The world is a much smaller place with communication being virtually instant and video conferencing becoming more common than long distance business travel due to its efficiency and cost benefits.
So it makes sense that local candidates for jobs that have limited-to-no need for them to be physically present might not always be the best solution. But hiring someone sight unseen is also a huge risk.
So here we have a unique scenario – remote workers can pose a great risk, but also create a greater candidate pool as well as cost-efficient benefits, not least because office space, as we all know, is not cheap. So here are a few tips to keep in mind when considering hiring someone to work remotely.
Make sure the position is suitable for remote employees
There are just plenty of positions that are not suitable for remote working and trying to force it will not create a healthy ecosystem. Sometimes even, the culture of a company will just not flourish if there is migration to virtual environments.
While a high-tech firm might be ideal for this type of situation, if your company’s personality is more intimate, it might still be better to create a more traditional environment.
Ideally look for people with experience of working remotely
This is a tough one, but there is benefit being able to ask how someone felt working remotely affected their work previously. It is not an easy transition for everyone, and candidates with no experience doing so might have an even more difficult transition from having a stable office environment to being expected to manage workflow from their own home.
Arrange to meet in person on occasion
If your office has created several remote positions, and despite how much these employees might flourish working on their own time and schedule, there will undoubtedly be mutual benefits to meeting in person occasionally throughout the year or as you see fit.
A business acquaintance was visiting his main office in South Africa. Located on the eastern coast he flew in and quickly found accommodation in Durban. He said the trip was pricey on paper, but was highly valuable as he had quality face time with his managers.
While most of the week was spent working on projects, he expressed that several times during the week they would put their work down a little early and go out for a drink. He felt this time with his team humanized the whole job for him, making it far more personal.
Look for strong communicators
Not being able to speak face to face every day creates an immediate communication barrier. It then becomes extremely important that any employee you hire, no matter how skilled at specific tasks related to the job they may be, that they must also be a strong communicator via email, phone and now video chat.
A review writer for www.south-african-hotels.com recently said one of the most important thing about being on the road for months on end is the ability to communicate thoughts and ideas digitally via the web.
…And abnormally strong self-starters
Everyone in a job interview is going to tell you that they are self-starters, can easily motivate themselves, etc. But in a case where you will never see them actually at a desk, it is absolutely crucial that you ask for specific examples where the candidate for this remote position can easily show that not having a boss breathing down their neck will not prevent them from putting their head down and getting their work done in a timely fashion.
Remote working can be a great way to both create a wider candidate pool for positions in your company as well as keep overhead office costs low. With careful consideration, people from all over the world can quickly become assets to your business.
Rob Toledo is outreach coordinator for digital marketing and communications agency, Distilled Creative.
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