What are the best practices for hiring and onboarding remote design talent?

La definición del Propósito y una Cultura saludable garantiza la motivación y la pertenencia de cualquier integrante de un equipo. Cuando tu invitas a un talento a formar parte de un equipo lo invitas a un desafío, a un objetivo concreto, con un Plan estructurado, abierto y humano para lograr determinados objetivos. Con un marco de valores saludables, que garantizar el espacio seguro de trabajo para cualquier integrante. Si no tienes esto claro, ni tu equipo cercano ni el remoto tendrán la razón suficiente para levantarse cada ma?ana y dar lo mejor de sí. ?Escuchaste alguna vez la frase "la gente no renuncia a las empresas, renuncia a los líderes"? Yo le agregaría "los líderes... que no saben a dónde van".

Before searching for remote design talent, clearly define your expectations and requirements. Determine the required skills, experience, and portfolio look and feel you seek. Outline your goals, milestones, and envisioned deliverables. Establish a plan for communication, collaboration, and feedback. Also, consider how you will gauge performance and satisfaction. Crafting a detailed job description and developing an effective onboarding plan are crucial steps to attract top-notch candidates for your remote design team.

Skills & Expriance Precisely delineate the technical proficiencies and experiential requisites essential for the position, encompassing a mastery of cutting-edge design software, a deep comprehension of design theory and principles, a robust background in crafting captivating user interfaces (UI) and optimizing user experiences (UX), and any specialized industry acumen indispensable for the role.

The single most important thing when hiring a remote design team, especially designers, isn't about who knows which tool or the definitions they can recite. It's about pinpointing the type of designer you need. Are you looking for someone with exceptional research skills, or do you need a talent who excels at testing? Maybe you're after a mix of both. My advice is to focus on crafting assignments and exercises that reveal the true nature of each applicant as a designer. This approach lets you understand who they are and if they fit what you're looking for. Move forward only when you find that match. This is a much more productive and practical approach as compared to just listing down your needs and expectations.

Building visibility around your company, working on building a community around it, making your values, principles & commitments tangible has a strong impact on the level of qualification of your candidates before you meet them.

Designers dwell in places where they can gain inspiration from. Dribble, Behance, Linkedin, Instagram and the like are great places to find design talent. Especially look out of the designers who take the extra effort to have their portfolios standout in terms of message, design language and theme because that is a reflection of the effort they will put in when when hired.

You will find amazing remote workers at Toptal, Dribbble, Behance, Twitter. Don’t look for UpWork, Fiverr and others. Although they can be lower rates but also the quality will be lower as well. For tools, the usual: Slack, Zoom, Meet, Figma/FigJam, Miro, Notion, Trello, Jira are good choices

When IQ decided to expand its design team remotely, I knew relying on one platform wouldn’t be enough. To reach diverse talent, I posted the role on LinkedIn and Dribbble while exploring niche platforms like Designer Hangout. I also connected with attendees from recent virtual design events. One standout candidate came from Behance, where their portfolio matched our needs perfectly. To evaluate their fit, I used Loom for a video introduction and Miro to collaborate on a quick mockup task during the interview. This multi-channel approach helped us attract a diverse pool of talent and ensured we found a designer who aligned with our needs and remote-friendly workflow.

Make sure that their designs bring value to the table. Look at how they have structured their case studies and what problem they have chosen to solve. Take a detailed look at their empathy map. When it comes to tools, see to that, they have not just limited their learning but also go the extra mile to learn something new in it.

Finding remote design talent requires a strategic approach due to high competition. Utilize various channels such as job boards, specialized design platforms, and social media to broaden your search. Engage with professional networks and design communities to tap into passive candidates. Tools like applicant tracking systems and design-specific portfolios can streamline the screening process. Conduct thorough interviews and practical design tests to assess skills and compatibility. By diversifying your sourcing methods and leveraging advanced tools, you increase your chances of finding top-tier remote design talent who meets your project’s needs and aligns with your company’s culture.

In managing a remote working culture, it's essential to ensure a good fit between employees and the company's ethos. We prioritize culture and fit by incorporating structured virtual meet-and-greets as part of the hiring process. This approach allows both parties to gauge compatibility in a relaxed setting. Furthermore, we've implement scenario-based assessments to understand how candidates handle situations they'd encounter while working remotely. Emphasizing clear communication about the company's values and expectations from the start would also be crucial. This strategy aims to build a remote team that is not just skilled but also shares a common vision and working style, fostering a cohesive and productive environment.

