3 strategies to close top candidates in a remote world

The COVID pandemic has caused drastic changes throughout the labor market. 74% of professionals now expect remote work to become standard. Remote work is a trend that’s here to stay, so it’s essential for recruiting teams to adapt to the expectations of top talent in the digital age. It starts with recruiting for a hybrid workplace, and many of those candidates you may close without ever meeting in person

Here are 3 strategies that will help you close top candidates in the remote world.

Personalize all correspondence & offers

Interacting with candidates in virtual conference rooms lacks the obvious human-to-human connection that we all feed off. It’s your role as the company to set the foundation for beneficial relationships to develop throughout the hiring process.

According to Glassdoor Research, 58% of candidates put clear and regular communication as their highest priority when engaging with companies. So it’s safe to say effective communication is a baseline expectation of the majority of candidates.

For targeting and closing top-tier candidates, it’s important to take your communication a step further. One thing you don’t want to miss is personalizing the offer letter itself. Offer letters can be tailored to highlight a candidate’s interests, voiced concerns about the role, or anything else that’s unique to their situation.

Beyond the offer letter, be sure to use personalized messaging in all correspondence. If you have to use automated emails for sourcing, try these email templates with places to personalize based on attributes and experience.That extra bit of care will make a great impression.‍‍

Expand your pool of potential candidates‍

‍One of the many benefits of remote work for companies is unlocking a global pool of candidates. Gone are the days where you’re forced to hire employees from a smaller, localized talent pool. There are now more high-quality candidates across the world open to remote opportunities than ever before. You’ll want to get your hiring manager on board with this strategy during your intake meeting.

When you cast a wider net you expose your company to more top candidates and ultimately, have a better chance of honing in on the perfect fit.

There can be a fair amount of unconscious bias in recruiting when it comes to location and remote working needs. Be sure to evaluate what bias exists in your hiring process so you’re not turning anyone away before you get them to the door.

Expanding your candidate options extends to your current employees and network as well. Often the best referrals come from within an organization. Building out an employee referral program is a great way to keep everyone engaged and on the lookout for high-quality candidates in their own social networks.

Create a first-class digital candidate experience

Just because you won’t have candidates traveling to your office for interviews doesn’t mean that you should receive them with any less care. This is a golden opportunity to think outside the box. A thoughtful candidate experience can make all the difference in a virtual recruiting process.

For example, in-person interviews typically include a full office tour where candidates will meet their potential co-workers in their natural environment, get a feel for the company culture, and relax into who they are. A standard online interview that only involves one-on-one interaction can feel stale and uninviting.

Consider offering candidates a virtual office tour that allows them to engage with co-workers organically. Creating a great atmosphere during interviews will help candidates open up fully, express what they bring to the table, and feel what it’ll be like to work with you. This is essential for distinguishing top talent from other candidates.

Another idea is to send out a personal gift with every offer. Most companies aren’t doing this, so the added personalization will help you stand out from the pack.

Wrapping up

Hiring top candidates in a remote world is no easy task. You’ll need to adapt your hiring process and think outside the box. Create an environment that allows each candidate to open up fully so you can assess if they’ll be a great fit or not.

The good news is that there is a global pool of top talent out there to connect with. By focusing on personalization and putting more care into your process, you’ll attract top-tier candidates who can elevate your company to the next level.