A Guide to Remote Hiring for Staffing Agencies

July 7, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has created powerful and long-lasting effects around the world. In addition to the coronavirus’s health impacts, the economy has suffered, with many people losing their jobs. As the economy begins its recovery, more job seekers are turning to the web for help. Remote workers are taking the place of many office workers, and companies are increasingly leveraging remote working and recruitment technologies to restart their operations. Staffing agencies and human resources departments need to understand industry best practices for remote hiring and managing.

The Benefits of Remote Recruitment and Hiring Practices

Recruiting and hiring talented employees has always been a challenge for companies of every size and type. In the wake of COVID-19, this challenge has only increased. Many companies have had to revamp their recruitment and hiring practices to meet emerging risks, and staffing agencies are no exception. There are significant benefits to using remote recruitment and hiring practices, even in more favorable economic conditions. Benefits include:

• Remote recruitment allows companies to bring in skills that may be hard to find in their current location.
• These systems cost less than in-person recruiting workshops and in-person interviews, particularly if a candidate does not wish to relocate for work or has difficulties in traveling to visit potential employers.
• Remote systems tend to be more flexible, allowing greater availability and access for employers and candidates.

Recruiting Remotely: Tips for Staffing Agencies

Now that the pandemic has changed the playing field for recruitment, how can staffing agencies leverage new tools and technologies? The process begins with recruitment, or attracting quality applicants to a given firm.

The key to success is for an employer to have a robust online presence with an excellent reputation and easy-to-find information on available jobs, locations, benefits, and corporate culture. It can also be extremely beneficial for companies and staffing agencies to maintain attractive social media accounts. These attributes help potential candidates visualize themselves as part of the work team and learn more about the company and its industry niche.

Staffing agencies may also use job-search platforms to connect with potential candidates. LinkedIn remains one of the most popular tools for this purpose, allowing a direct connection between employers and qualified candidates. Other remote worker-oriented platforms include Doist, FlexJobs, RemoteOK, and Working Nomads are available. Finally, global job boards such as Monster and Indeed offer employers a chance to connect with candidates and for candidates to search jobs from the comfort of home or office.

Hiring Best Practices

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced significant changes in the way companies and staffing agencies conduct the hiring process. For safety reasons, many employers have eliminated face-to-face interviews with candidates, at least temporarily. Many human resources professionals suggest that this trend may continue long after the pandemic is under control; remote interviews and hiring processes are more efficient and less costly than direct in-person meetings.

Assessing candidates remotely can be a challenge – and this is where technology has stepped forward to streamline the remote process. Video conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are used increasingly to interview qualified candidates. Alternatively, some staffing agencies use platforms like Jobma and HireVue to allow candidates to answer interview questions on their own time and at their own pace, then submitting recordings to potential employers.

One thing that has not changed in the wake of COVID-19 is the value represented by recommendations. Candidates can be assessed by requesting recommendations from mentors, previous employers, and industry contacts. Recommendations may also be posted on candidates’ LinkedIn or Indeed profile pages and should be considered part of the vetting process.

Remote Working Management for Staffing Agencies

One final tip to share with staffing agencies and companies looking to bolster their remote workforce is how such remote work is managed. The key here is to set expectations early and in a transparent manner. Not everyone is familiar with the demands of remote work environments and maintaining operations while adopting new technologies and practices has been challenging for many firms. With expectations understood by all parties, work can continue to flow efficiently.

Communication must be robust and flexible, allowing employers and their remote working staff to remain connected. Again, video conferencing technologies can be used to keep team efforts on track. Email and telephone calls also continue to be vital components of the remote work environment.

Remote working can create improved work-life balance in employees. Gallup’s poll suggests that over 50% of all employees value a better work-life balance, and remote working may satisfy that need. COVID-19 has forever changed many aspects of the business world. By remaining flexible, adopting new technologies, and embracing new practices, employers and staffing agencies can continue to recruit and hire talented individuals. ◼