Building a remote team may seem daunting, especially because many conventional corporations avoid using remote team members. There are several reasons why companies often do not use remote employees, but one of the major reasons is the myth that remote employees are unproductive. While it is true that remote workers can be unproductive, any worker in any company can be laggards. The trick is to find those workers who are exceedingly productive, regardless of their environment, and will work well together in a remote team. This is especially crucial for startup companies that are looking for good quality, remote workers. Here are some points to keep in mind:
Defining Candidates
The trick to finding and recruiting good remote team members has to do with how one defines what a remote candidate should have in terms of skills, characteristics, and work ethic. Without understanding what will fit into the startup company, it is unlikely that the person chosen will make a good team member. The person should be trustworthy, a self-starter, capable of working on his or her own, capable of prioritizing work, and excellent in communications. Without these traits, the person will not make a good remote team member.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the person the company is hiring on as remote worker should have some sort of outside life besides work. It seems odd, but if the person does not have a support group that is not tied work, it is unlikely that they will be happy working remotely.
Define the Actual Job
Before the company looks for a particular person, it needs to have the job position completely and concisely defined in a way that is clear to the outside viewer (not just the definer). If the manager or other workers do not understand the clear expectations that the job will entail, there’s a chance a good match might not even be sought after or found for that position. Start by literally defining the actual job and then writing up a remote job post that actually explains what it means to be a remote team member. This will help ensure that the definition is clear, even if it’s stated in an obvious manner.
Don’t Discount Unconventional Methods
Don’t rely on a job post alone. Managers and team members should consider looking at employee referral programs for people who would fit the job description. Local Meetup groups are another way to possibly find the remote team member. Blog posts about the company and company products are almost a sure fire way of getting interest in the company from prospective employees. Promote “We’re Hiring” everywhere. Utilize the site’s homepage, social media accounts, newsletters, trade show booths, etc.
The Interview
It is clear that interviews stand as telltales of how well the a person is willing and able to communicate. For example, do they write well and have good communication skills? Do they use calendars and send over invites to schedule an interview? Do they offer several ways of contacting them such as Google Hangout, Skype, or phone? Do they follow up their conversations with email? Are they flexible when they can be interviewed?
Potential candidates should to be interviewed by the whole team, which is why it is very important to screen out as many candidates that will not work in a remote and team environment. Companies can screen these candidates out using appropriate HR software.
(All images are from Freepik)
About The Author:
Omer Tadjer is the CEO and co-founder of Comeet, a collaborative recruiting company that provides innovative software that transforms the way companies hire new employees. Comeet introduces a new approach towards team-centric hiring. Comeet’s collaborative interviewing and hiring platform is an end-to-end system that covers every source-to-hire step, from managing requisitions and resumes through the actual interview process. By automating this process, the entire hiring team is connected and accountable, resulting in faster and better hires.Candidate progresses to next step in the pipeline, automation determined by recommendation. Not up to the recruiter to update the candidate stages.
(Disclaimer: This is a guest article contributed on Techstory. Techstory is not in any ways liable or responsible for contents in this article.)
