Editor's Note: This post is part of our "Cartoon Coffee Break" series. While we take talent management seriously, we also know it's important to have a good laugh. Check back regularly for a new ReWork cartoon.
While 2020 certainly revealed the challenges of remote work, it also unearthed a host of benefits for employees and employers alike: like more access to untapped talent and new opportunities and less time spent commuting. As a result, remote work seems here to stay: recent research suggests some 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025.
For companies, then, effectively tapping into this wider pool of top talent remotely will require a shift for HR teams. In 2021, HR must prioritize remote hiring as a permanent fixture in their talent acquisition and recruiting strategy.
1. Make Sure You Have The Tech Needed For Remote Hiring
Even prior to the surge in remote work, companies have begun leveraging AI, automation, and blockchain technology to screen and verify candidates, streamline all of the communications associated with recruiting, and generally make the hiring process more thorough and secure. And it’s paying off: the quality of hiring has increased and the process is more efficient without losing it’s humanness.
2. Ask The Right Questions When Hiring Remote Workers
While many employees are successfully doing their in-office jobs at home, remote work does require a different set of skills. When hiring, HR teams need to consider a candidate’s ability to work independently while remote—and integrate questions into the interview process accordingly. And in addition to preparing new interview questions, HR teams also need to be prepared to answer new questions from candidates around things like remote onboarding, COVID-19 safety measures, future flexibility and DE&I efforts.
3. Keep Empathy in The Online Interview
Even though remote work is becoming more comfortable for companies and employees alike, that doesn’t mean the human aspect of work—and by extension, recruiting—should fade. Empathy and kindness should be a permanent fixture of the remote hiring process. HR teams must bear in mind that for many, the remote job search is still relatively new. And, while things like candidate presentation and poise are important, a dog barking in the background or an interruption from a spouse or child is still par for the course when working from home.
For more reading on humanity and business leadership, check out these tips from Cornerstone’s Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer Heidi Spirgi and HR thought leader Laurie Ruettimann.
Related Resources
Want to keep learning? Explore our products, customer stories, and the latest industry insights.
Customer Story
Nitto Denko Corporation: Unifying the training environment globally and promoting learning with excellent UX/UI
As a high-performance materials manufacturer, Nitto Denko continues to pioneer new applications, products and demand in various fields, expanding its market globally and achieving continuous growth. The company, which considers its people to be its most valuable asset, focuses on personnel development and on supporting challenges in their work and learning.
Blog Post
6 steps to defining your organizational values
Organizational culture can be seen as a "personality" created by the organization's values, attitudes and behaviors. This "personality" attracts and keeps great talent, creates a positive public image and helps build long-lasting relationships with stakeholders, vendors and customers.
eBook
5 ways to make your workplace more LGBTQ+ inclusive
A diverse workplace is only as strong as the measures it puts into place to foster authentic and meaningful inclusion. People know when you're making a real effort or just going through the motions. We need to create work environments where everyone feels welcome and is empowered to bring their full self to work.