How to hire (and get hired) in a remote world
I’ll admit it: I used to think remote companies were in some ways less professional just because they didn’t have an office. But the past few months have made me see the error of my thinking.
Sure, I’ve missed my team since we were forced to close our office and go remote, but the benefits of working from home — fewer distractions, higher productivity and no commutes — have definitely outweighed the challenges. Going forward, my company will join the likes of Shopify, Twitter and Facebook in adopting a permanent shift towards remote work. Of course this will change how our company operates — our offices will now be more of a drop-in centre than a place we all need to meet every day. But equally important, it will change how we hire.
We’ve been fortunate enough to grow our team by nearly 10% since COVID-19 hit, and the process of hiring remotely has been eye-opening. Everything from recruiting to gauging candidates’ capabilities to onboarding looks and functions very differently at a distance. It also poses new challenges for candidates, who have to highlight different skills to stand out from the pack.
We’re still figuring out the process of hiring in our new remote world, but here are three best practices we’ve established so far.
Amp up the trust
From a trust perspective, moving to remote work was relatively easy with our current team. After months or years of working together, I knew I could depend on everyone to be committed to our company values, our clients, and most importantly — get the work done. Bringing in a new person is a whole different ball game.
Before the pandemic, hiring involved a lot of in-person processes. Chiefly, we’d administer a skills test onsite and on a time limit. We’ve since moved to an at-home test candidates work on over a few days. Once it’s completed, we set up a call where they walk us through their process and solutions. This new approach means we don’t see how the person works in real time. We have to trust that they’ll find the right resources, get in touch with any questions and of course, get their work finished to a high level. But ultimately, it’s a better reflection of their capabilities and potential.
Research shows most people perform better when they can control their own hours and their space. While in the past this kind of freedom would be earned over time, remote hiring demands that you offer it up front. You don’t have the luxury of traditional “trust indicators” like reading someone’s body language, seeing that they showed up to the interview early, or that they come into work on time every day.
It’s up to you as the employer to lead with trust and gauge whether a candidate, or a new hire, meets expectations and responds in kind. This can feel like a leap of faith, but it’s necessary in assessing whether someone will succeed in a remote environment where personal accountability is key.
Cast a wider net — but don’t undercut on talent
Going remote means we can look beyond our recruitment comfort zone and connect with talent we haven’t been able to reach in the past. Remote hiring may allow you to cast a net into some unexplored markets, but viewing it as an opportunity to save costs on salaries is misguided.
Many companies view remote hiring as a change to cut costs (Facebook, for example, recently announced remote workers could face pay cuts if they move to cheaper markets). But this raises big questions around fairness. Not only does this kind of approach signal that equal work is not worthy of equal pay, it may ultimately backfire in the quest for talent.
True, COVID has left many people out of work, but those with in-demand skills still have options. As more companies go remote, competition for national and international talent is likely to heat up. Instead of looking at remote hiring as an exercise in potential cost-saving, this should be seen as an opportunity to access people that wouldn’t otherwise be available — especially for companies based in smaller markets. What’s more, companies may need to go beyond competitive salaries and sweeten the pot with perks that are relevant to remote workers.
We’ve already started to see a shift in what companies are offering their employees. Things like an office gym and on-site snack bar are redundant in the world of remote work. Fitness and internet stipends, home office equipment allowances and competitive benefits are much more enticing.
Of course, there are practical limitations to just how far-reaching your recruitment net can be. Navigating things like time zones, language barriers and legal issues are tough enough when hiring from a new jurisdiction. Don’t add to the complexity by nickel-and-diming your new hires.
Reassess which skills are relevant
The reality is it can be tough to make a good impression over Zoom. Companies still care about personality and cultural fit, but it’s much harder for these qualities to come across in a virtual environment. The upshot for candidates? These qualities won’t be as important as demonstrating your skills through your existing body of work.
What’s more? Every position is now a communications position.
As companies grapple with reinventing how they function in a remote world, the ability to communicate clearly — via email, chat and video conferencing — is a top priority for employers. This has shifted the goal posts for every job posting, no matter how technical. I’d much rather hire a less-experienced programmer equipped with strong communications skills than a rockstar programmer who can’t keep me updated on projects via Slack.
In some ways, these shifts make it more challenging for recent graduates and entry level applicants to get their foot in the door. Without a strong body of work it’s hard to demonstrate your capabilities. But in other ways, it presents new opportunities. A well-written cover letter or an email to our HR team linking to a website you designed is much more likely to catch our attention now compared to pre-COVID times, when we relied more on referrals and connections with local schools.
We still want to hire people who align with Diff culture and fit in with our team, and we’re still committed to our community. But candidates’ quality of work and their ability to explain and defend it definitely come first.
By now, it’s clear that remote work isn’t going anywhere, and what exactly this means for hiring is still being ironed out. Even so, some golden rules remain: Employers still need to be fair and check their biases (albeit with some new considerations — no judging people for having kids or pets barge in on a virtual interview); potential hires still need to be curious, engaged and ask good questions as well. And yes, even in a video interview everyone should still be wearing pants.
It will take time, but eventually we’ll all get used to the new norms of virtual hiring. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s how quickly people can adjust to new norms.
A version of this post was originally featured in Forbes. Stay up to date with my latest by following me here and on Twitter.
