Employees are the backbone of any organization as they play a crucial role in helping companies achieve their goals and remain afloat in the market. Consequently, the employee selection process is of vital importance and should be taken vigorously. Remote hiring has been around since the internet came to the masses, but the trend really took off during COVID, when companies needed a workforce, and the offices were shut down, limiting in-person assessments and work.
Fast forward to today, the world continues to shift and adapt to new technologies post-COVID era. Human resources has undergone a significant transformation. Traditional hiring practices are slowly fading, and remote hiring is emerging as a viable alternative. Remote hiring is challenging the conventional on-site interviews and assessments massively.
In today’s article, we will take a deep dive to explore the nuances of traditional and remote hiring, both their strengths and weaknesses and what the future holds in the HR landscape of the 21st century. At Scalable Hacks, we understand the significance of both traditional and remote hiring practices as we offer remote hiring services to help businesses find and retain the best talent globally.
Traditional Hiring Practices
Traditional hiring has been the cornerstone of recruitment for decades. HR managers go through a cycle of processes to announce, evaluate and hire an employee that includes the following:
Post a Job Opening: Hiring managers announce open positions, usually in print media and online job boards, to reach out to a pool of prospective candidates.
Shortlisting and Invitation: After receiving the applications from prospective candidates, HR managers review resumes and shortlist the potential candidates. Once shortlisted, they are invited on a specific date and time to conduct in-person interviews at the company premises or a pre-decided venue.
Interviewing Process: An in person face to face interview is conducted that brings many valuable insights for the hiring managers. Apart from skills tests, they can evaluate a person’s body language, their way of communication and overall presence and personality charisma. This personal interaction highlights whether the potential candidate is culturally fit for an organization or not.
On-site Skill & Administering Tests: Traditional hiring incorporates on-site administering aptitude tests. They might also include specific skill-based tests depending on the job nature. These tests allow employers to get a realistic preview of the work expected while evaluating a candidate’s practical skills in a real-time.
Referral Program and Agency Hiring: Traditional hiring can also encourage current employees to refer a friend or colleague who is a potential fit for the job. Additionally, the HR team may use the services of staffing agencies and headhunters to hire an employee.
These are the top practices utilized in traditional hiring.
However, according to builtin startup platform, 92% of employers prefer hiring via social media platforms. This number significantly outpaces traditional hiring methods such as advisements, employee referrals and traditional job boards.
Pros and Cons of Traditional Recruitment Methods
Let us delve into the pros and cons of traditional hiring:
Pros of Traditional Hiring
Familiarity: Traditional hiring has been well-established and in practice for decades. It proves to be more comfortable for both employers and potential employees.
Local Reach: Traditional hiring can be effective in reaching a pool of candidates that are in a specific geographical area. This can be beneficial when companies are looking for local talent to build a strong local presence.
Less Competition: With the concept of remote hiring, the traditional recruitment process may have less competition. This allows companies to stand out and attract a talent pool that does not have a solid online presence and they are not applying for online jobs.
Community and Relationships: Traditional hiring means that the potential candidate will work in an office-based environment with other humans. This fosters building relationships and communities and can be important for employer branding and marking a positive reputation.
Cons of Traditional Hiring
Excessive Cost: Traditional hiring proves to be an expensive option. Organizations have to spend $1000 – $3000 per hire. This number can increase based on the specificity of the job industry and nature.
Low Reach: Due to the geographical boundary, traditional hiring has a limited pool finite to the host company’s country, state or region.
Time-Consuming: The typical traditional hiring cycle is time-consuming. The recruitment strategies go something like this:
1. Get the word out
2. Wait for applications to start rolling in
3. Sorting and shortlisting
4. Prepare tests and interviews
5. Calling and conducting interviews
6. Final selection and hiring
Unsolicited Withdrawals: Due to its time-consuming nature, a candidate may get an offer from another company before the hiring cycle completes with one company; hence, unsolicited withdrawals can happen.
Ethnicity and Biasness: Human beings are judgmental by nature, and traditional hiring requires candidates to appear in person. Hiring manager may make their final decision based on ethnicity and race, ignoring the proficiency and skillfulness of a prospective candidate.
Remote Hiring Process
Remote Hiring, also known as Modern hiring, is changing the landscape of the job industry. With the inclusion of technology and ease of use, this process that was once considered unconventional is becoming a norm. With more remote work opportunities and some companies that are operating entirely on an office-less paradigm, remote hiring is the way forward.
According to a report by Forbes, it is estimated that by 2025, 32.6 million Americans will work remotely. Hence, remote hiring is indeed future-centric.
