Remote working is nothing new. What is new, however, is the attention it’s getting and how companies are responding. Companies like Zillow, Spotify, and Twitter all vowed to fully embrace remote working. Still, companies like Google aren’t ready to completely buy into working from home. While it’s a foregone conclusion that companies will straddle the fence for some time, there’s no denying that some degree of remote work is here to stay. By 2025, an estimated 70% of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month. Of course, this begs the question: What are you supposed to do? It starts by understanding how remote work is impacting hiring—and what you should do about it.
A Solid Technical Infrastructure is a Must
Having a solid technical infrastructure in today’s business climate seems like a no-brainer. And for the majority of companies, it is. Since the advent of digital more than two decades ago, companies have built their tech stacks to make working easier and more effective. In recent years, artificial intelligence and machine learning have taken this to the next level. So, what’s the problem? This technology doesn’t always make it to HR teams and hiring managers. In fact, a survey of 300 HR professionals found that they aren’t prepared to fully transition to virtual recruitment and onboarding. Even worse, meeting tools are the lowest priority in HR budgets. Without the right technology to allow for a seamless hiring process—think robust video tools and different ways to upload resumes—even top companies with the best cultures will struggle with workforce talent acquisition.
Hire with Specific Traits in Mind
Despite inevitably becoming the go-to workplace model, not everyone will be a good fit for a remote way of life. There will be less supervision (at least in the traditional sense), different expectations, and a host of other changes that’ll impact the type of candidate you should recruit and hire. Time will tell what the “perfect” remote worker looks like, but for now, you’d be wise to revolve your hiring strategy around a handful of fundamental traits:
- Reliability
- Adaptability
- Discipline
- Proactive
- Accountability
- Written and Verbal Communication
- A Team Player
- Tech Savvy
- Independent
No candidate will check all of the boxes. Still, a failure to put a premium on these traits will lead to higher attrition, harm to your company culture, and a hit to your bottom line.
Did You Know? Our talent network consists of candidates from every corner of the country. Curated over more than two decades, we have the ability to connect you with talent who’ll be ready to make an impact in a remote-first culture.
Shift Expectations
Historically, the employee-manager relationship was confined to the workplace, making the talent evaluation process relatively simple. This face-to-face communication made it easy for companies to determine if an employee—recently hired or not—is still a good fit. In addition, metrics like billable hours, projects completed, and ROI has always been the norm. In a physical work environment, this was fine. But remote work is changing that and forcing you to rethink how goals are set. For example, “work done” could replace “hours worked” as a measure of success.
Remote Work is Changing the Way Companies Hire
The shift to remote work was inevitable, and while a 100% WFH workforce may still be years away, it’s time for you to evolve your hiring strategies. For years to come, HR-centered technology will be invaluable, a fundamental shift in the way you define “essential traits” will be required, and you’ll have to keep an open mind when it comes to performance expectations and reviews. Making these changes is the only way to survive. Full stop.