In these unusual times, the landscape of almost every job has changed. Recruitment is no different. With people looking for different qualities in their jobs, it’s important that recruiters are aware of these in order to meet individuals and be able to find the best matches for the right jobs. Without this basic fundamental level of awareness, it’s unlikely that recruiters will be successful in finding the right candidates for any position.

What we first must become aware of is that there is an overarching desire to work from home. Working from home allows for individuals to have more flexibility, be there for family, spend less time in traffic, and be more productive. But how does this desire to work from home impact recruitment strategies?

Different Skills Are Needed

Comfort with Technology

If someone is looking for a position that allows them to work from home, it is the job of a recruiter to be able to assess if they are truly able to do that. Working from home requires a different set of skills than working in an office setting. For example, when working from home there’s a larger reliance on technology.

There are more project management tools to use, software to communicate with other employees, etc. Someone who isn’t a fan of technology will not do well to work from home. There are signs that will let recruiters know if a candidate is technologically savvy. For example, if there is continued education in various software like Microsoft, etc let a recruiter know that these individuals will feel comfortable spending most of their time on the computer.

Ability to Stay Focused

Working from home requires a certain level of tech-savviness that not every person has. It also requires a level of comfort with technology. More importantly, working from home requires intrinsic motivation and superior time management skills. Especially with family, it’s easy to get distracted by the many household chores that are begging to be done, or the child that is crying for attention. Due to the many distractions available at home, it’s absolutely essential that a future employee is able to stay focused no matter what.

Intrinsically motivated

When working from home, there is nobody managing the employee at all times, and while they still have to clock in and out, it’s not like anybody can truly verify whether or not they’ve been working the entire time. The only thing employers can judge is the end result – how much work they’ve turned in and whether they’ve made progress/met their deadlines or not. Due to the lack of external enforcement, a certain amount of intrinsic motivation is needed.


Communication Skills

Even more so when working from home, it’s more important than ever that candidates have excellent communication skills. With the limited amount of time spent in the same physical space, and most of the communication occurring via email, work communication channels like Slack, and telephone or zoom meetings, it’s crucial that these candidates are open and frequent in their communication.

Work from home during Coronavirus pandemic quarantine isolation. Working remotely home concept. Comfortable working place in home office with laptop on the table with Headphones, lemonade and office stuff. Work from Home on the laptop screen

Some Signs a Candidate Would Be Good Working from Home

The things a recruiter looks for when individuals are working remotely must change. The recruiter must have some sort of confirmation that they will be up to the task. Some signs that the candidate will thrive in a digital remote environment are:

  • Has completed online training
  • Has completed a degree online
  • Has worked remotely before
  • Has extensive use and experience working with zoom, slack, etc.

The Recruitment Process

Besides looking for other skill sets in future employees, it’s also important to adjust the recruitment process to those looking to work from home.

Work Location is Flexible

Instead of setting the parameters to look for a job that operates in a certain area or zip code, the location of the company could be anywhere and everywhere. In a way, this makes things easier for a recruiter, because they are able to choose from a long list of candidates that meet requirements that isn’t inhibited by a factor like location.

The Interview

As with other aspects of work, if the candidates are looking to work remotely and may work from home, then the interview must be held online via an online platform like Zoom or Skype. When doing so, recruiters must be aware that there are certain challenges that can come up like poor connection, disturbances by noise, etc.

Finding the Right Recruitment Company

When companies are looking to hire for their positions and use recruitment services to do so, there are some recruitment companies that are better than others. FD Capital specializes in offering remote Financial Directors and Chief Financial Officers that are qualified and live all over the world. Even though they may be remote, there is not going to be a language barrier, and being remote often adds additional world experience that can prove to be helpful when dealing with businesses internationally.

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