The Free and Easy Way to Find Your First Remote Team Member

Dipping your toes into the world of remote workers can be uncomfortable. How will you manage them? Can you trust them? How will you track what they work on? When will they work? How will you communicate? Etc.

Usually, the most critical question in the list boils down too, can you trust someone who you can’t see to do the work your team needs? Over time, you will have tools and best practices to help with these challenges, but it’s not much different than managing an employee in another location, office, or branch.

There is a short cut to finding someone you can trust that gives you the extra comfort you need when hiring remotely. Facebook. I know it sounds strange and maybe silly. Indeed and LinkedIn are where you recruit, not Facebook. I agree... usually. In this case, you are looking for someone you can trust, not just the best resume. That is easier to find on Facebook than you might think because of social consequences.

Post your first remote position on Facebook from your personal Facebook page. We already know that most of the best hires come from referrals. You might are likely to find someone you already know. Even if they aren’t an immediate connection, you are likely to find a friend of a friend. That person either knows you or knows people who know you. They are much less likely to take advantage of a remote position than someone you found blindly on Indeed.

Of course, this isn’t a full-proof method, but it is a great trick of the trade. If you give it a shot, I’d love to hear how it went for you. Comment below or send me a message with your results.

Once you are ready to bring them on-board, check out this post for some tips on tools for remote work.