4 Steps to Being a Successful Virtual Recruiter

Though remote work is a hot topic, the reality is it’s been on the rise for years now. Many innovative, employee-centric companies embraced remote work options as a way to promote work-life balance and attract top talent long before the pandemic ushered in the recent era of virtual work.

Even as many businesses have reopened and resumed in-person operations, remote work is here to stay. In fact, a recent report by Joblist cites that 45% of survey respondents would leave their job if required to go back to work in-person full-time.

As a result, companies and organizations around the world have realized that to remain competitive, they need to put more emphasis on recruiting and maintaining a virtual workforce.

What does this mean for recruiters?

The demand for remote work positions presents both challenges and opportunities. How do we establish personal connections with candidates through a series of emails and videoconference calls? How do we nurture company culture when employees are no longer working in the same physical space? On the other hand, remote work gives us access to a larger pool of potential candidates, since location is no longer a barrier to employment.

We all have adjustments to make, whether you’re a seasoned headhunter or you’ve just begun your recruiting journey, and these are my top four tips to taking your recruiting game online.

1. Put yourself in your candidates’ shoes

Where are your virtual candidates spending their time?

Once upon a time, it was enough to simply post a job listing or scour through a pile of resumes. Today, however, we must practice a bit of savvy. After all, you don’t just want a good employee; you want top talent that elevates your company and adds value to your workplace.

The best way to find these individuals is to look for them where they are spending their time. That might be on specific job boards or it might be on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Reddit.

Your ideal candidate may not be actively looking for a position, so it’s beneficial to know where they “hang out” online and make a presence for yourself in those spaces.

2. Leverage your competitors’ research

Your competitors have likely already done their research. Pay attention to where they advertise job openings, the type of candidates they target, and even the verbiage they use. Do they emphasize the term “work from home” or do they boast about flexible scheduling? You can learn a lot from the way your competitors present themselves.

The goal is not to copy them, but to use their information to put your own spin on things and attract the candidates they may have overlooked.

3. Re-evaluate evaluations

You’ll find that many things remain the same in the new virtual workplace. Establishing a baseline skill set is still critical and you’ll want to continue to feel out a candidate’s ability to problem-solve, think critically, and take initiative.

The process doesn’t necessarily change, but certain aspects of evaluation become more important, namely establishing expectations. As a virtual recruiter, it’s crucial that you gain an in-depth understanding of how the hiring manager defines success, expectations of remote work-friendly soft skills, the type and frequency of required communication, etc.

The time you take to learn the company’s evaluation process is a direct investment in your ability to find the right candidate the first time around.

4. Elevate virtual onboarding 

Onboarding is an often overlooked process. So many companies believe that once the paperwork is signed the onboarding process ends, but this can leave employees feeling lost, confused, and uncertain of their place within the company. A proper onboarding is especially vital for a remote workforce.

A strong onboarding program will help new hires feel like a valuable part of the team from day one, regardless of location. Encourage hiring managers to evaluate and elevate their onboarding process to ensure every new employee has the tools they need to be satisfied and successful in their new roles.

The world of recruiting is changing, and as recruiters, we must change with it. By leveraging the tips above, you can improve your chances of securing top talent for your company.

We’ve just skimmed the surface here. Are you ready to dive deeper so you can deliver bigger, better results to your company or clients? Virtual Recruiting is an engaging, comprehensive course featured on LinkedIn Learning.

In this course, I lay out the steps you need to thrive as a recruiter in a virtual world. You’ll learn how to identify the best candidates for remote work, build a strong talent pipeline, and support companies in their journey to embrace the virtual workplace.

As CEO and workplace culture consultant at Rework Work, Stacey A. Gordon coaches and counsels executive leaders on DEI strategies for the business while offering a broad education approach for the workforce as a whole. In addition to being published in Forbes, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review, Stacey is a popular LinkedIn Learning instructor and the author of UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work, which builds off her LinkedIn Learning course “Unconscious Bias.”

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