Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 crafted a new normal that saw a rise in remote work globally. Though the pandemic has ended, the attention attached to remote work remains. Recently, there has been a trend in which workers prefer working remotely as opposed to in an office setup. This pattern has become part of the workforce and won’t change anytime soon.
Remote work refers to job roles that are independently executed outside the corridors of an office setting. No matter the location, a remote worker can work from anywhere in the world. Companies are constantly seeking and hiring new talent globally, including in Nigeria, to balance the disparity between in-house employees and remote employees. With evolving technologies, companies don’t need to set up a physical entity to employ workers, as workers can take on their roles remotely.
Hiring workers remotely can pose challenges if wrongly managed. That can severely affect a company’s performance, as hiring the wrong person can reduce the overall company’s key performance indices. Knowing the right way to hire remote workers will serve the best interests of you and your company. As you get to source and hire the right fit with great potential for productivity.
This article presents a guide on ways to source new talents and best practices for hiring remotely.
Benefits of hiring remote workers
Hiring remote workers offers several advantages to both employers and employees. In the face of remote hiring, organizations can go beyond their geographical locations and gain access to a more specialized pool of talent from any location. Hiring remote workers reduces the overhead costs of running a company. Such costs include taxes, office space rent, utility bills, food, and transportation and are greatly reduced when workers work from home.
Remote hiring creates flexibility for employees. Employees can decide if they want in-office duty or not. This creates quality time for workers to bond with their families and engage in beneficial activities to boost enthusiasm and motivation toward work. Overall, it creates a happy work environment. Moreover, Remote work creates an equal platform for workers limited by physical constraints to gain access to well-paying jobs without leaving their homes. This means they can get the attention and care they need from caretakers while working.
Additionally, the environment also benefits from remote working. During the 2020 pandemic, working from home was reported to reduce the carbon footprint by 97%. This shows that creating enough remote jobs goes a long way toward mitigating global warming. As less commuting leads to reduced carbon emissions.
The most common remote jobs found in Nigeria
Remote workers in Nigeria can fit into any organizational structure that has no physical entity. They can take on roles that can be realized anywhere, as companies don’t depend on their physical presence to function maximally. Roles that fit correctly into the remote work status are usually soft as opposed to the more demanding and physical ones. For example, content writing, and software development can be handled remotely; storekeeping doesn’t fit a remote work description.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of remote works common in Nigeria:
- Call center/telemarketer
- Content Writing
- Software development/engineering
- UX/UI
- Data analysis
- Digital Marketing
Ways to hire remote workers in Nigeria
When deciding to hire remote workers in Nigeria, you should consider some factors, specifically the route to access remote workers. Remote hiring can be quite a challenge for some companies, as scouting remote workers can take a toll on the company. Fortunately, there are setups to make the process easy.
Partnering with an employer of record
Though a foreign company can hire workers from Nigeria, this should be done in compliance with the law. In Nigeria, an international company would have to establish a legal entity to engage the services of a remote worker. And In addition, pay taxes, administer compliant contracts, and prepare payrolls.
Although, remote hiring and retention can be done compliantly by partnering with an employer of record.The service provider will hire remote workers on your behalf, onboard them, and assume full responsibility for employment-related liabilities without you setting up a company in Nigeria.
Engaging the services of a Staffing agency
A staffing agency makes it easy for a company to have access to short-term workers. A staffing agency maintains a database of candidates with specialized skills from which they can easily retrieve candidate information and employ those suitable for the role you request. However, there is a catch, for a staffing agency to function compliantly, the company needs to have a physical establishment in the country.
Recommendations from employees and professional networks
Employees of a company can be a source for acquiring remote talent. Perhaps an employee worked with a colleague in a previous company that fits the description of a job role. The employee can recommend the colleague to the company. This route saves the employer the cost of running advertising campaigns, scanning through mountains of resumes, and going through a rigorous interview process.
Likewise, recommendations can stem from an employer’s networks. An important fact to consider when reaching out to your networks is your field of specialization. If your network is into sales, you can’t seek help to recruit a web developer. Rather, seek out networks that are into web development.
Through remote employment job boards and freelancing websites
The proliferation of job sites has made it easy for candidates to gain first-hand information on job openings. Employers, in turn, take advantage of this to reach out to a wide population of talented candidates. To hire remotely in Nigeria, you need to look for job sites Nigerians frequent and upload the job description there.
Alternatively, you can use platforms specifically for freelancers, such as Upwork, freelancers, and Fiverr, where you get direct access to the remote work candidates and view their profiles and achievements.
Social media platforms
Employers can harness their social media presence to source reliable talent. Popular social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram allow recruiters to post job openings on their pages.
LinkedIn has positioned itself as a hub for professionals to network and gain valuable insights into industry trends and a lot of professionals in Nigeria maximize this platform. Not only this, recruiters can have access to a vast pool of talents and recruit candidates easily. However, it comes with a catch, for massive outreach, you need a premium account. This means you have to pay for your job posting to appear on the job portal.
