Tips for Successful Remote Hiring

Remote hiring can be a viable option for employers who want to streamline their recruitment process and search for talented candidates who live in any location. Navigating this recruitment strategy successfully ensures that job candidates will have the best experience possible before choosing their next opportunity.

What is remote hiring?

Employers use remote hiring to find top talent who physically live in any location. Most of these new hires will typically work from home versus moving to and working in a city where the hiring company is located.

How remote hiring has changed the recruitment process

New technology has given employers the ability to screen, test and interview candidates from a distance. This flexibility is a shift from traditional recruiting which is more focused on local candidates who work in-person. According to the Academy to Innovate HR, between 2017 and 2020, the amount of time needed for hiring a candidate varied based on:

Time to Hire: Measured time between starting application until job acceptance = 30.7 days

Time to Fill:  Calculated time from job requisition approval until job acceptance = 60.5 days

Traditional recruitment will often lengthen the time when companies are only looking at local or internal candidates who complete the application and interview process. Traditional recruitment usually relies on:

• Newspapers and Job Boards – Jobs posted in a newspaper or on a job board which attracts anyone who may be interested in applying for the position
• Employment Office – Either a temporary or permanent employee is screened through the employment office and their information is submitted to the company
• Internal Hiring – Internal candidate that is identified to have the required skill set in order to be promoted to the new position
• Headhunters – Also known as executive recruiters, usually identify potential candidates that are already employed and introduce them to the company

While candidates can be found using these traditional methods, each process tends to take longer to determine if their skills and experience are the best fit for the position. Relying only on local job candidates often constricts a business from finding the specialized experience they may need.

What candidates can expect when using remote hiring technology

Generation Z who grew up with technology at their fingertips tend to expect faster response times when applying for jobs. Also, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current unemployment rate is now at 3.4%. This means more job opportunities are available and candidates often research multiple businesses to find the best options available. Also, many applicants will seek companies who offer:

Honesty and Transparency – Many applicants want accurate job descriptions, salary, and benefits from the beginning of the application process. They often expect companies to share this information upfront. If they don’t, or if the company’s hiring process reveals inconsistencies often applicants will see this as a red flag and look at alternative positions.

Respectful Communication – Just as honesty and transparency is important to Generation Z, so is respectful communication. According to Candidly, this generation likes personalized communication versus generic replies that don’t engage them in the process. In addition, if a company has a longer response time they want to be informed at the beginning of the process, otherwise they consider it impolite to be contacted weeks later.

Share Values – All job candidates, including Generation Z, now have the ability to research a company’s stance on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and compare their mission with their own values. How a business presents these values starting with their remote hiring process will help determine how the candidate feels about the company and their overall experience.

Benefits for employers who use remote hiring techniques

Employers who use remote hiring often find it’s easier to post positions, communicate effectively and develop a better candidate experience that is easier to manage. Some other benefits to remote hiring include:

Centralized Information – The employer has the opportunity to use one portal that can guide a job applicant through the process and allows for tracking completed steps. This also reduces physical paperwork and additional job information can be shared and accessed by the candidate.

Ghosting is reduced – Automated messages that can often be personalized makes it easier for the hiring manager to follow up. Questions can also be answered faster and engagement can be increased to reassure the applicant their efforts are appreciated.

Reduced costs – According to an April 2022 benchmarking report done by SHRM, it costs nearly $4,700 to hire an employee. Some of the costs that can be reduced include physical office space and other overhead costs.

Larger candidate pool – Candidates that live in different areas of the country or outside the United States, typically have different education and skill sets that may not be available locally. Remote hiring can give the company the benefit of these skills without location concerns.

Flexible environment – According to a February 2023 Pew Research poll, 35% of workers who are able to telecommute are now doing so full-time. With 71% indicating the biggest advantage to working from home gives them the ability to balance their work and personal life.