Let us Review the Key Aspects of Remote Hiring:
Online Job Boards & Social Media: Leveraging a plethora of online job boards such as LinkedIn, indeed, and Glassdoor in combination with social media platforms such as Facebook and X ensures that the job posting reaches out to a broader pool of potential candidates and breaks traditional geographical boundaries.
Virtual Interviews: With abundant video conferencing tools and technology available today, hiring managers can conduct interviews remotely. This is convenient for both employers and job seekers without committing to in-office space reservations.
Employing AI and Machine Learning: Using Artificial Intelligence and advanced ML algorithms, employers can feed the systems with resumes and cover letters to assess candidates based on the job descriptions and the applicant’s skills and past experiences. This can reduce the time drastically to hire an employee.
Online Portfolios: Candidates can showcase their work and achievements utilizing online platforms. This gives an expansive view of potential applicants’s skills and real-world experiences.
Online Assessments and Tests: This involves leveraging Computer-Based Tests (CBTs) to administer aptitude and skill tests with reports generated by computerized systems, easing the process of selecting or rejecting a potential candidate in mere minutes.
These are the top characteristics of choosing a remote hiring methodology.
Pros and Cons of Remote Hiring
Let us explore the pros and cons of remote hiring over traditional hiring:
Pros of Remote Hiring
Automation & Efficiency: Modern hiring methods leverage technology to streamline and automate specific repeatable tasks, making the whole process efficient and effective.
Data-Driven Decision Making: With the inclusion of technology, remote hiring software and tools provide more data on applicants to help employers make informed hiring decisions.
Intelligent Resume Screening: AI algorithms can evaluate and screen resumes efficiently based on parameters set afore by the HR team. These parameters can range from relevant skills, qualifications, and past experiences. This strategy saves time for decision-makers by factoring out the resumes based on the particular jobs’ requirements.
Cost-Effective: Remote recruitment can be cost-effective as it eliminates the need for travel, venue hire for the employer, and other associated costs.
Time-Saving: Virtual recruitment can also save time, particularly for organizations with high-volume recruitment needs. Additionally, this can also save time for the organization by completing the onboarding process entirely remotely.
At Scalable Hacks, we leverage the advantages of remote talent acquisition to help our clients find the best talent across the globe. Our deep-rooted expertise in remote hiring allows us to tap into a diverse pool of candidates, ensuring that businesses can rely on us and access top-tier professionals beyond geographical boundaries.
Cons of Remote Hiring
Absence of Personal Connection: Virtual interviews may not provide full insights into the prospective candidate’s complete personality traits, such as body language cues, in-person communication skills and confidence.
Technical Complexities: Modern hiring procedures may be disrupted due to technical issues. This could be software glitches, internet problems, or the applicant’s computer illiteracy.
Finite Experience: Employers may not be fully prepared to take on the remote hiring methods. They may need to invest time and resources to fully understand and learn the nuances of remote hiring.
False Positives: Modern hiring often employs AI and machine learning algorithms to decide a prospective candidate. Although these systems help but, at the same time, they are relatively new and may prove to be inefficient and suboptimal.
Following is the table that summarizes the main differences between traditional and modern hiring procedures:
Aspect
Traditional Hiring
Modern Hiring
Speed
Slower, due to manual processes.
Faster, due to technology and automation.
Reach
Limited to local candidates.
A wider pool of candidates due to remote and online options.
Diversity
May be biased due to unconscious bias in resume review.
May be more diverse due to techniques like blind resumes.
Candidate Experience
May be less convenient due to in-person requirements.
May be more convenient and transparent due to remote options and process transparency.
Closing Note
It is important to note that an organization may use both methods in a hybrid model for their best interest. The selection boils down to the organization’s strategic goals and specific needs. Startups and small organizations may choose remote staffing due to its ease of convenience. In contrast, large-scale organizations may opt for traditional methods. Remote hiring is getting popularized due to increasing remote work opportunities and the benefits it presents. Thanks to the modern work culture, the adoption of remote hiring because of abundant remote jobs is enabling organizations to tap into a global talent pool with unparalleled efficiency and adapt to ever-changing work dynamics.
According to a study by Buffer, 98% of the participants wanted to work remotely for the rest of their careers.
As experts in remote hiring, Scalable Hacks is at the forefront of this transformative shift in recruitment. We understand that the future of work is evolving, and our services are designed to help businesses navigate this changing landscape. Whether you are looking to build a remote team or explore hybrid hiring models, Scalable Hacks can provide the expertise and support you need to find and retain the right talent for your organization.
