Far From The Couch: Finding The Right People To Remote Work For You.
June 20, 2019 by ThySista
Filed under Business, Opinion, Tech/Internet, Weekly Columns
(ThySistas.com) One of the biggest tasks any of us have in finding the right candidate is making sure they are a good fit in a cultural sense. When we have candidates applying for a role that involves remote work, or is completely revolved around being located remotely, we need to ensure that the right person isn’t just someone that’s a credit to the work that they do, but is also crucial to the brand. This means that when we are on the lookout for someone that has to thrive remotely, it isn’t just about the duties. What can we do to ensure that we find the right remote roster of workers?
Be Upfront
Transparency goes a long way in any business, but when there’s so much at stake that you are relying on an employee to essentially motivate themselves, you’ve got to be upfront in what you expect from them. This is par for the course in any business, but when remote working arises, we have to be sure that the right person isn’t just someone who can function under their own steam, but if someone who is able to thrive in this environment. They need to be able to benefit the business, while possibly having a drama of their own at home. Remote working is an incredibly isolating aspect of employment, but it’s your responsibility to ensure that they have a decent work-life balance as well.
Test Them In Their Remote Environment
Most people love the idea of remote working, but when push comes to shove, it’s impossible to get anything done. Finding the right person 
isn’t just about saving the business money, it’s about putting them through their paces in the place that they are going to work. These days, it has never been easier to interview candidates, either through HR software, or giving them strict tests to complete under duress. A lot of people believe that the test gives an insight into the working practices. But it can be argued that if you make the test more difficult than the day-to-day job, you’re able to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Provide Meaningful Benefits
The big mistake many employees make when looking for remote workers is that they believe the prospect of working at home to be an attractive perk all in itself. This means that employers are inclined to skimp on the other benefits. When you hire someone a remote position, you are competing with other companies across the world, so you need to craft competitive packages. For example, mobile plans, or stock option plans, especially if you’re not able to increase their salary. But also, we have to remember that people want to develop. As such, if we can aid their growth, even though they are working at home, we can still involve them as a valuable part of the company. Inviting them to conferences or putting them on online courses are little things that can work in the long run.
Time and time again, it appears that hiring a remote worker is a way to cut corners. Finding the right people for remote work is arguably more difficult than finding someone to work in an office.
Staff Writer; Roslyn Ross
