By now, nearly three months into the COVID-19 outbreak, if you can work from home, you have. However, even as some workplaces are now beginning the slow process of returning workers to the office, many others are giving employees the flexibility and freedom to continue working remotely for as long as they feel is necessary. That means that job interviews and the recruitment process will largely be done remotely for the foreseeable future, as well, and that “first day” and onboarding for remote-first employees will look very different.
If remote work was a trend before, it must now be considered a necessary option for many organizations to offer employees — both existing workers and any new hires. And for all the workers yearning to return to their office, it seems that many more may be content to work from home permanently.
According to new research from Piplsay, a global platform for gauging people’s opinions at scale, 43% of Americans would prefer working from home even amid the reopening. Further, 66% of Americans are comfortable with a permanent work-from-home culture, and 56% believe remote work policies will create massive job opportunities.
Twitter and Facebook have already announced that they will allow their employees to work from home “forever,” even as economies slowly begin to reopen, and as Piplsay notes, 55% of Americans think the Facebook clause of adjusted, lower salaries for those opting for permanent work from home is fair. Of course, that shouldn’t give organizations carte blanche to start slashing salaries. It’s important to remember that since remote work can no longer just be considered a perk of a job but an integral component, companies will still need to pay to attract top talent.
“Job seekers have been thrown a huge curveball in terms of their action plan for landing a job,” says Jim Jeffers, metro market manager of staffing firm Robert Half in Madison. “But just because the job search is different, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are many companies still looking for top talent and many industries that may be even more in need of workers. In a remote job search, communication and professionalism are the two most important factors to keep in mind — treat every interaction as if you’re in the same room.”
Jeffers offers the following tips for kicking off your job search during this unprecedented time:
Identify your best prospects — Start by sending your resume to online job boards and specialized sites.
- Online job boards should be familiar to anyone who’s sought a new position in the last 20 years and they’re a great start for your search.
- But these aren’t normal times, and you may need to dig deeper than the usual job boards.
- If you’re looking for jobs that can be done remotely, good sources include FlexJobs and AngelList.
- These sites list jobs with companies across a number of industries that are hiring remotely in 2020.
Work with a staffing firm — Specialized staffing firms have their finger on the pulse of the hiring market and workforce trends.
- This built-in knowledge makes them a great resource for helping new grads find a job under uncommon circumstances.
- Once they know your skill set and work preferences, recruiters can not only recommend you directly to hiring managers, they also have close connections with local employers, often hearing of open jobs before they’re posted publicly, if they’re advertised at all.
Utilize your network — One of your most essential resources right now is your online network.
- Reach out to your personal and professional contacts through social media.
- Let your network know you’re looking for a new position. You never know who might be looking for new talent or who might be able to pass along your resume to a hiring manager.
Sharpen your interviewing skills — Practice your phone and video interviewing skills by doing a practice Facetime or Skype call with a friend or mentor.
- While phone interviews are the standard first step, video interviews are the new norm amidst the current shelter in place orders.
- It’s important to find a quiet place to conduct the interview — free of distractions — and dress professionally so that you exude the same confidence you would if you were face to face.
Be a video whiz — Video will be your primary tool once you get to the interview stage and beyond as you potentially receive an offer and negotiate salary and benefits.
- It’s critical to make sure your computer is charged and working properly in advance.
- Check for audio levels, good lighting, a strong Wi-Fi signal, and camera placement.
- If possible, use a laptop or tablet and avoid using a smartphone.
- On the day of your video interview, log on 5–10 minutes before the start time to ensure your tech is working properly. This can help work through any nervous jitters before the interview starts, too.
According to Blake Barnes, LinkedIn’s head of career products, there are a couple addendums to the information above. First, when it comes to dressing the part, jobseekers should avoid the temptation to only dress professionally on their top half. Make sure your bottoms match the top, just in case you have to stand up for any reason during the video interview.
Additionally, Barnes recommends more patience than normal. If the recruiter or hiring manager is taking longer than normal to respond to you, that should be expected as part of a virtual recruitment process. “Hiring requires buy-in and approval from a number of different people. Without the ability for everyone to physically be in one room to provide feedback and collectively agree, your interviewers may need a bit longer than usual to make a decision.”
For companies hiring remote workers, Workable, an online hiring platform, recommends making sure your online presence shows you’re trustworthy, clearly illustrates your culture, and helps candidates visualize themselves as members of your team. To achieve this, create informative career pages on your website and attractive social media accounts that describe your way of working, include employee testimonials, and present the values that define your culture.
Digging deeper, Workable content writer Christina Pavlou notes, “You can’t woo remote employees with ping pong tables and free snacks (and probably not your in-office employees either.)” Employees are more likely to care about compensation plans that are:
Attractive: “When you’re hiring remote workers, you’re competing against companies from all over the world. This means you should put extra effort in designing equally competitive compensation packages. If you can’t increase salaries, consider offering benefits like mobile plans or stock option plans, if possible.”
Fair: “Think of two remote employees; one is in Singapore, the most expensive city to live in, and the other’s in Lisbon, the cheapest place to live in. If they’re doing the same job, should you pay them the same or adjust their salaries based on their cost of living? There’s probably a balance. It’s best to build compensation and benefits packages that speak to your employees’ needs but also don’t create huge salary gaps between team members.”
Additionally, consider benefits that matter to all employees, says Pavlou. “When managing remote employees, ask what kind of perks would be useful to them and, if possible, offer them as welcome gifts (like noise-canceling headsets for employees who’ll work in public spaces.)” Here are some examples:
Professional development. “Like most employees, remote workers seek to grow professionally so include them when designing career paths or training programs. You could buy them tickets to conferences, enroll them to online courses, and discuss how they can evolve within your company, taking up more challenging projects.”
Vacation plan. “It’s common for remote employees to end up working longer hours than office employees, as they don’t need to commute. This means that they’ll appreciate a generous vacation plan or even unlimited vacation days.”
Health and life insurance. “Employees who choose remote jobs often claim they want to be closer to their families. Consider offering health and life insurance plans for your employees and their loved ones, as part of their benefits package.”
Memberships to coworking spaces or discount at local stores. “Ask your employees what remote work means to them. If, for example, they work at a shared office, buy them a membership. If they prefer to work from a local cafe or library, offer them some gift cards for their daily beverages and snacks.
“At the end of the day though, your remote employees are similar to their office-based colleagues in that they want to be respected and have resources to be productive and successful,” notes Pavlou. “Build a culture that gives all that to every employee, even if they’re miles or oceans apart.”
Click here to sign up for the free IB ezine — your twice-weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.
