The Ins and Outs of Hiring Remote Employees

By Linda Olejniczak, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE

The pandemic and tight job market might have your organization considering bringing on remote employees who live far away from your office location. But this can create lots of questions for hiring managers. Before jumping in, read these pros and cons.

Organizations are looking at remote workers to increase their talent pool for many roles. “In some ways, remote hiring is very similar to in-office hiring,” says Brie Reynolds, career development manager for the remote job site FlexJobs. “The essentials of the process are generally the same: a combination of accepting applications, scheduling initial screening interviews, then second interviews, and finally, decision-making.” 

The visit to the office to be interviewed by staff is now a series of phone calls and virtual meetings. Be clear on what type of interview you are scheduling and what time zone it is in.

It is important that candidates being considered for remote work excel at communication skills, self-discipline, organization, and the ability to troubleshoot their own technology problems. Managers who will be supervising remote employees need to be trained on how to communicate and track productivity.

Don’t forget about a cohesive onboarding process to engage your remote employee.  Using a 30- 60- and 90-day process will ensure your new employee is meeting employees and getting acclimated to the company culture.

There are some risks and concerns with hiring remote employees. HR must know the legal requirements for conducting business in each state you hire in. Employers of remote employees must always be mindful of the state and local laws where their remote employees work and/or reside and determine which employment laws apply. Make sure to research what rules apply for the state you plan to hire in to make sure your organization stays compliant.  While the list below isn’t a comprehensive list of all the legal requirements you need to consider, these are a few: