Remote recruiting: Is it for everyone?

Technology, the pandemic, the work-from-home arrangements, the pressure on businesses to transform their traditional working processes, and many other factors have shaped the world to look at remote working as the norm today. How did we get here? Remote hiring was not the go-to option 5 years back, but in less than a decade here we are today, accustomed to meetings that fit within a screen, and being decked in work appropriate wear on the top half and Pajamas on the bottom half.

All thanks to COVID-19 expediting this transformation towards remote working, it is apparent that remote working is here to stay. While this is a perk for many employees due to reasons such as flexibility and comfort, it also opens up a huge window of opportunity for businesses in terms of recruitment.  

This transition towards remote work means that businesses are no longer constrained by geographical boundaries. This is a major difference between remote recruiting and standard recruiting: the scaling of recruitment efforts into global markets. With working online becoming the norm, the whole process of recruitment from pre-screening to onboarding can now be done on a completely remote basis through technology. This means that businesses in industries with small talent pools can now expand their talent search and explore the talent pool from other countries.

While it can be such an advantage for businesses to hire a remote worker from another location, there is undoubtedly a caveat to it. Remote hiring is typically just an extension of your business team, which can be hard to manage given that the employee is situated in another geographical location. Because of that, remote employees do not enjoy the benefits that the local employees do, which covers national social contribution plans benefits, or medical insurance benefits. This could make working for your company less attractive. On top of that, the concern of disconnection and misalignment can prove to be challenging when you are managing employees from oceans away.

Another remote recruitment method similar to remote hiring is offshore hiring. The difference is that you hire the remote employee through an offshore hiring company, where they provide candidates tailored to your company’s needs. Not only that, the offshore hiring company will also provide local labour benefits from their entity, as well as manage them at their dedicated workspace. This is a popular method for companies who are looking at global markets but want to minimize the risks and uncertainty that direct remote recruitment might bear.

Ultimately, different companies have different recruitment needs and preferences. With remote work being the norm today, companies have more options to explore in their search of the perfect candidate. Our verdict is that remote recruitment might not suit every type of business, but it might be viable for businesses looking for short term projects or freelance work. As for a longer term project and commitment where close management of the employee is needed, employing an offshore hiring company can reduce uncertainties and yield better results compared to direct remote recruitment.