Hiring talent to join your team is one of the trickiest parts of scaling a business. With over 60% of CEOs and managers admitting that they made a bad choice when hiring in previous years, it’s clear that this is a nationwide problem – and not one that many SMEs can afford.
Settling for second-best (or worse) can stifle your business growth and lead to a whole lot of wasted money. That’s why it’s crucial you invest in getting it right the first time. If you’re building a remote team, we have put together our top tips for streamlining your candidate selection process.
1. Implement the right technology
Technology is a crucial part of scaling a profitable business, especially when it comes to remote hiring. Software and tools can drastically improve your business processes when recruiting new talent spread across different countries. When it comes to streamlining your remote hiring process, technology is going to be crucial.
Ensure you choose the right software and digital tools by first identifying which areas of the process take the most time and see the most errors. In other words, what are your weak points within your hiring and onboarding process?
Then look into finding reputable software that makes these tasks easier, providing automation, templates, and digital tools to simplify and optimise your process.
2. Create accurate job descriptions
One of the easiest ways to avoid candidates who don’t fit your needs applying for the role is to create accurate job descriptions.
Before you begin, make sure you know exactly what you’re looking for by considering:
- What you need your potential hire to add to your SME.
- Whether qualifications are necessary (required and preferred).
- Whether experience is necessary.
- Any technology expertise required.
If there’s wiggle room for people without experience and qualifications but who show the sort of skill you’re looking for, make that clear.
Write up an accurate description of the role, including details of the company and the culture/values you embody. It’s important to be clear whether the role is fully remote or hybrid. What hours will the candidate be expected to do?
You’ll want your job description to be concise and to the point, but also full of valuable information to filter out the wrong candidates.
When attracting potential candidates, include a statement identifying you as an Equal Opportunity Employer. Also, consider using blind recruitment to overcome unconscious bias.
3. Include keywords in job descriptions
Keywords ensure your job description is found by the right people. Be sure to include searchable phrases in your description that’ll help it appear in relevant searches. Add your location, job title, and any searchable perks like “remote work” or “freelance positions”.
4. Make the most of hiring platforms
Publishing your job description across third-party hiring search engines and social media platforms is crucial to getting the word out about your role.
Some of the best platforms to post your vacancy on include LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, and Facebook.
But posting each job description individually on multiple job boards is time-consuming. That’s why using software to help you cast a wider net for remote positions can be quick and effective – you’ll gain the visibility you need to fill your vacancies.
5. Keep job listings up to date
Whether on your own website or on third-party platforms, it’s important that your vacancies are kept up to date.
When a position is filled or a new role opens up, you should quickly update your job boards and site to reflect the updates.
6. Build a prospect database
Your prospect database is an easily searchable list of all of your candidates for each position.
A database helps you stay on top of your potential hires, allowing you to track their progress and communicate with them easily. Keep candidates informed of how far along they are in the hiring process and don’t let top talent slip through the cracks.
You can also search back through your database every time a new role opens up. Someone already in your system may suit the vacancy perfectly, helping you skip the lengthy recruitment process altogether.
7. Automate screening processes
Around 70% of companies use automation in their day-to-day processes. Useful for streamlining repetitive tasks and reducing your team’s workload, it’s a no-brainer to include it in your screening process.
Automate a wide range of tasks, including resume screening and initial candidate challenges to shorten your list of potential hires. Keep those you reject up to date with automated emails using templates and invite successful candidates to the next stage using the same method.
Automated scheduling software is another smart tool to employ. This software can automatically find spaces in your diary for candidate interviews and alert the interviewee, leaving you time to continue scaling your business.
8. Invest in efficient onboarding
Good onboarding processes help get your new team member acquainted with their role and their fellow employees, ensuring they slot into your company without a hitch.
Your new remote hire should feel confident, supported, and knowledgeable about their role thanks to your onboarding.
Some tips to make this transition a success include:
- Delivering all company/role information before their start date.
- Providing your new hire with a remote buddy or manager to provide support.
- Setting up an ongoing training programme.
- Checking in regularly to make sure your new hire feels confident and calm.
- Creating a portal of information the new hire can check when they have questions, employee benefits etc.
Final words
Scaling your SME often means hiring remotely to tap into the global talent pool in order to support your growing business.
Hopefully, these tips will help you streamline your processes and make finding top talent a breeze. In the meantime, be sure to check out WorkMotion’s onboarding process and learn how it can help you secure the remote team you need.
