How to Make and Manage a Reputable Remote Hire

Remote hires are one of the most popular forms of help in this modern age. It doesn’t matter where that person lives or even what country they’re in; they can still provide their much-needed services to your business.

Imagine how the typical interview plays out. The applicant is a little bit nervous, nobody knows where to look, and the whole experience is just a little bit uncomfortable for all those involved. Since the rise of remote hiring, this is all a thing of the past.

Nowadays, businesses and recruiters can simply post online the project that they want to be completed, remote hires bid for the project or secure the contract, and the project gets done. It’s that simple, and it’s increasingly benefiting businesses around the world.

Now, how can you get involved in this industry and how can hiring a reputable remote hire benefit you? Well, today, we’re going to find out. The first thing you’ll want to realize is that remote working can only work when the technology is in place to do so. This means, before you even think about posting a project, you need to make sure that your equipment is up to date.

This refers to a mid-range computer that has all the video-conferencing and sound recording accessories you think it needs. This is so you can communicate with remote hires effortlessly. You will also be able to find a range of smartphone applications that can help you start connected on the move.

Now you’re ready to start hiring. However, there’s the potential that you’re about to hire an individual that you’re potentially never going to meet, giving them tasks that could affect the future of your businesses. For some people, this is too much of a risk. However, with the right amount of savvy, you can be sure that you’re hiring the reputable remote hire that your business is looking for.

Selecting the Right Kind of People

There are two types of reputable remote hire. There are people who live the other side of the world, many of whom you might not ever meet but they’re a vital part of your organization. The other kind of remote hire is someone, a group of people, who currently work for you in your office but are now going to become remote hires by working from home.

Whether you’re in the process of implementing the latter or recruiting people from around the world, there’s a couple of traits you should be on the lookout for. The main trait and quality you should be on the lookout for is communication. Predominantly, written communication. This is such an essential part of remote working since it will be the only way you can ensure that both you and the reputable remote hire that you decide to work with are on the same page when it comes to your business’s priorities.

Grant M. Holmes, the HR Manager for Best Australian Writers, share his experience: “Of course, it’s difficult to know whether someone is the right person for the project, especially since you can’t see them face to face. At BAW, around 70% of our workforce is remote, but this took much organizing to make sure that projects were outsourced properly and the tasks that needed to stay in-house, stayed in-house.”

Creating a Process to Hire Effectively

You might be looking at hiring one person; you might be interested in recruiting 100. It’s important to remember that every business is different and will have its own set of requirements and specifications when it comes to recruiting and what it expects from hires.

So you can manage your expectations effectively, you need to create a hiring process that your company can follow. With a reputable remote hire, it’s not about how much time they spend in front of a computer; it’s how much work they can manage in their day.

Instead of looking for dedicated people who grind away for hours and hours, it’s much more beneficial to look for freelancers who work smart and have the necessary skills to succeed in their work, without the risk of burning out.

One of the best ways to test if a candidate is suitable is by asking them to perform a test task. Of course, this will have to be paid for, depending on how much time it’s going to take, but it’s a great way to see exactly how a reputable remote hire is going to perform for you specifically.

Using this method, many companies around the world who have a remote workforce of around 65%+ have found that these hires are so much more productive than if they were stationed in an office.

Get Organized and Plan Meticulously

As with any aspect of business, it’s vital that your recruitment process is well-thought out, organized and you plan each step of your process. If you want the best talent for your projects, this is what you’re going to have to do.

First, you’ll need to describe your company to a potential candidate. A reputable remote hire will be extremely interested in what you’re like as a business owner and how you’ll treat them. They don’t work at home to be treated like they’re in an office.

The best way to do this is by creating a company profile or summary, describing who you are, what you do, and your company’s mission or values.

Debby T. Peters, the team manager for Best British Essays, says, “As with any aspect of business, getting yourself organized and prepared is vital to the success of your recruitment venture. It’s important that you plan everything that you want from the newest recruits and you let them know exactly what’s expected of them. I remember when I tried to outsource a task to an individual on a whim. Without prior planning, it turned out to be more hassle than it was worth.”

Following this, you’ll want to include some information about what kind of freelancer you want and what qualities they should have. This means that in the space of two paragraphs, potential recruits know exactly what’s expected of them and whether the project is right for them. Freelance marketplaces like FreeUp have a short request form where you can list your expectations and vital details of the project in a few minutes.

Once you’ve described the sections above in a fair amount of detail, it’s time to move on by stating what a remote hire is going to be responsible for in your business. For example, if you were hiring a remote marketing manager, you could list off some responsibilities, such as growing your mailing list by 400 followers a week, managing all the PPC ads and running the company’s social media accounts.

Again, this is so a potential recruit knows exactly what they’re getting into and can apply if they fell that they meet all these criteria. From here, you want to move back into why the potential recruit would want to work at your company.

For example, you might provide several benefits for working for your company. This is basically telling the recruit why they would want to work for you. This is to help you secure the best talent for the project.

Going Live

Once you’ve created this summary of your application, it’s time to make it go live to the world. There are countless project boards, and websites you can find with a quick Google search. These can be good places to start.

Using sites like Upwork and People Per Hour, you can find individuals from all over the world in all kinds of freelance industries. The process is somewhat different on each platform, but you’ll always get the chance to communicate with freelancers before hiring them. There’s also a review and rating system on most platforms that you can follow to make sure that you really are choosing the most reputable remote hire for your needs.

Alternatively, you could hire a remote working company using review websites such as Top Canadian Writers to help you find the best. These companies operate alongside remote hires, and you’ll get the guarantee of a good service. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to pick out the most reputable remote hire from the lot, a marketplace like FreeeUp is your best bet.

Maintain Communication

After you’ve posted your application, you should start to see replies and applications coming in within a matter of minutes if you’re posting on a freelancer website. Please also be aware that many freelancer websites won’t allow you talk outside of their messaging features. For example, using Skype and it can have your account suspended.

However, if you’ve posted your project on social media, your website or a project board that allows it, feel free to chat to potential clients using Skype, Slack or email, whichever you prefer. You can then really get to know potential recruits, and you also can ask each other questions.

Make sure, even when you’ve recruited a candidate, you maintain contact where possible. For example, when you sign onto your computer for the first time that day, just say hello and ask if they’re okay. This helps to create a positive relationship and a productive environment where everybody is happy.

By creating a happy and positive work environment, a remote hire will be far more productive and happy to work for you. This, in turn, creates a positive and trustworthy relationship that’s built to last.

Jennifer is the business developer that works in different areas of education, technology, security and various types of online marketing. Prior to business developing Jennifer was consultant at Deloitte, and managed security services provider and developer of a wide range of security solutions.