“Little over a century ago, oil was considered the most lucrative resource in the world. Times are changing, and now, there is a new commodity on the block – data, the oil of the digital era.” This was something I heard while I was kicking back and relaxing after another day of WFH. The quote is from a documentary narrated by a prominent data scientist.
I turned to the TV and the scientist continued, “The world runs on data everywhere. Whether it’s your personal life, professional life or any type of business. Even when you look at how the HR world works, it’s all about data – people data, specifically. Analytics and data have become the currency by which any business runs.”
This is definitely true because the speed at which insights can now be gathered, analyzed, and derived has been one of the key factors driving the value of data.
In my opinion, even during these unprecedented times, data has revolutionized the game for any business in the process of making important decisions. This is more so when one considers remote recruitment. How can you hire the right remote workers for your business when (1) you can’t follow regular, face-to-face hiring procedures and (2) you may not be able to on-board or train them as extensively as you’d like to?
Here are a few of my thoughts on hiring remote workers and using people data, in this process.
Apart from basics like salary expectations, work experience, and working hours, you need to go a step further with your interview questions when you hire remote workers.
Ask questions that give you some insight into their level of self-motivation, independent thinking, strategic thinking, decision-making skills, time management skills, and last, but certainly not least, their communication and collaboration skills. While it may be hard to gauge these kinds of traits over a conversation, it’s important to understand how each candidate perceives themselves.
Having a good reputation has always helped businesses attract and retain qualified people. It’s easier to reach local candidates because it’s possible they have heard of your company through an employee or witnessed your interview process.
However, when you hire remote workers, candidates may have to rely on your digital presence to learn more about your company. As such, you need to ensure that your online presence depicts trustworthiness and the type of culture valued within the company.
Build a website that portrays the type of company you are and conveys the values you embody. Regularly posting on your social media accounts and presenting your company as a thought leader in your industry is an important part of this process.
When you hire remote workers, you have to rely on different communication methods as compared to in-person interviews. Since face-to-face interviews are usually a better option due to the opportunity to observe and read body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, video calls are a practical way to hire remote workers during WFH.
This can save time and money while providing a similar experience to an in-person interview. Apart from interviews, video calls can also be used to pre-screen and on-board new employees.
By using behavioral science to gather an in-depth understanding of a candidate, you can easily identify their skills, passions, communication styles, coachability, and adaptability before you hire remote workers. Using such people analytics, you can identify high performance metrics unique to the job role, team, and even department you are hiring for.
With this kind of insight, you will be able to avoid any surprises and be well-prepared to adjust your hiring process if and when the time comes. Also, remember that being a data-driven recruiter also means being a smart one, so, focus your efforts on what will produce the most value.
Whether you’ve decided to hire remote workers as a cost-effective strategy or if it’s due to the current state of work with the Coronavirus outbreak, hiring must be dealt with vigilantly. During times like this when economies are facing unprecedented challenges, it’s crucial to ensure that you are making the right choice when hiring remote employees.
With Wired2Perform, this is easier than ever.
