At a time when 96% of firm leaders say they’re taking steps to grow the business in the next three to five years, the ability to attract and hire talent is a significant factor for a firm’s future success. One strategy for finding needed talent is to embrace hiring remote talent.
From an employee’s perspective, remote work allows them to choose the hours that work best for them and avoid wasting time on long commutes and office distractions. For the firm, remote work can help reduce rent, facilities and resource costs while expanding the potential talent pool to include candidates located anywhere in the world.
Of course, you need to reinvent your recruiting style to take advantage of these opportunities. Here are five remote recruiting tips to help you hire top talent.
Change your strategy
Many firms are accustomed to working with local recruiters or posting localized job ads. Now, you need to attract applicants from anywhere in the U.S. (or anywhere in the world).
You can use many of the same tools, including Indeed and LinkedIn, but your job ad doesn’t need to be location-specific. Instead, think seriously about the specific skills you want rather than focusing on a particular degree, license or type of job experience. This will allow you to attract talented professionals you might not have considered before.
Tap into the gig economy
Full-time and permanent employees are no longer your only (or even your best) option. Today, there are more opportunities than ever to access the specific skills you need on a fractional, contract, or part-time basis. Check out AccountingFly, Beech Valley Solutions or Paro to match your needs to an outside resource.
Monitor your online reputation
Negative online reviews can drastically affect your ability to recruit the best talent. Before a potential candidate applies for an open position or accepts a job offer, they will check out reviews from previous employees on Glassdoor, Indeed and other websites. If they see negative or even neutral reviews, they won’t apply for the job or accept an offer.
If you see a negative review, respond positively and politely. Ignoring negative reviews makes it seem like you don’t care about your brand reputation or can’t defend yourself because the feedback is valid.
Fine-tune your messaging
Most CPA firm websites focus on one thing: the firm. They talk about the firm’s history and founders. But the harsh truth is that candidates don’t care about the firm’s history. They want to know what’s in it for them if they come to work for you.
Prospective candidates also don’t want to see all pictures of older white men when they view your firm’s current leadership team.
Review and update your website to ensure it’s about your clients and includes a careers page that’s focused on current and potential employees—not the firm. If you’re not sure how to improve it, ask the young people in your firm to take a look and provide honest feedback.
Leverage video
The questions you’ll ask during interviews and other candidate screenings don’t change in a remote environment. However, it’s essential for remote candidates—and really any candidates in today’s workforce—to be comfortable communicating on video.
Ask candidates to record themselves answering two or three interview questions. This shows how comfortable they are on video and gives you a bit of insight into the candidate before you invest time in an interview.
Consider filming a short video discussing the job, the type of candidates you’re looking for, what the employee will do on a day-to-day basis, compensation, benefits and other topics you might normally cover during an interview. Spark Hire is a great resource for leveraging video in your recruiting process.
Don’t slip into the habit of thinking remote work can’t work in your firm. Yes, there will be a few hiccups and challenges along the way, but these can be overcome. Don’t use the excuse that you tried hiring a remote employee before, and it didn’t work. One time is one bad experience—not proof that it can’t be done.
Whether most of your team is back in the office or you plan to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future, adapt your recruitment strategy to today’s talent landscape. After all is said and done, it will help you become more efficient, tech-savvy and able to access the best talent wherever they are.
Do you need help with your firm’s hiring and talent strategy?
Boomer Talent Consulting can help you get clarity on your firm’s most critical talent objectives and create a go-forward strategy suited to your firm’s unique needs. Schedule a discovery call today to begin implementing an organizational structure that is positioned and accelerating into the future.
Sandra Wiley, Shareholder, President of Boomer Consulting, Inc., is a leader in the accounting profession with a passion for helping firms grow, adapt and thrive. She is regularly recognized by Accounting Today as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting as a result of her expertise in leadership, management, collaboration, culture building, talent and training.
Sandra’s role at Boomer Consulting, Inc. includes serving as co-director of the Boomer Leadership Academy as well as the Boomer Managing Partner Circle, the Boomer Talent Circle and the Boomer Learning & Development Circle. Her years of experience and influence as a management and strategic planning consultant make her a sought-after resource among the best and brightest firms in the country.
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