Here's how you can effectively hire remote employees for your small business.

Establish standardized procedures for remote hiring to ensure consistency and fairness throughout the process. This includes creating clear guidelines for remote interviews, assessments, and candidate evaluations.

When defining roles for hiring remote workers, ensure the quality of their work matches that of in-person employees. Additionally, consider the financial implications for your business. Evaluate whether hiring remotely, locally, or abroad will benefit your business overall.

Share testimonials or case studies from current remote employees to showcase the positive experiences and successes within your organization. Highlight specific examples of how remote work has benefited both the company and individual team members.

Attracting talent largely depends on the type of company or business you have. In the tech space, for instance, we often attract a lot of talent because of the flexibility to work remotely, which is essential for maintaining a functioning tech company. Roles from software engineering to marketing can be performed in a hybrid or fully remote manner. Therefore, attracting talent is heavily influenced by your product and the industry you operate in.

Screening resumes is extremely important because, for many positions today, a lot of candidates have similar qualifications. It's essential to look for those with additional skills that can complement your team and enhance the company's workflow. Therefore, I focus on identifying resumes that stand out from the rest.

Initial screening is essential, but don't limit yourself to a rigid checklist. Go beyond simply matching keywords and experience. Look for clues about a candidate's work ethic, self-motivation, and ability to communicate effectively in a remote setting. For example, pay attention to the tone and structure of their cover letter – does it demonstrate strong communication skills and a proactive approach? Also, consider their online presence – do they have a professional portfolio, a blog, or participate in online communities related to their field? These subtle indicators can offer valuable insights into a candidate's potential fit for a remote role.

Conducting interviews is crucial after reviewing a resume. Resumes may look impressive on paper, but during the interview, employers like me evaluate not only the candidate's skills and experience but also their personality and character. These traits are extremely important because successful teamwork requires compatibility. If a candidate's personality and character aren't a good fit for you or your team, they won't be a good fit for your company.

Remote interviews provide a unique opportunity to delve deeper into a candidate's past experiences to understand their behavioral patterns. Instead of hypothetical scenarios, ask open-ended questions that focus on their past experiences in similar situations. For example, "Tell me about a time you had to manage a project with a tight deadline and limited resources. What did you do and what was the outcome?" By focusing on behavioral questions, you can gain valuable insights into how a candidate has navigated challenges, demonstrated initiative, and collaborated with others in the past, giving you a better understanding of their potential to succeed in a remote role.

I believe in assessing skills, but you have to consider the limitations of an assessment with articficial constraints. For example, if your business involves a highly specialized skill set, it might be difficult to create a realistic test without revealing sensitive information. Alternatively, you might want to consider a "take-home assignment" that allows candidates to demonstrate their skills and thought process without the pressure of a timed assessment (unless this is how they'll actually need to perform on the job). This approach can provide a more authentic view of their work style and potential to contribute to your team.

While thorough onboarding is critical, don't underestimate the importance of building ongoing personal connections. Schedule virtual coffee chats or team lunches to help remote employees feel more integrated into the company culture. Also, encourage regular interactions between the new employee and their direct supervisor to foster a sense of mentorship and support. These personal touches can go a long way in ensuring that remote employees feel valued and connected, usually leading to greater productivity, engagement and satisfaction in their role.