Five Common Remote Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

The rise of remote work accelerated at an unprecedented rate for the last two years. Now that we know that it works (!), more employers are open to the idea of keeping a remote workforce.

Moreover, a study conducted by Harvard Business Review confirmed that workers feel more productive when they work from home. This positive outcome also encouraged companies to hire heads of remote work and invest further in their distributed teams. 

But since remote work is still a relatively new concept for most companies, the hiring process remains largely tricky. It is harder to get someone’s measure when you’re not meeting them face to face, after all.

Hence, knowing what these mistakes are ahead of time can help you develop the right measures to prevent them. 

So, now, let’s take a look at some of the most common blunders: 

Not Setting Clear Expectations 

A bad hire usually stems from not setting clear expectations at the onset. Simply put, a vague job description can cause confusion and lead to a misunderstanding between the company and the candidate. 

For example, if you want to hire a remote customer service agent, specify if you prefer staff from a certain time zone or location. Sure, digital nomads can work anywhere, but sometimes, it’s best to hire people from closer locations so that the differences in time zones aren’t so drastic. This is especially for customer-facing roles so that the worker is awake and alert when you need them to be. 

(Btw, the time difference between AU and the Philippines is only around two hours. They speak English pretty well over there too. *wink*wink*)

Hence, setting clear expectations can prevent a lot of misunderstandings later on. More importantly, it can help weed out unsuitable candidates from the get-go. 

Neglecting Remote Job Boards 

Don’t just post on LinkedIn. Try other platforms as well. 

While LinkedIn does help you form a professional network, it also advertises a lot of office-based job openings. Thus, the candidates that will apply might not always be up for a remote position. 

So, how can you address this mismatch? 

To start, choose the right platform. Remote job boards, for instance, are especially suitable for remote positions. All the postings there are remote, and the applicants will also be looking for such jobs.

Of course, you can also tap industry partners that already have a solid roster of skilled remote workers. Ahem. 

At the end of the day, choosing the right platform (or provider) can save you a lot of time and resources. 

Failing to Conduct Screening Tests 

Also known as job simulations, screening tests assess a candidate’s specific skills, particularly the ones relevant to the job position. While an applicant might sound good on paper, there’s no telling how they’ll perform on the job. Pre-employment screening tests are the next best thing because they can simulate that. 

For instance, once you’ve narrowed down your applicants, why not provide a screen test to whittle the shortlist down further? You can ask them to create a sample event calendar, article, or a sales pitch, depending on which output the job requires. 

From there, you can decide which ones will move on to the final interview.

Not Maximising Recorded Videos 

Initial interviews can be tedious and time-consuming. You ask the same questions over and over, and most of the time, the answers you get aren’t even worth the effort. 

So, why not try an easy yet effective method instead? 

Have the candidates submit a video of themselves answering the questions. This is also their chance to introduce themselves and explain why they want to be part of your company. 

Answers aside, this video will also let you observe their communication skills and give you a glimpse of their personality. Most importantly, it helps you save time and enables you to go through the candidates faster.

Not Telling Someone If They Haven’t Made the Cut

Ghosting isn’t exclusive to dating. As mentioned in our past article, employee ghosting happens in the workplace. However, employers are guilty of this too. 

Many candidates never receive confirmation emails whenever they send an application. It sounds negligible, but this doesn’t reflect well on a company and can lead to unfavourable reviews on, say, Glassdoor. 

Thus, be transparent throughout the recruitment process. Provide detailed information about the next steps and inform a candidate if they qualify for the next screening round or not. 

It’s all about respecting each candidate’s time and effort. Don’t be that person who leaves them hanging when they could have applied for that much-needed job elsewhere.

 

A remote workforce is part and parcel of the digital future. Steering clear of common hiring mistakes and investing in the right remote hiring process can help make sure that you get the best one possible for your company. 

Remote Staff has been assisting Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you by providing remote workers from the Philippines for the last 15 years and counting. So whether you need one or 10, we can help you out. 

Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.