Don't opt for culture fit; aim for culture add. You want different people on your team, the ones who bring a different perspective. By creating a more inclusive team culture, you'll be able to create a safer space for people and make the onboarding process much easier, as people will feel part of something bigger much faster.

Cultural fit is one of the hardest things to achieve. this is because the world is getting smaller and more cultures are intermingling. Its important to look for core values in the candidate such as loyalty, creative taste, ability to connect with people on a level outside of just the professional, and last but not least, be a good listener and learner.

I'd encourage you to consider doing the opposite of hiring for culture and fit. If you seek only personalities and styles that match those that exist in your team, you'll never achieve any of the benefits that come with building a truly diverse team. Set standards; for example, I never hire jerks, regardless of how talented they are, but strive to hire people who will challenge the status quo and stretch your cultural identity.

The main thing, in my opinion, is to have a language that attracts the kind of person who will fit in with your culture... And then it's worth having anthropologists on your team observing and experiencing the culture that your group creates at every moment. What we say and how we say it is more important than anything

Thank you for bringing the humanity back in the game. Recently, I interviewed for a job. The interview was very regimented, with a bell dinging at the end of each portion of it to let me know that the time expired. At the end, I felt unseen. I would love to work for a company that wants to see me first, wants to understand my values and what makes me wake up in the morning. My values, my beliefs, the way I see the world and my place in it manifest in my designs. For example, my high sense of empathy plays a definite role in the way I approach projects and design solution. Despite this, I am still waiting for an interviewer to ask “How do you feel about people? How do you relate to them?”.

Develop a structured onboarding process that integrates remote hires seamlessly into the team, including virtual introductions and comprehensive training. In my experience, a well-organized onboarding program establishes a positive foundation, helping remote designers quickly acclimate to their roles and the company culture. Mainly, the interview should feel like a duplex conversation for the interviewee.

Onboarding is absolutely crucial, especially for remote hires who miss out on the organic interactions of an office setting. The lack of face-to-face meetings, coffee breaks, and casual encounters means we must work harder to integrate them into our culture. A seamless onboarding process that openly communicates our values, expectations, and the nuances of our culture is key. This involves not just the necessary tools and resources but also ensuring they feel part of the team from day one. Virtual social events, regular check-ins, and clear, welcoming guidance can bridge the gap, helping new hires to bond with the team and adapt to our working style, even from a distance.

The mission, vision and practices from the side of the agency must be transparent and must encourage a growth boosting environment and must welcome creative initiatives!

Crie uma dinamica para receber seu novo contratado. Apresente seu time, fa?a com que as pessoas conhe?am seu novo colega e crie maneiras de vivenciar um pouco o funcionamento da empresa, fazendo um processo de Dog fooding em departamentos estratégicos. Assegure que o profissional será bem recebido e se sinta bem com a situa??o.

Implement strategies for ongoing support, skill development, and career growth to retain remote design talent. Investing in continuous learning opportunities and career advancement demonstrates a commitment to the professional growth of remote team members, enhancing retention.

Joining a remote team can feel daunting, especially when connecting with a tight-knit group without in-person interactions. As a design leader, recognizing and addressing these challenges is crucial. Organizing team bonding activities, like design brainstorms or casual coffee chats over video, encourages new members to connect with both the design team and other colleagues they work with. Pairing a new member with a "buddy" has also been important, offering them a go-to person for everything from onboarding questions to virtual introductions across the team. Cultivating a sense of belonging and ensuring everyone feels connected and motivated, despite physical distances, is key to retaining talent, a responsibility that falls on us.

Investing in the growth and development of our remote design talent is not only beneficial but essential. It's more cost-effective to nurture in-house talent than to onboard new hires. We prioritize regular check-ins and foster an environment of open communication, feedback, and appreciation. These practices are transformative, helping to keep our team happy, engaged, and motivated. By offering opportunities for learning and recognition, we not only enhance their skills but also ensure they feel valued and integral to our success. This approach to growth and retention is a cornerstone of our strategy, ensuring our remote talent flourishes.

Investing in retention and development is just as important as hiring the right remote design talent. In my experience, remote work offers flexibility but brings challenges like isolation and burnout. Offering training and development courses on platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, or Coursera can help remote designers expand their skills and stay motivated. By prioritizing their development and well-being, you not only retain top talent but also empower them to contribute more effectively to the organization's success.

Manter talentos de design remoto exige investimento contínuo. Ofere?a oportunidades de crescimento: Programas de desenvolvimento profissional e treinamentos mantêm os designers atualizados e engajados. Valorizar o trabalho dos designers aumenta a satisfa??o e o comprometimento. Promova equilíbrio entre trabalho e vida pessoal