The unparalleled growth of the COVID-19 outbreak has forced millions of employees worldwide to work from home. What was once unconceivable has now become the ‘new norm.’ Millions of us – who were used to 9 to 6 agendas, working at a feverish pace from our office workstations – are now working remotely. Companies that never had to manage a single remote employee are now managing entirely remote workforces. Brick and mortar offices are transitioning to digital avenues to stay afloat in the pandemic (and possibly the post-pandemic) era.

Benefits of hiring remote employees

More employees than ever are working remotely now because of COVID-19. Yet, some businesses are still on the fence about adopting or continuing with the remote work post-pandemic. Here are some advantages of hiring remote employees that can help you decide:

Wider Talent Pool – hiring remote employees allows you to take away all geographical boundaries and establish your presence across the globe. You get instant access to a pool of human resources belonging to diverse cultures and races. It also allows your business to unearth better qualified candidates compared to a search limited to one geographic territory. Your company will gain extended exposure to tap into opportunities not possible otherwise.

Reduced Business Costs – hiring remote employees means you don’t have to invest in fixed costs such as office spaces, parking spaces, rent, security systems, utilities, and other overhead costs. According to a Global Workplace report, businesses which allow employees to work from home for half of the working week, they can save up to £8000 in expenses per employee every year.

Increased Employment Retention – the cost of replacing an employee can be vast. But with a sound onboarding strategy, retaining employees can be easy. According to research, 95% of the companies report that employee retention is superior with remote working. That’s no surprise, considering two-thirds of workers say they would take another job to avoid commuting.

Enhanced Productivity – research indicates that remote workers are significantly more productive than employees which work in a traditional office arrangement. As per a study by Global Workplace Analytics, teleworkers were 20%-25% more productive than office-based employees.

How to Onboard Remote Employees – usually, when you think of recruiting and onboarding a new hire, you envision a whirlwind of introductions or meet-and-greet, filling forms, setting up of desk space, and so on. But none of that happens when hiring a remote employee. Things can become more complicated when your employees are working from different locations.

Below are some tips, suggesting how you can onboard remote employees.

Make New Employees Feel Welcomed – for an employee who is familiar to a traditional shared workspace, converting to a remote working arrangement can cause some challenges. It is critical that you make your new hires feel connected with your company and motivate them to share their thoughts with their co-workers.

Set Clear Expectations and Explain the Working Norms – you must communicate your expectations to your new hire before onboarding. This gives them a proper understanding of what’s expected of them and establishes a solid foundation. You can also work out a schedule for various training, discussing upcoming projects, reviews, and so on.

Promote Your Company Culture Using Digital Tools – it is relatively easy to maintain employee engagement and company culture when everyone is working from home temporarily. But it’s not as easy to ‘grow’ such a culture by adding new hires who you, or the team, has never met before. Digital platforms can be an excellent tool to promote company culture while acclimating new hires to how things work.

Factors to keep in mind while hiring remote employees

Although hiring remote employees is beneficial when done right, it’s not without its challenges. Here are some hitches that you may face while building a remote team:

1. Time Zones – the lifestyle and work flexibility possible by remote working also spotlight a critical aspect – working across different time zones.
2. Compliance- some multiple local laws and regulations must be complied with for the smooth functioning of a remote-based job.
3. Taxation – depending on where your remote employee is, there could be additional tax burdens in store for you or the employee. Furthermore, some countries have several tax authorities with different rates that may not align with your tax system.
4. Payroll –payroll can get tricky when you have a remote workforce spread across the globe. It can be quite cumbersome to navigate through the complexities to ensure every employee gets paid on time.