In running an organization, management has to make crucial decisions about their workforce. One such choice is how they work.
Research has shown that remote workers are happier and more productive. Also, hiring remote workers saves businesses costs and streamlines its operations.
Recently, many organizations have been making the switch from on-site employees to hiring remote workers, but with the COVID-19 crisis, they’ve all had to do it out of necessity. Businesses have always worked with on-ground staff; hence techniques abound for hiring them.
However, remote working is a new-ish model, and so hiring remote staff brings a whole new challenge. This article will point employers in the right direction when they look to hire remote workers. Unlike the other one million articles on this subject, I’ll not merely list out the different job websites around.
For smart employers, these websites are just one more option out of many. From years of hiring remote talent and working as one, I can tell you that I’ve had my best experiences outside of job boards. Most freelancers have landed lucrative gigs right from their Twitter DMs.
Therefore, some places listed here are unconventional but trust me, you are bound to find wonderful talents on these platforms. Join me as we explore the best places on the Internet to find remote skills.
Forums
Best for motivated workers
Forums are great places for individuals to interact, share updates, and get help. Different types of forums exist on the Internet – some are general, and others are focused on specific fields or topics. General forums discuss topics from politics, sports, and so on. However, when seeking remote workers, these are not the types of forums you should be looking at.
It’s possible to find some great remote talent on general forums, but you can also mop the floor with a cat. Why would you do that when you can use the appropriate tool for the task? Employers who seek remote talent need to find candidates who are invested in the field, and they hang out in forums specific to their fields.
For example, Stack Overflow is a community where developers share knowledge. Expert graphics designers hang out in forums such as Designer Hangout and Graphic Design Forum. You can search for relevant forums in your niche and look for the top contributors. Talk to them and see if they are looking for a change.
Thankfully, most of these forums have job sections where you can share your remote openings. The candidates you find in forums usually have great hands-on experience and are enthusiastic about the subject. I’ve seen many employers post a task on some forums and present it as a mere issue they’re facing. Willing professionals will offer some help, and after that, gradually build relationships with these guys. With time, they make the partnership official and go on from there.
FlexJobs
FlexJobs is another place where you may find your potential employees. This job board takes a different approach to how you post remote jobs. On the other remote job boards we reviewed here, you pay a fee to post your listing. However, on FlexJobs, you only have to pay a flat fee once, and you have access to post as many openings as you like.
I’ve not hired remote staff from FlexJobs, but going by the testimonials; it’s a wonderful remote job board. The pricing starts from the standard $299 per month, and you can save if you subscribe for three or more months.
RemoteOk
RemoteOk is primarily aimed at remote job seekers, and this means that remote jobs you advertize here will reach thousands of enthusiastic candidates.
Once you visit the remoteok.io website, you’re greeted with a beautiful interface that highlights the most sought remote roles – software development, customer support, marketing, design, etc. Right below these categories is the Post a job button. Hit this button to advertise your remote opening.
Like remote.co, RemoteOk charges you $299 to post an opening. This price can shoot up if you add extra touches to your listing. For example, you can place a star beside your company’s name on the listing for $49. To stick your listing to the top of the front page for a week, you’ll have to part with $199.
They have other extras that also help increase the visibility of your posting and add authenticity to your brand.
Remote.co
Remote.co is a massive job board where employers post their vacancies to thousands of freelancers. This site has something for everyone – employers and freelancers.
Unlike on StackOverflow, remote.co isn’t free to use. You have to shell out $299 in order to post a listing on their website, and your ad lasts for 30 days. Remote job seekers don’t have to frequent the remote.co website in search of opportunities, because the platform keeps them up to date with the latest listings via emails.
On the part of the candidates, you can be sure that you’re getting applicants who are abreast with remote working when you hire from Remote.co. That’s because they make it a point of duty to update their subscribers with all the required information and tips for working from home.
Freelancing platforms
Best for one-off gigs
Freelance platforms act as a middleman between employers and remote workers. It’s easy to pick a candidate here because the platforms usually rank them based on their performances.
Apart from that, freelance websites let employers leave feedback on their experiences working with freelancers. With these features, you can easily sieve your candidates and hire accordingly. Knowing that employers may wish to keep your transactions and communication on the platform, these applications keep transaction records for accountability.
You either browse through the thousands of freelancers willing to work or simply send out an ad detailing what you want. Interested freelancers will respond to your ad, and you can begin work. The best freelancing sites have integrated accounting, project management, and communication systems.
A quick Google search will bring up tons of freelancing platforms, but most are full of malicious parties who abuse the system. Below are the freelancing platforms where you are most likely to find trusted workers.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the most popular freelance websites. It’s perfect for hiring freelancers on the go, thanks to its intuitive mobile apps for Android and iOS. As the name suggests, freelancers price their services from $5 per gig.
Fiverr is good to find a freelancer for the following works.
- Designing logo, brochure, poster, social media images, icons
- Marketing, optimizing sites for search engine
- Copywriting, proofreading, and translation
- Creating animation and video for your brand
- Setting up CMS like WordPress, Joomla, Magento, etc.
- Quick help on a development-related issue
They have recently launched Fiverr Pro, where you can find premium quality freelancers. A perfect for a brand who doesn’t want to waste time in screening. You won’t go wrong in choosing them as they have gone through additional screening to deliver the best experience.
Upwork
Upwork is more suitable for long-term contracts than Fiverr. This is because of the nature of transactions you carry out on this platform. Rather than go after the $$ tasks, Upwork targets bigger projects.
On most other freelance platforms, the freelancers only have to sign up and create their offerings. However, Upwork raises the bar and only admits freelancers in unsaturated gigs. The generally stricter registration and verification process mean that you’re likely to find professionals.
Toptal
A popular platform for hiring remote developers is Toptal. This website doesn’t go for the general audience but only picks key fields. If you’re looking to hire a top remote developer, designer, project manager, or finance manager, you must consider Toptal.
There is more freelancer platform you can explore.
Conclusion
Although many people might say that it’s a hit-or-miss issue, hiring remote workers is always an excellent decision if you know where to look. The good news is you don’t have to commit any financial, talk to them and if you are satisfied, then only hire them.
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