World has become a global village now. It used to be a hectic and costly procedure to move from one country or continent to another. There was no concept of remote working until fast internet arrived. Now you might be a resident of continent Africa but having a remote job in the US. Remote jobs abroad have reduced barriers of borders and legal processes. Hundreds of companies offer remote jobs in Los Angeles solely. And these are not confined to computer records and analysis but remote engineering jobs are talk of the town now.
There are a number of people with different work styles, personality traits, qualifications and skills as well as coming from different cultures makes it harder to decide whom you should hire and most importantly how. Not being aware of an individual’s work experience and background can become an issue later on especially when this is the first time you are going to hire a remote worker for yourself. But do not panic, hirewithtogether comes to rescue you from having such issues with their experienced piece of advice in the form of few tips while hiring the first remote worker.
1. Excellent connectivity and availability of electricity:
This may sound like a biased opinion. But it is all worth it. Quality of the internet connection cannot be compromised. Making sure if the candidate has excellent and fast internet speed will save you from worries. While recruiting the candidates, check their background where they belong to. No matter if you are going to hire from across the globe but hiring someone from a location with not so good internet which is the basic requirement of this job does not make sense.
Unreliable and low strength WiFi leads to lower productivity directly affecting the company. Ask if there is any alternate available as a backup in case of emergency. A good employee is always proactive with contingent plans. Hence, a good quality check is a must tip to consider before you make a decision. Secondly, availability of electricity is very important. There must be a backup for it too.
2. Good working condition of the device:
After good quality internet connection, you must be concerned about the working condition and quality of the device or tools your employee is going to use. Ask questions if it is in personal use as well? You cannot handover your crucial projects to such an employee who does not own a reliable device. Worker should be familiar with the basic techniques to fix his device if it is broken without wasting time and waiting for it to get it fixed from somewhere by someone else. Do not forget that time is money and you cannot risk to waste it over little issues like windows getting corrupt or computers working slow.
Ask if there is any anti viruses software installed to sustain cyber attacks. Include questions that can reveal the status of the candidate’s device like when it was last time scanned or how many times new battery was purchased or what is the average typing speed of the computer etc. Answers to these questions will assist you in making a decision.
3. Background and Experience:
Selecting your first remote worker with no relevant background and experience is a huge risk that must be avoided. There are a number of reasons behind this strategy. Once a fresh candidate is hired, it incurs you cost in the form of his or her training. To get the employee on board and introduce to your company’s norms and culture is all time required.
For sure you would not like to hire someone who has no relevant work background and experience of working remotely because it would be an additional cost for you to train the individual for the basic work you have hired him or her for. Lack of skill and experience will have a great impact on the performance as well as productivity.
4. Look for the creativity:
This job’s foremost requirement is pure creativity. Pay a bit of attention to the portfolio of the potential candidate and particularly see if he or she has put in some effort to compose an impressive job application unlike a traditional resume. Make sure to check how diversified the candidate’s profile is and what comments have been made about him in the reviews section.
You cannot risk having an ordinary employee for a well reputed company like yours. Find a creativity element in the candidate and give him a chance to showcase his abilities. Creativity always comes along with innovations which has become the need of every business to survive and sustain the competition today. An individual with a broader perspective will prove a great asset for your company.
5. Understanding of cultural communication style:
Effective communication is the key to success and understanding of cultural communication styles of a remote employee belonging to an entirely different culture is important. Pay some attention and time to their verbal and non verbal communication and other cultural aspects. For example, in North America, people get offended for being late but it is opposite in Latin America. Understanding cultural barriers will lead to a better understanding between the employee and the company.
Conclusion:
Hiring a first remote worker might not be a piece of cake for you but a long term investment that should come with great caution and attention. Simply keeping in mind above mentioned tips for your first remote hiring will make it easier for you and you won’t regret it.
