How to Successfully Hire Telecommuters
- Offer Contracts
- Be Flexible
- Provide Perks
- Evaluate Their Soft Skills
- Discover Their Motivation
The work of many organizations is compatible with having remote workers, and these five tips to hiring telecommuters will facilitate the process. Telecommuters are people who work from a remote location, such as their home, a shared workspace, or a public library. There are many benefits to implementing telecommuting, which is why so many organizations are turning to this practice.
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1. Offer Contracts
Many people who telecommute are part-time workers or people who have young children at home. They may also be full-time or part-time students. Employers could consider offering contracts to their telecommuting workers. This would give the worker and the organization more flexibility. The organization may not have to pay pricey benefits such as health insurance or payroll taxes if the worker is considered a freelance or independent contractor and receives a 1099 form for their payments. Contract-to-hire is another option. If the organization and telecommuter are a good fit, the organization could hire the worker after a three to six-month trial period.
2. Be Flexible
The economy operates 24/7. Modern companies may need to be more flexible in the hours that they have their employees working, especially when it comes to telecommuting. It may be possible to attract the top tier of candidates by allowing for a wide range of work hours. For example, a person who is going to school part-time might want to do their work hours from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm on weekdays so that they can take their morning classes. People who are the parents of young children might want to work a split shift from 5:00 am until 8:00 am and 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm when their spouse returns home from work or when their kids are asleep.
3. Provide Perks
According to Inc., employers that offer perks for their telecommuters may have a better chance at getting ideal workers. Some good perks to offer include vacation credits, health club memberships, paid time off, educational credits, and office furnishings such as an ergonomic chair. Employers might also consider offering bonuses after a telecommuter is with the organization and does a good job for a specific period of time, such as six months.
4. Evaluate Their Soft Skills
Employers should evaluate the telecommuting job applicant’s soft skills before contracting or hiring them. Some skills to look for include their ability to handle minor technology snafus and the ability to communicate well over the phone and through email or instant messaging. The person should also be able to manage their time wisely and avoid distractions in their chosen remote work environment.
5. Discover Their Motivation
Different people are drawn to telecommuting for different reasons. Perhaps a middle-aged person now has an aging parent to take care of, and they no longer have the time to spend driving to and from an office job every day. Freeing up that two hours per day of commuting time could make their life easier. Maybe a woman has a new baby and wants to spend more time with her child. Understanding these reasons ahead of time can create a more productive working relationship.
Telecommuting benefits the worker and the employer. Workers enjoy the convenience of not having to drive to work, which saves them time and money. Employers could have a smaller office space and reduce absenteeism by allowing telecommuting. Each of these five tips to hiring telecommuters helps an organization to make this helpful change.
