How to develop a stronger remote-first hiring process 

We have a simple goal at Remote: hire great people for every role. In light of that goal, hiring managers at Remote are bound by a few key responsibilities:

1. Document the role upfront and get clarity around leadership involvement.

Define the hiring process upfront to share externally with candidates as well as internally. Always ask department heads to determine their desired level of involvement. Candidates should know exactly what the process looks like from beginning to end.

2. Proactively seek a more diverse pool of candidates.

Talk about the role internally, in public channels, and ping people who might be interested in contributing in some way to the hiring process. This is also the moment to ask for references/referrals. Seek out any channels, tactics, or opportunities to expand the search for more diverse candidates. Never close a position until you have sourced a sufficiently diverse pool of applicants.

3. Respect the location and preferences of your candidates and interviewers.

A candidate is always welcome to ask for a time more suitable to their time zone. Work internally to see who in your team has the closest availability if you have no overlap with the candidate's time zone. Don't encourage the candidate to schedule in the middle of their night; this won't be a good experience for them or you. Plus, doing so could create an unfair advantage for others interviewing for the same role at normal hours.

Facilitate belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity (BIDE)

We believe that the collective sum of our life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent makes up the core of our company culture. We fully embrace employees’ differences in age, national origin or ancestry, race, color, ethnic origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability status, medical condition, religion, marital or domestic partner status, and the multitude of other areas that make us all so unique.

This is not an ideal. This is a non-negotiable belief that all Remoters hold dear.

We are constantly working to find more tangible ways to develop practical processes to enable belonging for all. Everyone at Remote is responsible for striving to deliver on this mission, which must manifest in proactive tactics and strategies that scale with us as we increase the speed of our hiring plans.

How do companies benefit from proactively seeking BIDE?

Facilitating BIDE can lead to a stronger company, but it is important to note that such gains do not happen automatically. Leaders cannot treat diversity as a set-and-forget metric and expect to see financial gains, increased innovation, or a boost in employee retention through passive improvements.

Instead, businesses must acknowledge that the benefits of BIDE arise when the company rethinks the core of its hiring philosophy. It is not enough to add more diverse voices to the mix: companies must empower those individuals to have a say in the company’s direction. That means hiring with BIDE in mind for every role, including the most senior positions. 

Further, companies must consider how their benefits plans facilitate BIDE. Does the company offer equal parental leave? Do leaders set the right example for their teams in taking advantage of their benefits? Employees from traditionally marginalized groups often feel pressure to perform at an outstanding level to be treated as equals. By making BIDE a priority not only in hiring, but also in leadership and culture, companies can realize the incredible benefits of a global and diverse workforce.

Establishing a sustainable and supporting global team

At Remote, we value our differences. We want to ensure all individuals have equal opportunities and feel a sense of belonging within our organization. 

Please view our stance on BIDE in our public handbook for more information on what BIDE means at Remote and the steps we are taking each day to learn, grow and improve. We welcome your suggestions and invite you to explore further at hiring@remote.com.

Here are a few final hiring tips you can borrow from Remote’s recruiting philosophy:

We ask everyone at Remote to respond to direct outreach regarding open positions (via LinkedIn, social media, or email) with only the link to the position on our job board. This helps us stay inclusive and avoid the traps of bias that can be difficult to spot in the moment.

If we have an open position but find that those applying are in some way homogeneous (e.g., only male and/or only white candidates), the hiring manager must actively seek out a more diverse applicant pool. Consider posting a job on a site for female engineers or a site dedicated to people of color. Make it clear to your team that it’s not a barrier if these practices cost money.

Avoid becoming complacent about the effect of group identity. The people on the hiring committee should represent the people you are looking for whenever possible. If you can’t accomplish this, it’s likely a sign that you should redouble your efforts to bring in a wider applicant pool.

Regarding gender and sexual orientation, be aware that people have different personal pronouns. If you are unsure, it is okay to ask, preferably ahead of the interview in a friendly written format. Doing so not only respects our differences but builds trust and community. Likewise, use gender-neutral language, such as "salesperson" instead of "salesman." You want everyone who comes to work at your business to truly feel welcome and invited to bring their full selves.

Recruiting mindfully to build a stronger business

We hire all over the world, with hundreds of employees in dozens of countries. We have seen the benefits of a people-first, action-oriented approach to recruiting for ourselves, and we encourage other organizations to see for themselves how valuable a more thoughtful strategy can be.

To see our open roles, visit our careers page. If you have questions about our philosophy, you can always email us at hiring@remote.com.

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