George K.
Businesses can benefit immensely from hiring remote workers. However, when hiring these individuals, you may have to take certain precautions and take the extra step to verify all of the information on their resumes and applications. Here are some remote hiring tips for recruiters and human resource professionals.
1. Run a Background Check
Your application might ask individuals to share whether they’ve been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, or crime of any kind. While most people will answer truthfully with an explanation, if they answer the question with a “yes,” it’s important to be able to verify the information. When it comes to what shows up on a background check, ShareAble for Hires states:
“What shows up on a background check depends on which type of search you order, since there are several different sets of records and data to pull from. Generally speaking, a background check for employment may show identity verification, employment verification, credit history, driver’s history, criminal records, education confirmation, and more.”
Background checks are not just for ensuring that you’re not hiring someone who can’t be trusted. You can gather tons of useful information by running a background check on your current or future employees to verify their education, which will prevent you from hiring someone who lied about their qualifications on their resume.
2. Use Great Remote Interviewing Techniques
Hiring remote employees is similar to hiring those to work on-location. While you can pick up the phone to interview someone on the spot, you may want to get into contact with them ahead of time to let them know that you’re interested in them for a certain position. Whether they applied on a job board or found an advertisement in a local newspaper, they are likely still looking for work if you respond to them within a few days.
Great interviewing techniques involve the pre, during, and post-interview.
Pre-Interview
During the pre-interview, you’ll contact your prospective candidates to set up a time for a video interview. Video interviews are important because they allow you to see one another and talk face to face. This can give you a better idea about the type of person you might hire as you can see whether or not they’re prepared.
Interview
The interview itself should include questions about their experience and why they are qualified for the job in which they applied. You should also ask them about their experience working remotely since those who work remotely will need to be dedicated and handle time management on their own.
During the interview, you should also promote the job and company so that the individual will walk to work there. Interviews are a two-way street, after all. You want to hire the best, and they want to work for the best, so make sure that you talk about the company culture, which can be a great selling point for a candidate. Allow your candidate to also ask questions like what project management and collaboration tools you use to effectively communicate with those working remotely.
Post-Interview
The post-interview will go one of two ways: you’ll either inform the candidate that they got the job or tell them that they are not the right person for the job. If you do decide to hire someone, make sure to send them an official offer letter for their remote work position.
3. Onboard Efficiently
When it comes to onboarding, make sure that you give the new remote employee enough information about their duties and the tools you will give them to perform them. You might need to provide them with your subscription to communication tools, a work email, and other tools that are necessary for them to do their job.
