How to Streamline Your Remote Hiring Process and Find the Right Remote Workers

Hiring remote workers is a significant shift in the way companies hire talent. More specifically, hiring global talent is now more accessible than ever, as companies can tap into talent from all over the world. 

With remote hiring, you can find the right person for a job regardless of their physical location. In other words, companies can hire the most qualified person for a job without worrying about the cost and time associated with relocation. 

However, the remote hiring process can be complex and time-consuming if you don’t know what you’re doing. From interviewing to onboarding, there are lots of things you must consider. 

In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for creating a remote hiring process to help you streamline and find the right remote workers for your business. 

What is a remote hiring process? 

A remote hiring process is simply the process of hiring remote employees. It’s different from a traditional hiring process because remote employees need extra skills to excel. 

For example, when hiring remote workers, you have to consider the candidate’s technical abilities, communication skills and capacity to work independently – on top of the regular job and skill requirements. 

If you’re hiring internationally, you also have to consider time zones and cultural differences. So, to find the right remote workers for your business, you must have a comprehensive and structured hiring process that considers all these factors. That’s where sprucing up your remote hiring process comes into play. Here’s how. 

6 best practices to improve your remote hiring process 

Here are six tips to help streamline your remote hiring process and find the right remote workers for your business. (If you’d like more advice, check out some additional tips on managing remote employees here.)

1. Create a detailed job description

The first step to streamlining your remote hiring process is to figure out what you need and create a detailed job description that outlines all the specifics. The clearer you can get the job description, the easier it will be to appeal to the right talent. 

Flesh out things like the job requirements, technical skills, and expected responsibilities. You also want to clarify the qualifications, experience and specific soft skill requirements. 

Having a clear job description will also make it simpler to accurately evaluate the candidates and find the right remote workers for your business.

2. Use the right recruiting channels

When recruiting remote workers, it is essential to use the right recruiting channels to ensure that you are reaching the best candidates. Some examples include social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as job boards and remote job sites. 

Think about the type of candidate you want and the location they reside, and look for the recruiting channels most likely to have your desired candidates. (Not sure where to find your ideal international candidate? Our expert global recruitment team can help).   

3. Spruce up your communication 

From the initial hiring through managing employees, clear communication is critical to any good remote employment relationship. During the remote hiring process, be sure to:

• Create clear expectations for all information and tasks.
• Follow up, asking for clarification as needed. 
• Encourage prospects to communicate their thoughts and needs. 
• Set rules and procedures for communicating during the interview, onboarding and post-hire process. 

4. Be transparent from the start

When hiring global talent, transparency is key. You want to foster an environment of trust while opening the floor to discuss expectations, concerns and more. Remember, the hiring process is the first experience an employee has with your company, so you want to be honest (and encourage honesty) from the start. 

For example, take time to discuss things like working expectations, hours, salary, management, culture and more. 

5. Create an efficient interviewing process

You also need to rethink the interview process, so it’s remote-focused. That is, ensure that you’re conducting video interviews that are welcoming, engaging and clearly communicating the company culture and expectations. 

It’s easy for a video interview to be difficult for the prospective remote worker. However, you can do a few things to make it a bit easier. 

• Hire people who fit the job requirements. That way, you don’t have to inquire about too many technical details.
• Focus on a conversation rather than a series of questions so it doesn’t feel like you’re drilling them.
• Provide them with information about the company and work before the interview. That way, you can find out how engaged they are with you.
• Discuss the company culture. Then, discuss the required work and hours. How do they respond?
• When considering things like remote workers, assess their ability to meet your needs, such as having a reliable internet connection, a quiet space to work and the other resources needed for the job.

Make the interview process informative but a bit more relaxed. That way, you can help them open up and share what they can do for you.

6. Create an onboarding process that fits remote work

When hiring remote workers, be sure your onboarding process is just as robust as it is for those working at your location. For example, you might want to do things like:

• Create welcome emails.
• Build a first-week schedule that builds in time to connect.
• Develop manuals and rules that are available in a digital format. 
• Create a way for the remote worker to connect with other team members.
• Provide a way to touch base a few days in and then again at a week. 
• Create training programs designed for an online format.

(If you’d like extra help with onboarding, we provide a complete onboarding experience for your remote team). 

Additional remote hiring tips when hiring international employees

When hiring remote workers from other countries, you must meet additional legal and compliance requirements before welcoming them aboard. In other words, you want to ensure your remote employees are employed correctly and paid following local laws and regulations.

Remember, to hire an employee from another country, you usually need a local legal entity in that country (unless you use a service like an Employer of Record. More on that in a minute.) 

Here are a few extra tips to get you started down the path to hiring abroad compliantly.  

1. Research labor laws

Take time to research the labor laws of the country where your remote candidate lives to ensure you know how to pay them legally. Additionally, you also want to check out local tax laws and benefits requirements to ensure you’re completely compliant. 

2. Draft compliant contracts

All remote workers should have a contract outlining the job’s duties, responsibilities and expectations. When hiring globally, you must ensure that the agreement complies with local laws and regulations and includes provisions for disputes, termination and other critical legal matters.

3. Provide the necessary tools and resources

You also want to consider providing your new employee the tools they need to do their job. For example, you might need to look into hardware, software, communication platforms, etc. For global employees, you might also need things like translators, time conversion apps, VR workplaces, internet boosters and more. 

Simplify your remote hiring process and start hiring global talent

Hiring remote workers can be a complex process, but following these tips will help you streamline your remote hiring process and enable you to find the best talent for your business. If it still sounds overwhelming, we can help make your life easier. 

At Outstaffer, we make it easy to find, hire, pay and equip remote employees from around the world. Our Employer of Record services make it possible to hire and employ employees from anywhere with a couple of clicks legally. 

Plus, our #WorkFromAnywhere platform gives your remote team everything they need to thrive, including Workforce Monitoring, Managed Devices, Time & Attendance Tracking and more.

Want to learn more? Schedule your demo now.