Recent years have seen a rise in the demand for remote workers. So, in an effort to attract the best talent, many companies are including remote work in their benefit packages. You should consider a variety of different benefits when building your package, however. We will discuss four proven strategies to help you attract top remote workers in this article!
#1 Be competitive
Today, when remote work is the norm, not the exception, being competitive seems to be a real challenge. Companies and managers that easily fall into the “comfort zone” approach — throwing everything at their employees to keep them happy while they’re in the office — might find it hard to attract top remote workers.
It’s not enough anymore for companies to throw free coffee, snacks or lunches at their employees. To compensate your staff without having to offer other perks such as flexible working hours, telecommuting days, etc., you need something else: a competitive salary! If you want people who love what they do (and will be more productive) but also have families/other priorities besides work, you need an attractive compensation package with benefits around family time and flexibility which are necessary these days even when talking about full-time positions.
So if one of your employees wants to go on a family trip for two weeks, you should always let them — as long as the work gets done. This is what top remote workers are looking for!
Bottom line: It’s not enough anymore just being competitive with salary and additional benefits, companies need to be more flexible about hours too if they want to attract top talent.
#2 Create a clear remote work policy
In order to attract top remote workers, it’s important that you have a clear and concise policy about telecommuting. You should not only clearly state who is eligible for working remotely but also how often they can do so, what hours are considered work time, etc. If your employees know exactly where the boundaries lie, it’ll be easier for them to decide whether or not remote work is right for them.
One of the biggest hurdles companies have when working with remote teams comes down to communication. It’s really easy to become isolated and lose touch with your team if you’re not proactive about staying in contact. This happens even more so because you can’t simply walk over to someone’s desk and ask them something. You have to make sure that they are always available through different communication channels (chat, phone calls, video chats) so you can reach out whenever necessary. Also be sure to check how they are doing once they are onboarded: pulse surveys are a great way to do that.
Bottom line: A clear remote work policy helps everyone know the boundaries of working remotely which makes it easier for employees to decide whether or not it’s right for them.
#3 Provide a flexible schedule, including the option to work from home or a coworking space
In the past, flexibility was seen as working from home once in a while after hours or on weekends. But today’s top remote workers are looking for something more: flexible work schedules including the option to work remotely full-time! They want to be able to choose where they feel most productive and with whom they’d like to work with. For example, there are many employees who don’t feel comfortable working from home but would love to have the option of going into an office once or twice a week instead — and this is what top remote workers want too!
Ask yourself: Would you hire someone who is not willing to work from home or a coworking space once in a while? No! So don’t settle for employees who are either unwilling or afraid of working remotely. Be competitive, state your remote work policy clearly and give them the option to choose where they feel most productive.
Bottom line: Top remote workers today expect companies to offer them flexibility when it comes to choosing where they work and when.
#4 Promote company culture and team camaraderie through regular social events and activities
If you want to attract top remote workers, it’s also important that your office not only provides them with the opportunity but also encourages them to work remotely. You can do this by promoting company culture and team camaraderie through regular social events on a budget . It might seem like spending money for things such as drinks or trips is something you don’t have when working in an already established business however if you plan ahead of time how much certain activities cost then they are usually more affordable than expected!
Bottom line: Top remote employees today expect companies who hire them to treat their employees well by rewarding good behavior (through perks) instead of punishing bad behavior which often leads us back into thinking about ways of saving money here and there.
Don’t just talk about remote work: provide it
It’s not enough to just talk about how great it is to work remotely. You have to practice what you preach and provide opportunities for your employees so they can see that remote work is something the company truly values.
Top remote workers today want more than a nice promise of flexibility, they want proof that their employers are willing to invest in them.
No Comments