Working remotely as a Recruiter can be a great experience. It gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, set your own hours, and work in comfy clothes.
But what about the challenges? As a company that has always supported remote work, Red Seal Recruiting has seen them arise here and there.
Here are some of our team’s best tips that you will find helpful to make working from home as easy as possible.
Establish a Routine
A good remote worker is one who has developed good habits, and one of the most important ones to develop is establishing a routine. This will help you stay on track so that you can get things done and be productive throughout the day.
A good way to start this process is by planning your years, quarters, months, weeks and days. Ensuring that family and friends know your schedule and respect it.
Get Comfy with Video
Telecommuting can be a great way to save money, but it also means that you’re not physically in the office. This can make it harder to build rapport with your team members, and clients, who may only see you on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet.
Setting up your desk and camera with good lighting is key. Face a window or light, never be backlit and raise up your camera. If your laptop sits on a desk get a holder for your phone as often your best angle is from straight ahead or slightly above.
Get to Know Your Coworkers
It’s important to remember that even though you’re working remotely, it doesn’t mean you should work alone. Ask for help, for a virtual coffee and if there are ways you can help others.
Ask others about what they did on the weekend and share personal information about yourself. Remember to keep things professional and if you are having difficulties make sure you discuss it with longer-term colleagues or an empathetic manager.
Have a Dedicated Workspace
When you work from home, it’s important to have a space that feels like an office. This might be an actual room or just a corner of the living room – whatever makes you comfortable and productive.
Having a space that is clean, organized and uncluttered is important, so you can find what you need when you need it. A space where you can be comfortable for hours at a time; your workspace shouldn’t make your back hurt or your eyes tired from staring at the computer screen all day long.
In addition to your physical space, there are a few intangible things that will help you feel at home in your new virtual office.
For example, if you’re used to having coworkers around all day chatting with each other or listening to music on headphones as they work, getting used to working in silence can be challenging at first.
It may take some time for your brain from working remotely before it becomes second nature.
Don’t Use Notifications (all the time)
You do not have to answer every ping that comes through your phone!
Your messaging apps and email are tools for communication—not for distraction. Don’t be distracted by social media, news apps, or mobile games (unless you’re on a break).
Answering the phone is key, as not letting calls from candidates and clients go to voicemail. If you have to step away being able to forward calls to a teammate or your cell phone is key.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out
Asking for help and feedback is critical to improving your work. As a remote worker, there are extra barriers to asking for help. But if you want to be successful, don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek guidance from your manager and coworkers. If something feels off or confusing, don’t hesitate to reach out!
You may not have an office where people can see when you need help right away. Communicating over email takes time—time that could be spent in front of the computer working on projects instead.
However, this doesn’t mean that asking questions should be avoided altogether because it’s too slow or inconveniently asynchronous. If it’s important enough for you then go ahead and ask!
With the right mindset and tools, you can be successful at working remotely as a recruiter. There are plenty of tools out there like Google Docs that make collaboration easier than ever before. You may have to make some adjustments, but all of these tips will help get you there.
The most important thing is to keep an open mind and be flexible. You’ll have to adjust to working without coworkers around you all the time, but it can be done!
Check out more Recruiting Tips and Resources on our blog here!
Red Seal Recruiting Solutions has a wide variety of services to help you find the best employees. See how we can help on our Recruiting Solutions page.