Human resource, which is responsible for hiring a skilled and talented workforce for a company, is the greatest asset of any organization. It is not always easy to find the right employees that would fit into an organization perfectly. This is the task of HR managers who can do it easily if they have the right acumen and skills. An HR manager is not just responsible for recruiting the right candidate, but is also responsible for training and nurturing employees to meet the organization’s goals.
There has been a drastic change in the functions of organizations as operations are longer confined to four walls of an office. Remote working has increased the scale and reach of companies today. Employees work remotely and contribute to the organization’s objectives. The remote workforce could comprise freelancers, part-time employees, and/or full-time employees working from their homes. There has been a rampant increase in the demand for remote employees because they have more time and fewer distractions, which leads to higher productivity.
To hire a high-performing remote workforce, it has become imperative for companies to hire a remote HR manager as well. This manager is entrusted with hiring remote employees and managing remote working teams. With the exponential increase in the demand for employees working from home, an organization must have an HR manager who understands the changed circumstances and can hire remotely.
These days the entire recruitment process has gone online and only adept HR managers can cope with this change since hiring a remote workforce is quite different from hiring traditional employees.
Important Considerations to Hire a Remote HR Manager
When you want to hire a remote HR manager, it is essential to keep in mind that the remote hiring HR manager should be equipped with all the skills required to recruit remote employees. When companies are hiring remotely, the remote HR manager posts the job vacancy online and receives numerous applications. He screens those applications and interviews the shortlisted candidates online. The entire process of recruitment and onboarding has become digital. Companies should look for the following qualities when they hire a remote HR manager:
1. Understands the Concept of Remote Hiring and Working
The remote HR manager should be aware of the transition in the style of working of organizations. He should know about the industry’s developments and should not be restricted to conventional HR practices as the scenario has now changed. He should embrace the changes in the HR industry and be capable of handling remote employees and managing a flexible workforce.
A remote hiring HR manager should possess the skill to bring together remote employees and make them work as one team for the organization’s success. He should have innovative thinking and new perspectives regarding the changing HR trends and norms. HR should be able to craft strategies to build a happy workforce that is working together but is miles apart. He should be able to hire remotely and be apprised of the international employment rules and practices.
2. Tech-savvy
The remote working culture, which is responsible for bringing about a revolution in HR practices, has only been possible due to technology. Technological advancements have made it easier to communicate and collaborate with remote teams. Remote employees, who are geographically distanced, can work together and share resources only with the help of technological advancements. Hence, it is immensely significant for the remote hiring HR manager to embrace and leverage technology.
He should be well versed with the latest in HR technologies like cloud-based working, employee portals, case tracking, etc., and should be able to use them for remote hiring.
3. Analytical Mind for Data-Driven HR Pedagogy
It is relatively easier to monitor employees’ performance in an office. When you are working with remote employees, you are required to rely on data and analytics to assess performance. When organizations have to hire a remote HR manager, they should look for a person with an analytical mind to design and devise the appropriate data tools to evaluate an employee’s performance.
In a remote working environment, you cannot measure an employee’s productivity by the number of hours he has spent in the office or by finding out their level of dedication towards work. Hence, HR managers should adopt a data-driven pedagogy to handle remote teams. A remote HR manager should comprehend and interpret organizational data for measuring the performance and well-being of remote employees.
4. Zeal to Learn Continuously
Another extremely important quality of a remote hiring HR manager is that he should be passionate about his work and strive for constant growth and development. He should be eager to learn and adopt new things and concepts. In a remote working environment, changes are very quick, and a remote HR manager is required to be abreast with all the changes and developments in human resources. As remote working involves dealing with employees from different countries, the HR manager should have knowledge about different countries’ employment laws. He should be curious and should always keep on learning the advancements made in this field.
5. Effective Communication Skills
Communication is the key to strengthen human relationships in remote working environments. A remote HR manager is required to hire remote teams, so he should have impeccable communication skills. The remote employees may constantly seek clarification regarding work. Hence, when organizations hire a remote HR manager, they look for a person who has excellent verbal and written communication. He should express himself clearly so that there is no communication gap. An HR manager should synchronize the new-age communication channels of remote employees like chats, e-mail, employee portals, etc., to deliver enhanced performance. He should also listen to the employees and communicate accordingly.
