With the world of work being in continuous evolution, work dynamics including the introduction of hybrid working come with some challenges.
Embracing a hybrid working environment certainly has its challenges. Managing productivity, maintaining company culture and team spirit are just the tip of the iceberg. One of the most significant challenges our clients experience is the hiring of new team members when you’re not face to face.
How you recruit, onboard, and engage are factors that contribute to the success, or failure, of a hybrid working environment. So, let’s discuss some of the remote hiring challenges faced currently and how you can overcome them, as remote work is here to stay!
Challenge #1- Dealing with technical difficulties
After preparing thoroughly for an interview, it’s unfortunate, but technology can fail you! When you’re experiencing technical issues, it can really influence your judgment on the overall interview process.
Internet connection issues or software and communication problems such as inconsistent video quality are just some misfortunes you could face during an interview with a candidate. If you’re nodding your head to the above, keep reading…
We suggest always creating plan b. Let the candidate know in advance what to do if there’s an issue. Ideally, they should be able to reach you by phone or mobile. If the issues persist, consider rescheduling the interview and work on solving the disruptions.
Challenge #2- Engagement
Maintaining engagement with remote workers is challenging. Engaging remote employees isn’t as simple as treating them to a team event office party. There can be issues of low morale and loneliness due to the lack of human interaction and it can be harder to spot – after all, you only see them via video calls for short periods.
Having said this, it can just take a little bit of creativity to overcome! Ask your team members to contribute to idea’s and have different team members organise activities each month. This helps get everyone involved with the planning and execution of it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Remote cocktail/mocktail making party, hire a pro and send out ingredients in advance
- Quiz nights, low cost and can be tailored to your team’s interests
- Co working time – have a video ‘room’ open for anyone who want the feel of working with others.
- Share company updates and new regularly so home workers don’t miss out on the office chatter.
Challenge #3- Onboarding new candidates
As mentioned above, lack of engagement can be apparent in remote workers, but it can also be a hurdle for new employees too. Starting a new job can sometimes be scary if they haven’t had the opportunity to meet the team in person. The ambiguity of working remotely can sometimes overwhelm the onboarding process.
You know that the onboarding process sets the tone for the professional future that lies ahead of your candidate and the value for your company. Its worth investing a little extra time and energy into effective planning.
Getting your team acquainted with the new team member should be your number one goal, especially for teamwork collaboration on certain tasks. Make them feel part of the group and give them the confidence to carry out their daily tasks.
Your remote team members can’t just simply turn to each other for a quick question, therefore, providing your new employee with the right tools can be an easy step. You just need to make sure they know who to ask when things are unclear.
It’s not all doom and gloom
If candidates are looking for more flexibility in their working lives, recruiting remotely opens up many opportunities to find those suited to working independently. For example, during the interview process candidates can demonstrate their ability to engage and connect using the available technology. From video calls to how they conduct themselves over the telephone – essential skills regardless of the role and responsibilities.
Searching for top talent in times of a skilled workforce shortage can be challenging, but its precisely this reason you can leverage remote recruiting. Your role could be fulfilled by someone who is located many miles away – giving you a larger pool of candidates to choose from.
Budget for Face-to-Face time
In our opinion, at least some face-to-face interaction is essential to build a team. If you are considering hiring team members who are further afield, consider the impact on your budget. You might save a few pounds in office space, but you’ll have the added burden of downtime and travel costs for team events, and possibly higher priced technology. For example, laptops and mobile phones are more costly that a standard office pc.
In Summary
By embracing technology, you can build a strong team, even when some members are working away from your main office. We recommend building in some time to work face-to-face and deepen relationships between your team members. The hidden gem for business owners is that you can hire the best talent, and not be limited by location.
Share your experience
We’d love to hear from you. Drop us an email and let us know how you approach hiring and working remotely.