How to Hire Remote Workers: 5 Tips

A Stanford study reports that remote work increased productivity by 13 percent and reduced attrition rates by 50 percent. The pandemic has caused several office buildings to shut down, forcing the workforce to work from home. Working in your pajamas may sound incredible, but hiring the wrong candidate can lead to missed deadlines, low-quality work, and revenue going down the drain.

Fortunately, if the employer knows how to interview remote workers strategically, they may find extraordinary hidden talents from their candidates. Luckily, we have some remote worker hiring tips to ensure you get the best team. Continue reading to learn our five unique strategies to hire remote workers.

1. Identify Your Ideal Candidate

If you wonder, “how to hire freelance workers,” the step is to know what you’re searching for in a candidate. If the role demands a self-starter, then it’s better to search for someone who has proven independence in past employment. The answers to these questions may help direct your search:

• Did they take the lead on an important project?
• Are they comfortable making judgments and taking action?

Establishing the attributes and desired qualities of the applicant upfront can help you sort through thousands of applicants. This will help save you time, so you can concentrate on getting to know qualified candidates to find the ones that are most suitable for the role.

2. Use Technology to Interview

Don’t depend exclusively on emails or phone calls. Set up a face-to-face interview with your top applicants through advanced video conference technology. This “in-person” engagement can replace an in-house interview, saving everyone time and money.

Think about it, after airline, hotel, food, and other expenses; it can cost up to $1,000 to conduct an in-house interview with an out-of-state applicant. If you want to hire a VA, then this is the proper method, so the applicant and you will not have to commit to one full day.

3. Use Skill-Based Assessments

Along with digital interviews, you can administer personality and skills tests. These exams can help narrow down your search to the most qualified individuals. Make sure that the exams comply with all applicable EEOC regulations and that it’s certified.

4. Ask the Appropriate Questions

Never ask a leading question, like “are you reliable and capable of working independently?” Instead, ask this question “what can you tell me about your work habits and characteristics?”

When you ask a leading question, the candidate will know the type of response you’re seeking and will respond accordingly. Instead, if you ask probing questions, you can determine from their responses if they are suitable for the role. If the candidate says, “I am reliable and do well without continual guidance,” then follow up and get specific examples to validate their claim.

5. Use References

Request at least 3-5 references from candidates. References must be from past employers and not family or friends. Managers and coworkers can shed light on the candidate’s ability to function in a team setting.

If you are assigned a generic human resources contact, you are less likely to get the specific information you need. If the applicant was in an entry-level role with little to no prior work experience, get references from previous volunteer positions, instructors, or academic advisers.

Learning More About How to Hire Remote Workers?

Because of the pandemic, employers are always asking, “how to hire distance workers?” No one wants to make the mistake of hiring the wrong person. If you follow our tips above and make sure you ask the right interview questions, use the proper references, or use skill-based assessments, then you are on your way to training a robust team.

It does take a lot of experience to recruit the right team, which is why human resources have a high salary. However, with our tips and tricks, you can be your own HR. If you want more information, check out our blog post on strategies to hire remote workers.