Lessons from Leading Remote: Hiring

The way we hire and the way we work has necessarily shifted over the last few years. While some things drift back to the way they were, many things are becoming a more permanent shift from what used to be. As we learn what hiring and retaining our people looks like in an increasingly remote work environment, the old “status quo” seems to be a poor fit.

I talked with one leader who wants to shift from being co-located to hybrid in the next year as they add new members to the team. Another team made the move from hybrid to a remote first work environment and is now adding fully remote workers to their group. And yet another leader simply stayed remote after the pandemic and is now exploring meeting spaces to bring her growing team together in-person at least once a year to fuel team cohesiveness.

What have we learned?

In each of these situations the team has grown and onboarded new hires into a shifting and changing workplace. We have learned…new ways to recruit talent now that we can spread the candidate search across geographical boundaries. We have learned…retaining our people might be harder as the number of opportunities available to them has increased. We have learned…in a shrinking workforce we have to work harder to find the right fit. We have learned…to rethink traditional hiring and take advantage of the growing pool of freelancers who may work part-time across several jobs.

“Sourcing and finding people is the most important. You can’t recruit, message, or network with someone you haven’t found.”

– Glen Cathey

How do you find qualified talent in an increasingly remote talent pool?

Recruitment strategies have traditionally included outreach through your networks and team member’s networks. Nowadays, however, to be successful we must reach deeper into our networks to find candidates. Recruiters these days have expanded possibilities for posting jobs that increase access to viable candidates, especially if your workflow allows for remote work. 

If, however, you are in a co-located or hybrid work environment your potential talent pool is likely smaller and your options for recruiting may be more constrained. These conditions may lead you to take the first candidate that comes close to your needs rather than taking the time to evaluate candidates for fit to the job qualifications and culture. 

“People are not your most important asset. The right people are.”

– Jim Collins

Hiring too quickly is a choice that solves an immediate problem with potentially deferred consequences if you don’t hire right the first time. To avoid said consequences, identify key candidate qualifications and qualities before you begin. Find more tools to help with candidate assessment in the Lead Your Leader’s Podcast: Episode 18: How Do I Hire the Right One? 

How do you find the right fit in a highly competitive recruiting environment?

Whether you are hiring for a team that is co-located, hybrid or remote, the current hiring environment offers access to screening tools previously unused or underused.

• Utilize online or phone interviews to screen initial candidates for a more manageable process if you have a larger candidate group. 
• Consider asking candidates to prepare a brief video to assess their skills and utilization of technology especially if that’s part of their job.
• Conduct interviews to assess candidate strengths and fit to the role through a virtual platform, like Zoom, rather than in person.
• Take advantage of online hiring assessments tools (e.g. Hogan, Kolbe Right Fit) that highlight candidate strengths against predetermined expectations for the job.
• Engage them for a paid “freelance” short project assignment that mimics the type of work they may be doing.  

While you adapt new techniques based on what we have learned working remotely, your organization’s values can serve as your guide by letting those be the lens by which you establish processes whether remote, hybrid or co-located. 

What have you learned about hiring while working remotely? What insights would you share with other leaders? Comment below!