Imagine you are trying to hire an AWS specialist or a .NET developer. After months of searching, you conclude that there are no such people available in your area, but what now? Exactly, you try hiring people remotely. In this post, I'll show you how to make sure your company is ready for remote employees—from vetting them before they start working with you and making sure they feel comfortable after they're hired.
Remote work is not a new concept. It’s not a fad. It’s not just for tech companies and millennials in coffee shops.
In fact, remote work is open to anyone who wants it, regardless of your industry, location, or bank account balance—and here are some reasons why you should consider hiring remote workers in the future:
Remote work is a growing trend and a good option for many people. But if you're an employer, the thought of hiring remote workers can be scary. You may worry that they'll be less committed to the company or more inclined to leave when they find a better offer elsewhere.
It's important to embrace this new way of working and recognize that there are many benefits to having a remote team:
It's important to be clear with remote workers about what you expect. Are they going to be working on a specific project, or will they need to come up with their projects? Will you hire them for an hourly wage or a fixed price? How much freedom are you willing to give them as far as choosing their hours and work environment?
These are all questions that should be answered before starting the hiring process. If necessary, candidates and employers can meet in person at least once—this can help ease any concerns about working remotely in general, but it also allows the employer time for a more thorough evaluation of the candidate's skillset in person.
It's important to vet the candidates, no matter where they are located. You don't want to hire someone who is not a good fit for the company's culture or values. You don't want to hire a candidate who can't work well with others or doesn't have an appropriate attitude for your organization.
It helps if you can meet with all of your new hires in person at least once before making them an offer, but this isn't always possible if your company is remote-first or entirely remote—and it's especially difficult if you're hiring remote developers in another country! In these cases, make sure that you have someone on your team who has met each candidate at least once face-to-face and knows how they behave in person. Check this article for tips on how to vet candidates.
Documentation is a key part of the hiring process. You need to know what kind of documentation to provide and how to make it easy for candidates to access, share, and understand.
If you're looking for someone who will be working remotely, you should provide them with an electronic copy of your company's mission statement. You can also include information about benefits like health insurance, 401k plans, etc., as well as any other perks that would be helpful for remote employees (such as flexible work schedules). You could make these files accessible via file-sharing services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Onedrive.
We recommend giving new hires a month-long trial period. This will give you enough time to get your hiring decision right, as well as give the employee ample opportunity to show you what they can do. The trial period should be paid and long enough for both parties involved to get a good idea of what it’s like working with each other.
We also recommend having managers monitor the first few weeks during this period so that they can provide helpful feedback when necessary.
Hiring remote employees is a good idea, and now you know how to do it. The key takeaway is that you should be clear about what you need in the position and vet candidates no matter where they are located.
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