How to Hire in the Age of Remote Work

Aaron Levie recently tweeted, “The push happening around remote work is as game-changing for the future of tech as the launch of the iPhone was in 2007. This is not about real estate; it will change how products will be designed, how teams collaborate, and how companies will be run going forward.” The shift to remote work is just as “game-changing” for hiring teams. 

On Thursday, May 28th, Checkr and Greenhouse teamed up to host a conversation focused on how to hire well in the age of remote work. Arthur Yamamoto, VP of Talent, Checkr, and Jacqui Maguire, Director of Talent Acquisition at Greenhouse were joined by remote hiring experts: Aaron Hageman, CEO of Delivery Drivers Inc.; Betsy Church, Talent Brand Manager at GitLab; and Hope Weatherford, Director, Talent Attraction at InVision. All of the speakers shared their wisdom and insights on how companies can attract, recruit, engage, and hire top talent without ever meeting candidates face-to-face. Here are our top three takeaways: 

Documenting your processes and sharing them with everyone involved (recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates). Building a structure and keeping it consistent removes the uncertainty that can creep in without in-person conversations. 

“To make the most of your time and the candidate’s time, it is important to be very clear with everyone about expectations. In an effort to be transparent, we share our entire screening and hiring process with candidates ahead of time.” – Betsy Church, Talent Brand Manager, GitLab

“Fully distributed interviewing is new to most of us. This is a good opportunity to build out structure that will allow us to operate more efficiently when are not physically in the same location.  We use a detailed intake form to create alignment between recruiters and hiring managers that lasts throughout the entire hiring process. The intake form helps everyone collaborate at the very beginning of the process and hire for the most needed attributes.” – Jacqui Maguire, Director of Talent Acquisition, Greenhouse 

Without being able to ‘stock’ hiring managers or connect with candidates in the hallway after an interview, communicating clearly and often to candidates is more important in an all-remote setting.  

“Be intentional about defining and documenting how you communicate and build relationships both internally and externally with your candidates. Documenting and sharing your culture with candidates early in the hiring process allows them to opt-in or opt-out. Candidates can make better choices for themselves about where they are going to make an impact.” – Betsy Church, Talent Brand Manager, GitLab

“We have implemented virtual coffee breaks to show candidates our culture. It is a dedicated time for candidates to ask peers about the culture of our company.  It helps to create personal connections with the company before a new hire starts.” – Jacqui Maguire, Director of Talent Acquisition, Greenhouse 

“Communicate with your candidates empathetically. Most people, both hiring managers and candidates, have not gone through a fully remote interview process before. Communicate to candidates that you understand the challenges they are dealing with – from kids to pets to internet issues. Empathy goes a long way in the hiring process.” – Hope Weatherford, Director, Talent Attraction at InVision 

For companies who are hiring hundreds of employees or contractors every month, automating manual tasks reduces risks and increases operational efficiency. 

“Lean on technology that cuts out human error. The more we operate off of manual or paper processes, the more room there is for something to break along the way. Look at all of your tools and select the best partners to work alongside you. By integrating screening tools and automating onboarding steps, we are able to increase safety.”  – Aaron Hageman, CEO of Delivery Drivers Inc

The speakers mentioned a number of resources to aid you on your journey of building out a remote hiring process.  You can check them all out here: