How to Hire Successful Remote Employees 

by Alyssa Conley | Apr 10, 2023 | General Membership

Are you looking to add some highly qualified remote employees to your team? With the right strategy, hiring remotely can be a great way to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing operational costs.

Finding and onboarding talented remote workers is essential for business growth. This blog post provides tips on how to do this successfully. We will discuss what skills and qualifications you are looking for, how to include those in a job description, and finally how to Follow these tips to take your business to new heights!

Consider what skills and talents you are looking for

In today’s highly competitive business environment, identifying the ideal candidate with the right blend of skills and talents is crucial for driving your organization’s growth and success. To help you through this quest, we have outlined four essential questions that will guide you in writing the perfect job description. By answering these questions, not only will you crystallize the qualifications needed for the role, but you will also refine your company’s employment strategy, ultimately attracting the best and brightest professionals in your field. So, let’s delve into discovering the dynamics of your dream team!

Is your job description turning away good talent?

Your job description is going to determine if you even have people applying. You need to start by outlining the role and responsibilities clearly. Create a list of tasks to help you structure your description. Ensure that the candidate has a clear understanding of the role and its significance within the organization. Provide sufficient context about the role to accomplish this. A job description should clearly explain the role of the job and leave little room for interpretation.

Next, identify the must-have qualifications and experience for the role. Be specific and realistic, avoid setting unrealistic expectations, and avoid using a long and wordy list of requirements. Remember, your goal is to attract a diverse pool of talented applicants, so be inclusive in your language and consider candidates with transferrable skills.

Consider showcasing your company’s culture and core values when describing the ideal candidate. Remote employees value a supportive work environment, so emphasizing your commitment to providing the necessary resources and fostering collaboration will appeal to potential applicants. Furthermore, highlight any unique aspects of your company or the work that set you apart from your competitors.

Clearly detail the perks and benefits of working remotely for your organization. Be transparent about your company’s remote work policies and clearly state if this is a hybrid or fully remote position.

Finally, make sure to review and proofread the job description before posting it online. A well-written job description reduces the risk of hiring an unfit candidate and cuts down on the time and resources spent on back-and-forth communication. By following these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to hiring successful remote employees who align with your company’s needs and contribute positively to your team.

Does the pay match the experience you’re asking for? 

In today’s fast-paced business world, having a team filled with successful remote employees is essential. Hiring the right professionals for remote positions can make all the difference in your company’s growth and success. However, one significant aspect of attracting top talent is offering a competitive salary that matches the experience you’re asking for.

It’s crucial to provide a salary that appropriately reflects their skills and expertise. Professionals with extensive experience and talent bring added value to your organization and can positively impact its overall performance. Compare the salary you’re offering with similar positions online. This will help you to ensure your compensation package is in line with industry standards.

The old saying, “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” rings true in the realm of hiring remote employees. To attract highly skilled individuals, your job offer needs to be enticing and competitive. Offering an attractive salary is an essential aspect of this process, as it can make you stand out from other employers.

Keep in mind that talented remote workers who have a lot of experience in their field often receive multiple offers. To secure their services, it’s essential to make sure the “honey” factor is present in your compensation package.

Flexibility and adaptability are two essential traits of a successful remote worker. By offering a salary package that accurately reflects an employee’s experience and skills, you showcase your organization’s commitment to these values.

Are you turning away good talent without a college degree?

We understand that in some careers, a college degree is essential. However, for the majority of roles, the experience can be just as beneficial, if not more so. Organizations must carefully craft job descriptions and set requirements. This is essential to prevent discouraging highly qualified candidates. A simple change in how you word your job postings can make a significant difference in the quality and diversity of applicants. 

For instance, consider using “college degree preferred, but not required” in your job descriptions. This inclusive approach keeps the door open for candidates with proven experience who may lack formal education credentials but possess the skills, competencies, and passion needed for the role.

In the end, the purpose of hiring is to find the best talent for the position. By acknowledging that a degree isn’t necessarily the only measure of a candidate’s success, employers can attract a wider range of exceptional remote employees who bring valuable experience and energy to the team.

Do you really need a cover letter? 

In the digital age, hiring remote employees continues to become the norm for many businesses. However, traditional hiring methods still focus on cover letters, which are rarely reflective of a candidate’s true skills and capabilities. Instead, employers should prioritize tangible results by requesting an applicant’s portfolio or completed work samples.

When considering remote candidates, it’s essential to focus on their ability to produce high-quality work independently. A well-written cover letter might be impressive, but it does not necessarily guarantee that the candidate possesses the skills you require.

Prioritizing work samples over cover letters can be more efficient. It also gives talented candidates an opportunity to showcase their skills, even if they find writing cover letters challenging. This will allow a broader range of talent to apply to this position.

Invest in a robust hiring process 

If you’re struggling to find and keep top-tier candidates then you might want to spend more time focusing on your hiring process as a whole. Sometimes we hire people too quickly, without ensuring they will be a good fit. A quick interview isn’t enough to learn if someone will work well with your company.

If you are looking to hire remote employees, we highly suggest a multi-interview approach. We also suggest interviews with multiple people. You can get different opinions if you do one interview with just the hiring manager and then a second interview with HR or another supervisor present. 

Consider using personality and skills assessments

Our team, at Cultural Impact, uses TTI Success Insights amongst our own team and for our clients. It has helped us learn more about each other, ourselves, and how we all work together. It’s also a very useful tool in the hiring process of some of our clients.

Through using TTI Success Insights, we’re able to learn more about ourselves and our team members, refining our remote work dynamics and fostering greater collaboration. This powerful tool has not only proven helpful in understanding our current employees but has been indispensable in our clients’ hiring processes as well.

This tool helps identify the employees’ preferred working styles, communication preferences, and skill sets. Managers can then properly align each hire with the appropriate team and tasks while ensuring a harmonious and efficient working environment.

Choosing to use a probationary period

Navigating the world of remote work can be quite daunting, especially when it comes to recruitment. There’s a multitude of talent out there, but how can you be sure you’ve hired the right candidate for the job? One method that has been gaining popularity is the implementation of a probationary period.

First off, it’s essential to understand that probationary periods are not meant to be harsh. On the contrary, they can prove helpful for both you and your new hire. Probationary periods allow employees to understand their roles better and gauge whether the company’s culture and vision align with their expectations. 

Success in remote work requires a team of dedicated and skilled individuals. Implementing a probationary period can help ensure that you’ve picked the right candidate to join your remote team. Give it a try when hiring your next remote team member, and you might just find the missing piece that takes your team to new heights.

6 Important Skills for Nonprofit Leaders

by Alyssa Conley | Apr 10, 2023 | General Membership

As a leader in the nonprofit space, you understand that running an organization requires hard work and dedication. As a leader, you know how the leadership qualities you have that help guide your team toward success. But what specific skills do successful nonprofit leaders need to develop if they want to successfully lead their teams?

In this post, we’ll delve into six crucial competencies—from public speaking to stress management—that all nonprofit leaders should strive to improve upon. Read on to learn how to expand your leadership skills to run a successful nonprofit organization.

Public Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most important skills for all nonprofit leaders to develop. You need to be able to give persuasive and compelling presentations about your organization. Being able to clearly articulate your mission and financial needs is essential for building a strong base of donors, volunteers, and partners.

Public speaking helps you become an effective advocate, represent your organization in civic discussions, and educate groups on how working together can make a lasting impact. With strong public speaking abilities, you can be confident that you will be able to represent your organization’s goals in any situation or venue. 

Fortunately, this vital skill can be learned with practice-perfecting speeches and presentations as well as gaining experience from media interviews and occasional unexpected questions from volunteers and associates. Attending conferences and presentations from other leaders is a great way to learn best practices. Building your communication skills takes time, but it’s easy to practice while working towards your organization’s goals.

Networking

This skill is often overlooked, but networking can make a difference in the success or failure of any organization. Nonprofit leaders need to be able to engage with potential stakeholders, sponsors, or investors and be open to hearing new ideas from various sources.

Networking is key in getting the word out about your organization and the work you’re doing and almost any event can be a networking opportunity. This is your chance to establish relationships and build strong connections that can be beneficial to both parties. However, this will require confidence in presenting yourself and your organization well. Improving public speaking skills is essential to successful networking.

Meeting new people should consist of a business introduction and exchanging business cards. As soon as possible, put their contact information in our phone with a note on how you met them and what they do. Take the time to connect with them on Linkedin. An important part of networking, that is usually overlooked, is maintaining networks. You need to interact with your connections through social media, attend networking events, and invite them to your networking opportunities. 

Time-Management

All nonprofit leaders need to hone and practice their time management skills. It’s not only going to help your organization be successful, but it will help you take care of yourself while leading your organization. Figuring out your organizational style and the techniques you enjoy is first. Figure out what size calendar or planner you’ll need, if you need to have a hard copy, or if you can stick to digital calendars, and decide if you need additional help. 

Being able to allocate tasks to others is an important part of time management. It is crucial, as a leader, to know which tasks you can complete and which tasks you need help to complete. You’ll also find as things get busier that you might need to schedule time for yourself and important things in your private life. There’s nothing worse than forgetting about a family member’s or friend’s event because of work. 

Reading and Working with Budgets

This one could keep you from getting yourself and your organization in a lot of trouble. Learning to read and work with budgets and different financial statements might seem intimidating. However, this skill can be learned by simply reading and looking at other examples. Study other organizations’ financial records and evaluate case studies similar to your organization.

While it’s important for nonprofit leaders to be able to read and work with budgets themselves, it’s also important to learn when to give tasks to someone else. Hiring a trustworthy and reputable accountant can elevate a lot of stress for your organization.

Problem-Solving

Utilizing your problem-solving skills is more about being able to think creatively and on the spot. You can start by playing puzzle games and looking at different case studies on organizational struggles. Also, try working with other people when problems arise, you can learn other techniques and see how others use their skills.

Being able to solve problems quickly, efficiently, and without creating additional stress or problems is a part of this skill. Learning to resolve conflicts in a productive way benefits your organization and personal life. You might not always have the answers right away, but you take your time finding the answer. 

Stress Management

Learning what is going to add to your stress and coping mechanisms to control that stress will help you in all aspects of your life. This skill is important for anyone to learn, especially nonprofit leaders, as your stress can affect the success of your organization.

Working with a trusted therapist and practicing mindfulness techniques are good ways to start learning about stress management. If you know your triggers and ways to cope with them, you’ll be better prepared for stressful situations when they arise.

While there are many skills required to help manage a successful nonprofit organization, these six are crucial. Furthermore, developing these leadership skills should be a constant pursuit, keep working on yourself. As a nonprofit professional, your actions and endeavors have a ripple effect on the entire community. It’s important to recognize this and work to make the best impact you can by improving your leadership skills.

As any great leader would tell you, know that hard work and perseverance pay off. In the end, we all want to be significant figures that leave a lasting impact on this world; why not start with your own nonprofit? If you need help in any aspect of your nonprofit, reach out to our team.