The evolving landscape of work is also transforming the criteria for recruiting talent for the new work models. Savvy recruitment leaders are staying one step ahead and evolving their strategies to stay in sync with the demands of this new work paradigm.
In his role as the Head of People at Oliv AI, Filip Vrnoga is at the forefront of navigating the recruiting challenges remote and hybrid companies face. Based on his experience, he highlights a recurring oversight that continues to go unnoticed in recruiting for remote/hybrid jobs.
“A lot of recruiters still haven’t fully evolved out of the old-school mindset, inadvertently evaluating candidates on a lot of nuances and cultural components needed to excel in a traditional office setting. When in reality, 80 to 90% of that just becomes completely irrelevant in a remote work environment.”
Filip keenly observes this pattern becoming more pronounced within hybrid companies, where the traditional in-office culture frequently influences recruitment decisions.
“I surprisingly often see this get completely skipped over and not evaluated properly during interview processes these days for hybrid companies that have an established in-office culture”, notes Filip.
Even within hybrid models, he underscores that the majority of work unfolds remotely.
“Two days a week in the office is still three days a week remote. This disparity between evaluation criteria and the actual nature of work in a hybrid or remote-first company can lead to recruitment decisions that might not fully align with the demands of remote work.”
Filip advocates focusing on candidates who not only possess the necessary skills and qualifications, but also demonstrate the traits which take the center stage when working remotely. He advises interviewers to tailor questions to assess candidates on qualities that strongly correlate with remote work success.
“Ask questions that delve into a candidate’s remote work experience and comfort. Look for evidence of self-motivation and exceptional time management skills. How well do they communicate proactively to ensure everyone’s on track? These aspects might sound common sense, but they’re crucial for remote work effectiveness & success.”
Filip offers a personal insight he utilizes to assess candidates—their “Remote-Work” toolkit.
“One of the better ways of assessing this is by looking at what types of tools candidates have explored and have used in the past. Being able to display proficiency in a variety of remote-friendly tools, extending beyond the usuals, not just Zoom, not just Google Meet, is an indicator of the candidate’s adaptability and mindset.”
The remote world is brimming with tools that make collaboration a breeze. From project management, to async communication, to task organization. Being well-versed in this spectrum of tools highlights a candidate’s readiness to be an effective remote team member.
Bottomline: A Tailored Recruitment Approach.
As remote and hybrid work models continue to evolve, Filip’s heads up serves as a well-timed prompt for recruiters to refine their interview techniques, ensuring a recruitment process that brings onboard individuals best suited for the new work paradigm.