6. Strategic Recruiter
Organizations hire a remote HR manager who can identify the best remote candidates and manage them effectively. It is more difficult to recognize deserving candidates in a remote working environment. A remote HR manager should work in the virtual space and hire remotely to meet the organization’s needs.
He should make the remote employees feel that they are a part of the organization so that they work better and secure outstanding results. He should be able to harmonize the employees’ personal goals with the organizational objectives for the organization’s growth.
As the remote workforce consists of people from different countries, backgrounds, casts, religions, races, etc., it becomes crucial to be able to handle such a diverse team. A remote hiring HR manager should conduct an unbiased hiring process. He should also treat all employees equally and reward them on their merit and calibre.
Remote HR Manager and the Remote Recruitment Process
Remote recruitment is an efficient method of hiring the ideal candidates for your organization. With the advent of a remote working environment, the recruitment process has also undergone a sea-change. Remote hiring requires an HR manager who can source the best employees digitally.
1. Sourcing of Candidates
A remote hiring HR manager’s primary duty is to source the right candidates for the job. The manager would be required to undertake an extensive search for deserving candidates as it is no longer constrained by geography. He can source the candidates from online job portals. Many freelancers are available for work on various digital platforms. The remote HR manager should find the right pool of talent from various sources. He can post an online ad for the job vacancy or can also post job vacancies on the website of the company in the ‘career’ section.
2. Screening of Candidates
Organizations receive a plethora of applications for remote jobs. Since it doesn’t require any relocation costs involved. A remote hiring HR manager will have to screen the applications and shortlist the deserving candidates for an interview. He can also take the help of available screening tools. While hiring a remote HR manager, organizations should ensure that he must be aware of such technologies and should be able to use them for remote hiring.
3. Digital Interviews
When organizations opt to hire remotely, they have to interview the candidates virtually. A remote hiring HR manager has to carry out the online interviews of the selected applicants. Thus, he should use the video interviewing method to evaluate the candidates face-to-face.
4. Virtual Onboarding
Onboarding is essential for the remote workforce as it establishes a bond between the organization and the employees. As remote employees are far apart, it is extremely significant for them to understand the organization’s culture, mission, and vision. Therefore, this would create a sense of belonging, and the employees would perform better. While hiring a remote HR manager, the organizations need to make sure that the recruit should be able to easily undertake the virtual onboarding process.
5. Digital Involvement
The remote employees may lose track and feel lost however, they are miles apart from the company. To foster the remote workforce’s team spirit and emotional well-being. It is quintessential for the remote hiring HR manager to engage them digitally. He should keep the remote employees connected and up-to-date about the company’s objectives and milestones. An HR Manager should send them the companies’ newsletters and arrange for virtual meetings so that everybody is aligned. Therefore, he should also ask them to take the initiative and give valuable feedback for continuous improvement.
6. Strategic Leadership
When organizations hire a remote HR manager, they look for a person who can lead the remote teams strategically to achieve the organization’s goals. It is crucial for a remote hiring HR manager to manage the diverse and widely scattered remote workforce and make them contribute to the organization’s success. Therefore, he should be able to handle their grievances and communicate well to build a productive team.
The role of an HR manager is indispensable in a remote working environment. The dynamics of human resource management and recruitment have witnessed a drastic change in the current scenario. Thus, with the remote work culture spreading its wings in all the industries, it has become immensely important to hire a remote HR manager who can handle both remote working and employees efficiently.
The recruitment process too has become digital, and several HR technologies have made it possible for HR managers to collaborate and communicate with remote employees. A remote hiring HR manager should be abreast with the latest developments in HR and technology. However, he should use them to hire remotely for organizations to secure the best talent. With Supersourcing can hire Remote workforces have given impetus to organizations and have contributed significantly to their growth and development.
