Remote work is on the rise, with more employers than ever before using it as a convenient and practical way to address the changing requirements of today’s business. Many organizations use it as a way to address the need for an increasingly mobile workforce. Companies around the world are starting to realize the benefits of remote teams, including better productivity, enhanced motivation and a way to decrease staff turnover, not to mention reduced overheads and access to an unlimited, worldwide talent pool. That being said, it doesn’t mean that remote working is without its problems.
Some businesses may find that it reduces collaboration and innovation and companies may struggle to find reliable employees who can make a meaningful contribution to their organization. These are just a few of the many problems that businesses face, not to mention the additional checks that HR teams have to carry out to verify the suitability of applicants. When it comes to remote working the way in which new employees are recruited, selected and managed should be approached in a different way. Here are just a few of the common HR pitfalls when vetting remote workers:
Wrong Recruitment Decisions
Recruiters should take the same, if not more careful approach when recruiting for remote opportunities. It is important that recruitment decisions, particularly when appointing a remote worker are made for the right reasons. It is often apparent during interview if a candidate is only interested in the opportunity because it is remote, rather than being genuinely interested in the company, the team and the work they will be carrying out. If a decision to recruit is because the candidate wants to work remotely, they are probably not the right person for the job.
Many recruiters fall into this trap and may end up a recruit for the wrong reasons. Remote candidates should be appointed in the same way as an in-house member of the team. One good way of making sure that you select the candidate based on their skills, experience, and knowledge is to use various techniques such as competency interviews. This approach allows you to really see whether the candidate is right for the company and will bring with them the necessary skills to succeed in the job. When writing a job description or advertisement, careful consideration should be made to the wording of the document. Good practice would suggest that you should draft a job advertisement which clearly states;
- The benefits of the role
- The culture of the business and information about the team
- What tools, resources and equipment the team will use so the job seeker will only apply if they possess certain skills
You can also use the remote working approach to your advantage, by incorporating into the recruitment process an aptitude test such as those described in this article and/or ask them to send relevant samples of their work.
Failing to implement a remote worker policy
A clear and concise remote working policy should be drafted and kept up to date. This should clearly outline expectations that you have for employees and their obligations under their obligations under their employment contract. Failure to ask remote employees to sign one of these agreements has the potential to cause all kinds of problems. Understanding the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable is fundamental and correct remote working processes should be implemented and followed.
Lack of Communication
Remote employees must have the motivation and enthusiasm to make a valuable contribution to the workforce. Employees should have the right mindset to work efficiently and without supervision when not in the office. Keeping remote workers informed about the business is important and should be considered best practice if productivity is to be maintained. Refer to your remote working policy and make sure that remote staff has the tools and resources they need to connect and communicate with their employer. It is the responsibility of the HR team to make sure that remote working doesn’t have an adverse impact on the organization.
Longer Recruitment Process
Recruitment is never something that happens overnight, but you will need to take even more time when it comes to employing a remote worker. It can be difficult to vet remote workers properly, particularly if they are from a freelance background, but it is important that you seek references and in particular look at things such as timekeeping, the way they manage workloads and how they work with others on a remote basis.
Not checking skills and experience
When recruiting remote staff, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the vetting process, particularly when it comes to checking skills and experience. This can cause all kinds of problems further down the line from poor productivity through to low quality work and complaints from clients. It may also mean that you have to invest resources in training to develop the skills of the employee to the right standard.
A successful remote worker is one that is self-motivated and disciplined and it is up to the HR team to use the recruitment process to find out whether the candidate possesses the right qualities that they need without having to micro-manage the new member of the team.
HR teams should have a checklist for remote workers that will include:
- Is the vacancy suitable for remote working?
- Does the employee possess the right skill set to make a valuable contribution to the business?
- Is the home office suitable?
- Does the candidate show a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the company and the role, rather than their interest being simply because the post is remote?
- Do you have a strong remote working policy in place and agreements drafted for remote workers, so they understand what is expected of them?
If the recruitment process is managed correctly and expectations are clearly defined, recruiting a remote employee doesn’t have to be as challenging as it may sound. The benefits of the company and the post should be emphasized in the job advertisement to ensure that you attract the right, high caliber candidates.