By scouting remote talent for your business, you cast your net in a wider pool of candidates to fill the position. Many qualified job candidates aren’t interested in relocating for a job, and more and more are choosing virtual opportunities. This means you’re able to tap nation-wide prospects looking for remote work. Here are six tips for getting the best hires for your remote team.

1. Add More Details in Job Postings and Your Career Page

Qualified job candidates are not attracted to short job postings because they’re vague. High-quality, in-depth job postings written as part of a successful recruitment strategy can help you score more qualified remote talent. On your website’s career page and in job postings on boards or job listing sites, describe expectations as detailed as whether it involves dictating your own schedule or showing up at virtual meetings each day.

Job postings should also say how you intend to track productivity remotely. For example, does the job have a flat salary with set hours per week, or will you track hours taken to complete tasks or projects? Or, will you pay a flat payment per project given? Not only must you talk about your expectations, but also consider their expectations.

Make sure you include what your company provides employees, such as healthcare coverage, free training or equipment. Give an overview of your policies on anti-discrimination, diversity and inclusion. Include information on holidays and sick pay. If there’s an opportunity to be promoted from a job position, mention that. These details might seem besides the point for you, but for candidates, they might mean a lot.

2. Pull Candidates from LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great resource when you’re in search of remote workers. It has an exceptional search engine algorithm that can help you find high-quality candidates. Once you find one candidate you think is ideal, you can use LinkedIn’s advanced search feature to find prospective candidates with similar profiles.

Look up your applicants’ LinkedIn profiles, whether you found them there or somewhere else. You’ll often find details that help you get a feel for their remote work experience and skill sets. The way they present themselves on the platform helps indicate their level of professionalism, experience, and ability to use technology to connect and communicate in business.

3. Ask Interview Questions Relevant to Working from Home

In a virtual interview over Zoom, Skype or another video conferencing app, ask about skills and experience relevant to remote working. For example, ask them about a time they’ve shown initiative or leadership in a virtual job setting. Ask what they believe makes them effective at working remotely. How do they keep their motivation and productivity going while working from home? Find out what sort of business software they’ve had experience with, without revealing the software you use internally.

Also, ask your applicants why they want a remote position. If they’re strongly motivated to stay home, they might be better candidates for telecommuting positions. Don’t forget about the regular questions relevant to your industry that don’t have to do with remote work. Research shows remote workers are generally more productive than in-office employees. However, not all are suited to remote work, so be sure to screen your applicants with that in mind.

4. Consider Applicants’ Remote Work History

If you want to set the requirement that new hires have had previous experience working remotely, be sure to mention this in the job posting and position listing on your website’s career page. If you’re open to applicants who haven’t yet worked in a remote position, be sure they’re strong candidates so that transitioning them into a remote position is worth the effort or adjustment period it might take.

Candidates who show a great work history that includes working remotely for any amount of time can help your other new hires get into the flow of meeting the expectations in their virtual position.

5. Evaluate Candidates’ Soft Skills

Soft skills are important in remote work positions. Miscommunication is often easier when typing, and being able to communicate effectively in writing and in video chats is critical. While their skills can improve with time given the opportunity, you should do a baseline check that they’re able to speak comfortably in a video chat, be pleasant or friendly, and punctual in the coordination of the interview.

A key soft skill to assess in virtual job candidates is their dependability and how well they can work on a team. In virtual teams, over-communication is often necessary to ensure everyone is on the same page. Staying in touch and being available are important. Job candidates who shy away from other team members when working from home may not be fit for the position.

Ask candidates to give examples of how they have resolved conflict or taken initiative in a virtual team. If they haven’t had remote work experience, give them a situation and ask how they would respond. Virtual work implies adapting to a different work environment. That said, you want to ask questions to ensure your candidate can maintain communication and problem-solving skills in a remote work setting.

6. Try Potential Hires for a Paid Project

One way to take on new hires who haven’t had remote work experience is to give them a test project. Knowing you’re giving them pay for their time and work, you can objectively decide whether they’re a fit and if they should stay on your team. You get the chance to assess not just the quality of their work, but also their work pace, punctuality and communication with the virtual team. The candidate also gets the opportunity to test the virtual position and see if they really can take on a full-on job from home going forward. If you both decide it’s a good fit, you’re more likely to keep the employee on longer thanks to building the work relationship slowly.

Conclusion

While hiring remote workers lets employers benefit from a wider range of applicants, they should also look for more qualifications. To work remotely, employees need to be self-motivated and have a steady work environment at home. Evaluating candidates based on their remote work history and soft skills, you can help determine if they’re a fit for remote working. By including more details in job postings and researching more about your candidates on LinkedIn, you can hire highly-qualified, top-performing employees.