same page are useful as well. These meetings could also be used to open the floor for any suggestions to improve the company. Encouraging new and older employees alike to participate will further facilitate and strengthen a connection within the company.
Keep Sympathy in the Workplace
At the end of the day, you and your employees have a business relationship first. Showing a little compassion or understanding for the members of the company, on the other hand, can benefit everyone. Heavy workloads, unusual hours, and emergencies may come up so remember that the line between professionalism and understanding isn’t as obvious as you might think.
