Remote Workforce Management: 3 Best Practices for Recruiting 

Employers across every industry are mulling a return to work, but many are choosing to continue to allow their team members to work remotely.  Remote workforce management offers employers a few advantages.  Firstly, a remote worker is often happier, which means they’re more engaged and stay longer with the organization.  Secondly, organizations can expand the hiring process to include broader talent pools when the work environment is fully or partially remote.  Finally, employers who manage remote workers are able to hire talent that represents more diversity and has specialized skills and experience.  MP’s recruiting experts share three best practices for recruiting a remote employee.   

Remote Workforce Management: 3 Recruiting Tips 

1. Ensure the hiring process is in compliance. 

One of the most critical tips for managing a remote workforce is to ensure compliance, as managing remote teams often triggers new requirements at a state or federal level.  When employers manage a remote hiring search, they should ensure specific employment notices are available for candidates.  To achieve this, the Department of Labor suggests adding a section on the careers or job application section of the website that says, “All applicants have rights under Federal and state employment laws.”  Below this, the employer should provide links to these required posters:  

• the Family and Medical Leave Act 
• the Fair Labor Standards Act 
• the Employee Polygraph Protection Act 
• the Uniformed Services Employment  
• the Re-employment Rights Act 
• any applicable state employment posters 

There will also be compliance requirements in the interview process.  Employers should work with HR compliance experts (such as those at MP) to ensure their interview practices don’t run afoul of state laws.  For example, interviewers in Massachusetts are banned from asking for a candidate’s previous salary ranges.  Employers should train every employee conducting interviews, especially over video calls, on maintaining compliance as they interview.  Compliance is vital when performing interviews over phone calls or via video conferencing tools because candidates may record the interaction.  If a manager says or does something noncompliant, there will be irrefutable proof.  In addition to comprehensive training on interviewing best practices and discrimination, some virtual teams will require a candidate to sign a notice that they won’t record, or share recordings of, their interviews.  Lastly, employers should remember to avoid Disparate Impact claims by making their interview process accessible to people with disabilities or with less technology access.  One of the best practices for recruiting is to offer multiple ways to interview, including various collaboration tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.   

2. Prioritize cybersecurity during the hiring process. 

When hiring and managing remote employees, an organization is far more vulnerable to cyberattacks.  After 2020, research has shown that cyberattacks have risen exponentially.  Cybersecurity experts now talk about how most companies will experience some form of attempted hacking, phishing, and other scams and threats.  Notably, an organization may also be responsible for cyberattacks that impact the candidates they interview.  To protect themselves and candidates, employers’ best practices for recruiting should include working with their IT department or seeking outside assistance in reviewing their cybersecurity practices.  If interviews are performed via virtual meetings, everyone should log in through a secure application.  They should also be logging in from a private network, never a library or coffee shop with a public network anybody could be on.  When making job offers, employers should share onboarding paperwork, employment contracts, and job offer letters through secure remote workforce solutions.  Simply exchanging this kind of data over email could leave the company, candidate, or new hire, exposed to cyber threats.  

3. Become a remote employer of choice. 

When organizations have fully or partially remote workforces, building a strong employer brand online is essential.  There are a few ways to accomplish this goal.  Firstly, employers should encourage happy employees and ex-employees to leave positive reviews on sites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, or even Google. (It’s ideal if these reviews mention what it’s like to work remotely for the employer.)  Having a presence on these sites will attract candidates.  Employers should also have a presence on social media, where many candidates also search for jobs.  Secondly, employers should highlight remote work whenever possible, including job titles and postings, company descriptions on Glassdoor or LinkedIn, etc.  The last tactic for developing a solid remote employer brand is to create a “careers” section on the website.  This section may be one or two pages with open job listings, quotes from happy employees, and information about what it’s like to work at the organization.  It may help to list: 

• PTO packages—especially if they’re expanded or unlimited 
• benefit packages 
• virtual workout benefits, such as discounted peloton memberships 
• company values 
• employee awards and recognition 
• company gatherings  
• work from home options 
• benefits especially for remote workers, such as technology allowances or location-based compensation 
• anything else that might be attractive to candidates