Thanks to the endless supply of technology that allows us to work from home, recruiting remotely is now a good option for companies who can’t meet applicants in person, but want to move forward with the hiring process. With the right tools and systems in place, you can recruit remotely whilst still ensuring you select candidates that are a perfect fit for your work environment.
If you are still hiring, this article covers our top tips on how to hire remotely in a way that works for both the employer and the applicant.
Invest in good-quality equipment for video calls
Candidates can get nervous and agitated if there are technical problems. Make sure everything runs smoothly by investing in a reputable platform or software for your video calls, and test any new platforms out before using them with candidates. Options for video call software include Skype for Business, Zoom and Google Hangout. It’s important to remember that you should train your own employees on how to use your chosen software first!
Pay extra attention to body language
Video can’t replace in-person conversations for multiple reasons. You miss out on the small talk that comes with face-to-face interaction, like greeting the candidate at the door, offering them a drink and discussing the weather. To counteract this, pay extra attention to their body language as the view is narrower literally than during an in-person meeting.
Remember that not everyone is used to video call
If you hold regular video interviews as part of your job, it’s worth remembering that for many candidates, using video software is a new experience that they might feel uncomfortable with. It’s a good idea to include at least 2 video interviews with candidates so you can get a good impression of the person applying for a role. Spend a little extra time making them feel comfortable at the start of the call. At the end of the day, it’s a conversation between two (or more) people. Ask a couple of relaxed questions at the start to break the ice. Which book they are currently reading or if they have any favourite new Netflix discoveries are great options.
Paint a picture of the company culture
In the case of a virtual hiring process, the candidate won’t be able to visit the office and experience the company culture first-hand (yet). To make up for this, describe the company culture and office atmosphere so the candidate can get a good impression of whether or not they would be a good fit. You could share internal videos, and let the candidate know what to expect in terms of internal events. Small details can all help paint a picture for the candidate so they can get a good sense of their potential new employer.
Video meetings are easy to set up, so don’t hesitate to set up multiple video calls so that the interviewee can meet a variety of people from within the company and get even more familiar with the people they are working with.
Ensure the applicants can work without supervision
Chances are that your new employee will have to work remotely at one point. This means that you should ensure they have the necessary skills to be able to complete their work without supervision. Consider setting the candidate a task or project to work through at home during an interview, or in preparation for an interview, that would be representative of what they would do in their job.
Get your digital documents ready
If you find the right talent and want to move quickly to seal the deal, make sure you have digital documents ready to go. What would the process be? Are the contracts already in an online format? Research and invest in tools that facilitate this, such as DocuSign.
Prepare for the new hire
Make sure that the person you hire will have the necessary company equipment that they would need to start working from home (if they do) right away, such as a company phone or laptop. Ensure that you are able to provide online training for new starters, and transfer your entire onboarding experience into a virtual environment.
Respect standard hours
Just because they are working from home doesn’t mean working hours have changed. When you’re communicating with candidates via phone, stick to regular work hours, between 9 and 6.
Recruiting remotely might feel unnatural at first, especially if it is not something you have experimented with before. But with the right tools and with some tweaks to your usual processes, remote recruiting is a solid alternative to face-to-face interviews when circumstance makes this impossible.
If you still feel uncertain about taking the hiring process online, there are a few additional measures you can put in place. You might decide to spend more time on the vetting process, perhaps investigating the candidate’s social media presence more than you otherwise would.
If you are looking for more tips on hiring top talent get in touch with us.
