5 Business Tips for Hiring Contract and Remote Workers During the Pandemic
As the world continues to adapt to the issues that the coronavirus crisis has presented, remote and contract positions have been on the rise.
Remote and contract positions have in recent years been praised for their array of benefits, including boosting employee well-being, speeding up business expansion, and helping with recruitment. However, in the current landscape, work-from-home roles have quickly become an established workplace trend that will determine the future of many workplaces.
Here’s what you need to know to successfully hire contract and remote workers during the coronavirus crisis and prepare for future impacts of remote work:
1. Determine which current roles can be developed into remote or contract positions.
Globally, businesses have been advised to embrace remote and contract positions and to create a customized solution by identifying which roles can be effectively shifted to remote work without compromising employee productivity. Employers are responsible for providing the correct equipment or digital tools for their employees to work both proficiently and safely and should remain in regular contact to discuss any workplace developments.
2. Get the word out on social media of new remote positions.
Social distancing means we are now connected to social media more than ever before, and this has created a significant increase in online hiring. As the hiring pool has greatly expanded during the pandemic, it’s now an ideal time for businesses to utilize social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter to distribute job postings for contract and remote work and to demonstrate your business’ flexible hiring values.
3. Take advantage of remote hiring tools.
As countries across the globe are working from home and minimizing social contact to reduce the spread of the virus, it’s been made clear that face-to-face interviewing and scheduling will likely remain on hold for the foreseeable future.
However, businesses are taking to remote working software such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and Trello to host video calls with candidates, personally communicate updates with employees to maintain trust, manage projects, and maintain regular workflows.
4. Conduct online background checks.
No matter how temporary, it’s vital for businesses to conduct online background checks on remote, contract, and gig work employees. Implementing solutions such as online background checks can validate a candidate’s suitability for the role and mitigate any potential harm to an organization, even if the work is completed offsite. Conveniently, there are various online services that offer remote background checks, meaning that you do not have to go to a physical location to have them completed.
5. Develop a strong company culture that extends to remote workers.
In these unique times for businesses, it is crucial that employees feel part of a unified team, regardless if they are onsite or remote working. Businesses should keep in touch digitally, introduce new remote or contract employees to your company through virtual tools, and encourage existing staff to welcome new members through company chat or email messaging.
This will build a strong sense of collaboration and productivity within your business and will most likely continue in the future as remote work continues to become a standard in the workplace. Take this time to learn what your business can do now to attract great remote talent for the long term.