How do you screen resumes for remote or hybrid work arrangements?

1 Define your criteria

Before you start screening resumes, you need to have a clear idea of what you are looking for in a remote or hybrid worker. What are the essential skills, qualifications, and experience that the role requires? What are the desirable but not mandatory attributes that would make a candidate stand out? What are the deal-breakers that would disqualify a candidate? How do you measure and evaluate these criteria objectively and consistently? You can use a job description, a scoring system, or a checklist to define your criteria and make your screening process more transparent and fair.

2 Look for remote readiness

Remote or hybrid work arrangements demand a high level of self-motivation, communication, collaboration, and adaptability from candidates. How do you assess these soft skills from a resume? You can look for clues and indicators in the candidate's work history, achievements, and projects. For example, you can check if they have previous experience in remote or hybrid roles, how they managed their time and tasks, how they communicated and coordinated with their teams and clients, how they solved problems and handled feedback, and how they learned new skills and tools. You can also look for keywords and phrases that reflect these skills, such as "remote", "virtual", "online", "independent", "flexible", "proactive", "self-starter", "team player", "results-oriented", "customer-focused", etc.

3 Use technology to your advantage

Screening resumes manually can be time-consuming and tedious, especially if you have a large pool of applicants. You can use technology to automate and streamline some aspects of your screening process, such as filtering, sorting, ranking, and scoring resumes based on your criteria. You can also use tools and platforms that allow you to conduct online assessments, tests, and interviews to further evaluate candidates' skills and fit for remote or hybrid work arrangements. For example, you can use video interviews to observe candidates' communication skills, body language, and professionalism. You can also use online quizzes, simulations, or assignments to test candidates' technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

4 Consider diversity and inclusion

Remote or hybrid work arrangements can offer more opportunities for diversity and inclusion in your workforce, as you can reach out to candidates from different locations, backgrounds, and perspectives. However, you also need to be mindful of potential biases and barriers that might affect your screening process and decisions. For example, you might unconsciously favor candidates who have similar experiences or preferences as you, or you might overlook candidates who have gaps or unconventional paths in their resumes. To avoid these pitfalls, you can use strategies such as blind screening, standardized criteria, diverse panels, and feedback mechanisms to ensure that your screening process is fair, objective, and respectful of all candidates.

5 Communicate clearly and frequently

One of the most important aspects of screening resumes for remote or hybrid work arrangements is communication. You need to communicate clearly and frequently with candidates throughout the screening process, from the initial contact to the final decision. You need to inform candidates about the expectations, steps, and timeline of the screening process, as well as the requirements and benefits of the remote or hybrid work arrangement. You also need to provide candidates with feedback, updates, and opportunities to ask questions and express their interest. By communicating effectively and respectfully with candidates, you can build trust, rapport, and engagement, as well as showcase your organizational culture and values.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?