On the other hand, Professionals can leverage social media to boost their brand’s image. This makes them a viable choice for recruiting companies without going through the lengthy process of publishing job openings.
Skills to seek out when hiring remote workers
When seeking to recruit remote workers, it is necessary to assess the skills of the candidates. Because recruiting a candidate with the wrong skill set can affect productivity, You have to look out for details relating to these skills. Remote work requires skills that are slightly different from in-office work, and these are necessary for success. Here are a few remote work skills to consider:
- Great communication skills
- Apt attention to details
- Proactivity
- Good time management
- Tech skills
- Ability to work independently
- Capacity to handle challenges and offer solutions
Step-by-step tips on recruiting remote workers in Nigeria
Now that you have identified the right channel to hire remote workers, the next task is the remote hiring process. These processes run from uploading a job description through interviews and onboarding. The recruitment process aims to hire the right candidate who will take on tasks promptly and without supervision.
Setup your recruitment team
First, you need to identify who should make up your recruitment team. Primarily, when you go through the route of engaging the services of an employer of record or staffing agency, they manage this process, relieving you of the stress of going through this process. However, if you are saddled with the responsibility of recruiting yourself, you are required to set up your team.
Members of the team normally include the employer, human resources manager, and manager. Each of the members plays an essential role, as they can easily identify target issues that the others may miss.
Create a clear remote job description
When crafting a job description, ensure it is defined and passes clarity on the role, so readers can have a grasp of what it entails. It shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow, so as not to discourage people from applying. The job description should convey the objectives of your company, responsibilities, and requirements. It should be able to deliver your company’s needs in an understandable and enticing form. The remote job description should contain the following:
- Job title
- salary
- employment type
- summary of the position
- responsibilities
- academic qualifications required,
- skills needed
- benefits
- preferred mode of contact
Review remote job applications
Following the creation of a job description and distribution through relevant channels, you will start receiving lots of resumes. At this point, you have to select the best candidates from the hundreds of resumes submitted. Though you might be tempted to discard some poorly well-written resumes, look beyond the interface and background and consider candidates based on their skills, achievements, and ability to deliver. It is no secret that most resumes are padded, and candidates sometimes exaggerate about their achievements. Considering candidates with only optimized resumes can lead you to miss out on real talents.
Alternatively, you can conduct a pre-interview test- where candidates are examined through a computer-based test- to filter out the right candidates. In some cases, you can ask for a sample of their previous work to ascertain their proficiency level. After a Successful review, prepare and send out interview invitation letters to the shortlisted candidates.
Conduct remote interviews
When conducting interviews for remote jobs, ensure that you consider the time zone difference, have good connectivity on both sides, and specify a time that is convenient for both parties. You can use the different tools available for live video meetings, such as Google Meet or Zoom, and ensure you send out the invites early enough before the day of the interview.
During the interview, there are specific traits to watch out for. Does the candidate possess the soft skills needed for the role? Does he have the mental capacity and enabling environment to facilitate working alone? Will the candidate be an asset or a liability to the company? These are some intriguing questions you need to answer during an online interview.
Some of the interview questions to ask the remote candidate include:
- What challenges did you face when working remotely, and how did you handle them?
- What is your approach to resolving communication gaps?
- How do you approach stress and pressure from your supervisor and team members?
- Could you tell me what you find interesting and challenging in your line of work?
- How do you prioritize your tasks and stay motivated when working remotely?
- Are there tools you use for your day-to-day tasks, and why do you use them?
- What tools do you think will help you be successful in your role?
Onboarding and payroll compliance
Following a successful remote interview and selecting the best candidate(s), there is a proper onboarding process. You need to draft a complaint contract that explains the remote role in detail, features the remote employee information, the salary scale, the start and end dates, daily work time, and benefits. You will also want to include a non-disclosure agreement, confidentiality requirements, and indemnity clauses for more advanced roles. Both the employee and employer should sign the contract upon acceptance of the job offer by the new employee.
Further, you need to explain the company’s culture, core values, and mission to your new hire. At this point, you should decide if you are going to provide the employee with a new laptop or maintain the old laptop. Also, you need to provide the employee with the tools needed to execute tasks effectively and collaborate seamlessly with teammates.
Finally, you have to create a payroll system to capture your new employee. Engage your HR team to set up a payroll that complies with the country’s tax and employment laws. You should ensure that you comply with these laws to prevent tax implications and permanent establishment risk.
Conclusion
Hiring remote workers in Nigeria offers an opportunity for businesses to expand their talent pool and gain fresh perspectives beneficial to their operations. Here we have seen the benefits of having a remote workforce, routes to scout for remote workers, and tips on recruiting the right remote hire in a complaint process.
By embracing remote work and tapping into Nigeria’s talent pool, you can unlock potential for growth, innovation, and success in your organization.
