The rise of remote work has fundamentally changed the landscape of employment. No longer confined to traditional office settings, companies are now casting a wider net, seeking talent from across broad geographical regions. And, while last week I wrote about a recent shift back to on-site work environments (that post can be found HERE), it is clear some variation of remote work is here to stay, which presents both opportunities and challenges for recruiting teams.
I mentioned the benefit of remote work from the employee view last week. Recruiters often mention these positives when attracting remote employees:
- Increased Flexibility: Remote work offers employees unparalleled flexibility, allowing them to work from anywhere with an internet connection. This attracts top talent who value work-life balance and autonomy, usually making filling these roles easier for the recruiter.
- Expanded Talent Pool: By removing geographical limitations, recruiters can access a global pool of skilled professionals, increasing their chances of finding the perfect fit.
A LinkedIn survey found that 74% of professionals believe remote work allows them to access a wider range of job opportunities.
But there are also challenges. Productivity improves with team cohesion and great communication, two things leaders mention often as concerns in a remote working environment. Companies are desperate to maintain a strong culture, quite the challenge with remote workers. There are also about 25% of those who can work remotely that prefer working onsite, which could eliminate them from consideration if no locations are nearby.
About 20% of those able to work remotely work on-site.
Gallup hybrid work survey
55% of those who can work remotely have a hybrid work environment.
25% of those who can work remotely do so exclusively
One thing that doesn’t change when recruiting remote employees is they still need to have the appropriate skills, be a good cultural fit, and be motivated to do a good job at their new company. In that regard, there are a few things recruiters can do to insure success:
- Clear Understanding of Remote Work Policy: When remote work relationships fail, it typically is a misunderstanding of how an employee interprets the company’s policies, which sometimes may vary by team or department. While recruiting teams should highlight the benefits of remote work (like flexible schedules and work/life balance), they should clearly understand the remote work policies related to the specific job opening and confirm candidates understand the policy. This can include:
- Hours of work
- Technical requirements for remote work (Equipment needs, reliable internet access, and general home office setup)
- Standards for communication (i.e. company convention is video conference vs. phone meetings)
- Any travel or onsite location visits required by remote workers
- Update Job Descriptions: Job descriptions should balance the positives of working remotely with the specifics of what that means at the company and in this particular role. This should include details as mentioned in item 1 above. This allows potential candidates to understand what working remotely means at the company.
- Post to Remote-Specific Job Boards: There are specialty boards where candidates go to find remote positions. There may also be niche communities, remote worker forums, etc. where companies can connect with potential remote candidates.
- Utilize job boards and platforms specifically designed for remote work, such as Remote OK, We Work Remotely, and FlexJobs.
- Explore niche communities and forums relevant to specific industry to connect with potential candidates. Note that these sites may also be aligned by geography and function in addition to industry. Do you homework!
- Conduct Virtual Interviews:
- Video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams are now standard for interviewing remote candidates and save a lot of money versus paying for candidates traveling to interview sites.
- Recruiters need to make a good first impression too! Make sure there is a strong internet connection and a professional background to set the stage appropriately.
- Be prepared! Assume video interviews are just like an in-office interview. Have questions ready to go, look at the camera, and consider using AI tools to capture notes so interviewer can focus on smooth candidate interactions and engaging conversations.
- Prioritize Cultural Fit:
- Assess candidates’ ability to work independently and collaboratively in a virtual environment.
- Use proven methods to identify individuals with strong communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a proactive and self-motivated work ethic.
- Companies more and more are using online personality assessments to evaluate cultural fit. Consider if this makes sense for your company and this particular role.
- Onboard Remote Employees Effectively:
- It is critical to create a strong bond throughout the onboarding process and maybe even more so with remote hires ( See Onboarding – The Forgotten Retention Tool I posted a few weeks ago).
- Schedule regular check-ins with new hires to ensure they are comfortable and productive in their new role. This is critical for remote hires, who may have limited interactions with others in the company.
- Foster a sense of community by organizing virtual team-building activities and social events.
- Build a Strong Remote Culture:
- While managers need to take ownership of building a cohesive remote team, it says a lot about the culture of the company when a recruiter follows up at periodic intervals to see how new employees are doing.

Studies are inconclusive whether remote employees are more or less productive than those who work in-office. Most CEOs believe there is a stronger culture and more of a benefit when employees work together.
Recruiters are often the first line of exposure candidates have with a company. By taking the right steps to accurately assess remote candidates, while doing their part to explain how remote workers thrive in the company, businesses can successfully navigate the challenges of remote recruitment and build high-performing and engaged remote teams.
If you would like to discover more about this topic, read Federal Reserve Bank of NY’s Liberty Street Economics article “Businesses Want Remote Work, Just Not as Much” or Robert Half’s Five Benefits of Hiring Remote Workers.
Need help understanding how your company’s remote work policies are affecting culture and productivity? Contact Eddie (estewart@ESTalentSolutions) for a free conversational diagnostic. In a few short minutes, you could receive practical tips to improve the efficiency of your HR ecosystem.
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