Very few industries are as perfectly aligned to remote work as that of the tech field, and today’s employers recognize this as an opportunity to attract and retain the best and brightest. Yet, while you’re scouring resumes for hard and soft skills and checking references, you’re not always reaping the benefits of hiring remote tech workers. What’s going on?
The problem could be in your hiring and onboarding processes. If you’re treating your remote workers like individuals instead of a team, and expecting the same work from them as you’d demand from an in-office job, there’s likely a miscommunication somewhere.
In this blog, we’ll share the secrets to successful hiring and onboarding of remote tech teams to help you, too, enjoy the advantages of distance workers.
1. Go Where the Tech Workers Are
Many employers use the old standby hiring platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, but tech companies need to go where the top minds in the field hang out. Otherwise, you’ll be sorting through hundreds of unqualified applicants’ resumes with your eyes too crossed to notice when you find a gold one!
Setting up a funnel system where you hire a recruiter to find potential highly qualified applicants before a position is open can save you significant time and expense when you do get a vacancy. But if you’d rather keep your hiring processes in-house, look for alternatives to Indeed, such as those in this article by Obsidi®, where tech workers search job boards. Use those platforms to post your job openings, and be specific about the type of person you’re looking for. Qualified and dependable are vital, of course, but what else would the ideal candidate on the team look like?
Explain your workplace culture so they know whether they’ll fit in or not before they apply. This step can reduce getting a new hire onboarded only to lose them because they are unhappy with the team atmosphere or company culture.
2. Get the Candidate’s Expectations Directly From Them
We all know the dangers of making assumptions, and then, as a hiring manager, we do them anyway. We assume the candidate understands what is expected of them and is on board with following those expectations. However, in many situations, there’s a difference between what you say and what they hear or take away from the conversation.
Before you offer the official job invitation, ask the applicant what they envision a day in the life of a remote tech worker at your company to be. Does it align with your expectations of their position? Can you reach a middle ground with them before you offer the job?
That shared understanding of the role’s expectations can minimize many problems later. And, if the team member doesn’t follow through with the requirements, you know that you’ve clarified those position essentials thoroughly and can remind them of the discussion where they agreed to specific expectations.
3. Go All Out With Onboarding
The sink-or-swim onboarding policies are easy to follow when you don’t see the team member in person. But there’s a good chance they’ll need guidance — at least to learn the company’s procedures and meet their “co-workers.”
Start with the onboarding basics, like assigning a mentor to the new hire who can answer their questions and follow up faster than you may be able to. Use project management software to create onboarding tools that help immerse the team member in their new tech world, teaching them how to use the essentials, schedule time off, communicate with everyone, and what to do if they have a question or concern.
Treat the new hire as if they were in front of you in the office. Since you can’t be there, use technology to do everything you’d have done in an in-person job. The goal should be to integrate them into your company culture, build a rapport with the existing team members, and make your new person feel comfortable and welcome. You may schedule a virtual meeting with everyone on the team or the human resources department and use icebreaker games and questions to guide the meeting.
Conclusion
Every position is important, but in the tech world, the wrong remote hire can create significant deadline delays. Choosing a virtual candidate is challenging — you can’t “read the room” before and after you hire them to see if they were the right choice! But there are things you can do to ensure optimal hiring and onboarding. Go where the tech workers are, find out if your expectations match theirs before you offer the job, boost your onboarding processes, and you’ll maximize productivity while minimizing turnover.
