Once upon a time, (before the pandemic) ‘we are hiring’ ads were synonymous with an office cubicle and a 9-5 job. But nowadays, candidates habitually scour job descriptions in search of remote-first office spaces. And to no one’s surprise, 67% of employers support such arrangements.
So, it’s honest, insightful, and downright humane to say employees and employers’ relationship coincided with an uptick in moves (a pandemic-shaped world) and are now better off cooperating from a distance.
Where to begin? Okay, let’s start with remote recruiting and its benefits for employees and employers.
Remote recruiting describes a recruitment process handled entirely online. A remote-first office interviewing and onboarding procedures are handled visually, with no in-person meetings, warm hugs, or handshakes. At best, successful candidates get a bright and radiant smile accompanied by a hearty wave from a cheerful recruiter at the other end of the screen.
For employers, remote recruiting means having specialized experts who can handle the entire workload without the extra expense of luxurious offices or ridiculous paid leave. For employees, doing what they love to do best without the trouble of commuting, 9-5 working hours, or premature and intensive supervision is good enough. And for both parties, remote recruiting means less busywork, better results.
Below are some genuinely productive and practical steps leading consultancy firms in India to use in acquiring top talents remotely.
Determine recruitment budget & ROI
Recruiting top talent is tricky, demanding, and sometimes scary. But it doesn’t mean any recruiter should settle for the regulator practice of filling positions with the first available candidate; that’s like going on a blind date and immediately asking the person to marry you.
Before thinking of hiring remote workers, weigh your recruitment budget. Calculate the anticipated cost and benefit of hiring remotely, incorporate estimable data and draft a recruitment strategy. After all, there is no bottom-line benefit in basing your decisions on intuition or unfiltered ideas.
Recruiters and hiring managers need the correct data to suitably qualify remote candidates. But remember, remote hiring is a new trend. Don’t get worked up if your in-house team finds the lines too blurry to thread. Instead, invest in a leading consultancy firm in India.
Include remote specific elements in job descriptions
With content repurposing whetting the appetite for think-young entrepreneurs to thrive, many copywriters are having fun touting the ‘less is more’ banner.
Fine, it’s okay to believe less can be more when repurposing marketing content into multiple formats. But when crafting job descriptions to fill positions in a remote workspace or build a virtual family, avoid such copywriters like the plague—except you wouldn’t mind if your job ads comes-off like a lonely voice whispering in a crowded space.
Make it your social responsibility to nourish your brand’s age-old needs when creating job ads. State upfront that it’s a remote position. Use the right keywords and industry jargon. Clarify what remote means to employees. Include preferred communication channels, working hours, job expectations, work ethics, etc.
Streamline a virtual hiring and onboarding process
60% of recruiters say screening candidates is the most time-consuming part of their job. Meaning, without a very smooth hiring and virtual onboarding process, recruiters bristle at the thought of hiring remote workers. We’ve also seen employers experience retention issues from an induction process being too fast, showing that employees are humans, and humans easily get overwhelmed by too much new information.
In any case, hiring remote workers in our ever-changing political climate requires a seamless virtual process. You can unclutter schedules, reduce burnout, and give recruiters space to focus on building a meaningful relationship by leaving mundane, bulky, and repetitive tasks to the bots.
In remote workspaces, employees don’t have the luxury of using physical interaction to build relationships with their peers. Bridge the digital divide with customized AI systems that showcase a dash of personality and promote company culture.
Also, ensure that every individual involved in the hiring decision nurtures a sense of play that’s genuinely productive and useful. Invest in solutions like cognitive skill tests, video interviews, and personality assessments. This will help potential hires feel at home and speedily acclimate to the new environment.
Employees are becoming more and more aware of the importance of work-life balance and freedom in their working styles. This raises the option of recruiters hiring people who are willing to work remotely. 2020 especially has proved the ease that comes with online work.
Transparently outsource from multiple talent pools
The rise of remote jobs opened a global avenue for employers and employees to connect, thrive, and build a working relationship from any part of the globe. When hiring remote workers, don’t focus on local talent pools alone.
Putting your job ads on international talent pools inevitably means more resumes and a higher recruitment budget. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that many leading consultancy firms in India will try to talk you out of outsourcing talents beyond local pools.
Well, we only state the fact; the final decision is up to you. But don’t forget, what gets measured gets managed. Managing the expense of outsourcing talent from international pools shouldn’t be a problem with accurate recruitment metrics.
Another thing, even in a remote world, employees remain skeptical about taking positions with high turnover. Stay transparent about work ethics and company culture. Keep communication channels open and be outright with any information that puts candidates on edge.
On top of the trend is the only trend
Most full-time employees are out of steam; they are tired of the nuances of everyday commute and would gladly fill job forms offering hybrid working models, even if it comes with reduced pay.
So, let’s be honest. Most leading consultancy firms in India might be skeptical about saying this, but your remote workforce culture won’t mimic that of shared offices, don’t force it. And also, compensations, benefits, or paid leaves won’t make employees value an office cubicle over their highly-priced workspaces.
Instead of focusing on what’s not working, fixate your gaze on what’s working by staying on top of the trend. The everyday workplace is no more than controlled or organized as you once knew it to be. Workers might not report to work early and easily lose focus during important meetings; it’s part of the new normal.
But that doesn’t mean company culture lost its importance. The world still needs remote-first office spaces with unique work ethics. And research shows that candidates wholeheartedly flock behind brands that understand the changing tides and sit separately.
When hiring or onboarding remote workers, implement ways for your team to foster personal connections, showcase how you are different and unique. Offer compensation packages or even benefits, schedule check-ins, organize virtual happy hours, display brand culture, and publicize your playbook for adopting new trends when feasible.
Conclusion:
A streamlined and expedited process is crucial to hiring remote workers. Nonetheless, there is no silver bullet or foolproof strategy here. The best chance at success is to have a leading consultancy firm in India take up the arduous task of designing a recruitment strategy, finding remote workers, and qualifying candidates – while your internal hiring team focuses on onboarding employees and eliminating contrarian cultural views.
