Through the innovation that is the internet, it’s now possible to reach far-flung corners of the globe through virtual communication. This has opened doors for companies that are searching for possible employees through remote recruiting.

What Remote Recruiting Is

Its main goal is the same as any other form of recruiting: Identifying and acquiring workers to meet the needs of your business. The main difference is that they focus their efforts on individuals who work outside the office rather than onsite.

Remote work recruiters still serve as liaisons between you and the applicants, but their functions are performed virtually. They believe that emerging markets are where you must go to find skilled workers.

Why Remote Recruiters Are Better

Hiring managers and headhunters alike are migrating into the digital realm. Consequently, companies are paying closer attention to their recruiting strategies, with social media proving to be particularly useful for sourcing remote talent.

LinkedIn and other professional networks give anyone access to targeted pools of candidates, allowing people to screen prospects based on their profiles. That said, it seems like it can be done by anybody, even a local agency.

It’s actually better to pay a remote recruiter salary though, here’s why.

They specialise in hiring virtual workers

Their recruitment process is decentralised. In other words, their talent pool isn’t limited to one specific area but covers anyone from around the world. Remote recruiters know which locations have a labour market worth tapping into thanks to their experience.

Fun fact: The Global State of Remote Work 2018 reports that 52% of employees from around the globe work online at least once a week.

They help you reduce overhead costs

As they work online, there’s no need to pay for their physical workspace. They are normally exempted from health insurance, paid holidays, and other benefits mandated for traditional employees. Remote recruiter salary is often half than that of a local too.

Fun fact: According to the State of Remote Work 2019 by Owl Labs, around 34% of the respondents were willing to take a pay cut of up to 5% to work from home.

They can produce more results

Since remote recruiters aren’t in a physical location, there are fewer interruptions from colleagues or their surroundings. They have better control over their work area, including room temperature and noise levels. This makes them generally happier and more motivated than their in-office counterparts.

Fun fact: Statistics compiled by FlexJobs reveals that businesses lose around 600 billion dollars a year due to workplace distractions.

They’re more likely to stay

No commute, more sleeping time, less stress, and added leisure time are benefits that cannot be replaced with money. They help make virtual employees become more loyal to a company. Increased happiness at work results in reduced employee turnover.

Fun fact: The 8th Super Survey by FlexJobs says that 80% of respondents are more likely to stay with employers that have flexible work options.

They speed up the hiring process

Traditional methods require face-to-face interviews which take up time and resources. Virtual recruitment is faster and easier. Remote work recruiters browse through resumes, schedule and hold interviews, give tests, and orient new hires all online. Ergo, much time is saved with just a few clicks.

Fun fact: 47% of human resources (HR) practitioners believe that online recruiting brings them candidates faster.

How to Hire Remote Recruiters

Great recruiters are hard to come by, all the more when they’re fully virtual. As we’ve covered in a previous blog post, there are ways to tell the good from the average. These are:

• Filling their position first over other roles you have vacant.
• Handling their recruitment process like every other job you’ve hired for.
• Checking their knowledge of your industry and the hiring environment.
• Ensuring they’re adaptable, discreet, dedicated, proactive, and considerate.
• Contacting their professional references or the clients they’ve worked with.
• Examining their network of job seekers or their exclusive talent pool.
• Giving them a time-consuming and relevant assignment to assess their skills.
• Referring to your current employees to balance out gaps and complement strengths.

It’s a long list so your best option is actually using an offshore staffing agency like Remote Workmate. Doing so guarantees that you hire remote recruiters who truly fit into your company instead of random freelancers. We thoroughly examine them before making referrals.

In the same manner, remote recruiters will bring in virtual workers who’ll be an asset to your business. Since remote recruiters work online themselves, they have a better understanding of the job market. More importantly, they have an eye for great remote talent.

Working with Remote Workmate also provides you with after-hire support. We’ll continue to oversee the performance of the remote recruiter we’ve referred, if that’s what you need. We also provide success management services like evaluation, coaching, mediation, and more.