Planning to hire remote workers? A step-by-step guide for remote hiring

Beth Furness
December 9, 2020

The current economic landscape is experiencing a massive change as more and more companies are focusing on remote hiring and online workers. This shift in working has enabled the gig economy to grow 3x faster than traditional jobs. Entire business models are being readjusted and improvised to make room for gig workers. As technology keeps advancing, it is safe to say that remote work is the future.

If you’ve been thinking about remote hiring and getting flex workers on board, then you’ve come to the right place! This guide was designed specifically for you. Let us help you hire a stellar team of online workers that will help you expand your business. This simple guide will assist you in building a top-notch team and choose the right gig workers that are the right fit for your job requirements and company culture.

Before we begin building your A-team, there are a handful of things that you need to keep in mind when opting for remote hiring.

Remote hiring isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

While the benefits of remote working are far too many, it does come with its downsides. The biggest and most obvious issue that companies face when hiring online workers is that more than half of the applicants are non-serious about the nature of work. There are many people who apply for remote jobs just for the fun of it. They feel remote working is a simple and fun way of earning money, so why not give it a shot? Such people can waste your time and effort.

To ensure efficient remote hiring, you must have an entirely different approach than the in-house hiring process. Remote hiring requires dynamic hiring strategies that are built not only to test the capability of the applicant but also to assess if the applicant is a good fit for the company culture.

Making your remote hiring process multifaceted and dynamic will allow you to hire the right online workers every single time. If you’re still unsure about how to hire a remote team then let’s help you have a better understanding.

A step-by-step guide for remote hiring

Now that you have a better understanding of the basics of remote hiring, let’s get started with our step-by-step guide to remote hiring success.

1. Create a unique job description.

The first step for building an exceptional team of flex workers is to start with a unique job description that describes the role that you’re trying to fill. Make sure to remain clear and concise so applicants have no confusion when applying. Many employers fail to understand the importance of a unique job description. Don’t become one of them. Spend time and write a job description that best defines the role and is also activity-oriented.  

2. Develop a candidate persona.

Now that you’re done with your job description, you must develop a persona for the ideal candidate. Ask yourself questions like:

- What kind of a person will be able to fit in this role?

- Apart from academic qualifications, what other skills should the ideal candidate possess?

- Are there any certain personality traits or habits that would be needed to perform the offered role better?

These questions can serve as good starters for developing a persona for the ideal candidate. You can even use your job description to uncover the required skills and knowledge the ideal candidate must possess. Alternatively, you can ask your team members for suggestions.

3. Evaluate the employee value proposition that you’re offering.

The employee value proposition is an integral part of any hiring process. However, it becomes a lot more crucial when you’re hiring online workers. For those of you that are unclear what an employee value proposition is, here’s a simple definition. The employee value proposition is the compensation (monetary value and other perks) you are offering to the employee in exchange for the work they do for you.

This compromises a number of elements that include salary, additional perks, number of working hours, the scope of work, work-life balance, etc. When trying to attract remote workers you need to offer a few perks here and there, for e.g you can offer to cover the cost of their internet usage or offer them subscriptions to co-working spaces, etc.

4. Explain your company culture.

This is most often overlooked by employers when getting gig workers on board. A failure to explain your company’s values and ethos will only result in poor performance and dysfunction. This means that you need to create a remote working strategy and stick to it. Additionally, you must spend time explaining the rules of the company and the requirements of the role to your remote workers. It’s best to follow this protocol as it will help in efficient working and seamless communication. This is also the perfect time to set expectations with your online workers; what you expect from them and what they expect from you.

5. Make a Job ad.

The next step is to create a job ad for the position that you want to fill. This is the time when you need to be on top of your marketing game. Highlight the benefits of working with your company and why should the applicants choose you over other companies. A great job ad is one that addresses all the concerns of an applicant without being uninteresting.

Do some market research and see the kind of ads your competitors have created so far. This will help you in creating a job ad that encapsulates the requirements of the vacancy.  

6. Start advertising.

Now that you have a compelling job ad, it’s time that you start advertising it. There are a number of platforms and mediums that you can use to promote your job ad. Additionally, you should also promote your job ad on your own site, blog, and social media handles. You should also incorporate it into your newsletter.

7. Test and interview the candidates.

A tactful practice for hiring flex workers is to attach an online test or task with the job ad. This will help you assess the skill set of the candidates and whether they will be able to fit in within the job role. After analyzing the test, you must conduct an online interview (preferably a video call) so you get a chance to know the candidate better. It is also recommended that you check for any references provided by the candidate to ensure that you’re making the right decision when hiring them.

8. Prepare legal documents.

The final step for hiring flex workers is to have all the legal documents ready to mail to them. This should include the offer letter, employment contract, NDA, and any other legal document that is required in the State/Country that your business operates in.

Bonus Tip  

9. Try using a recruitment software or platform.

If you don’t have the time for going through the extensive process of hiring gig workers yourself, give a recruitment software or platform a try. If we speak of gig workers platform, then Sourcie takes the lead.

Sourcie is a one of a kind recruitment platform that connects companies in search of gig workers with gig workers from across the globe. Appjobs is the largest gig-worker community in the world with a presence in 6 continents of the world. This dynamic platform has been helping companies like Lyft, Glovo, Careem, Food panda, and a lot more with supply acquisition of gig-workers.

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