How to Hire Remote Employees for Singapore Company

The Covid-19 pandemic has fully changed how people work and view what work can look like on a daily basis. Long gone are the days people spend most of their life wasting away in endless traffic, making remote work that much enticing to a lot of potential employees.

Before jumping to the hiring process, let us first discuss about where to seek qualified remote workers for your company. Hiring offline and online definitely has its own perks. Talentport has compiled some channels for you to capture the best talents.

Where to Look for Remote Workers

There are numerous methods for finding remote labor for your project. We'll look at five of the most common and explain why you might or might not have success with each.

1. Contact the Remote Employee Using Their Website or Blog

Many top-tier remote employees offer freelancing services or work on short-term contracts to stay remote and in control of their lives. Most of the time, these professionals have a website or blog that shows off their skills and past work. Websites for remote employees typically function as a portfolio of previous work, including the achievements they were able to achieve for clients. You can check to see if a remote worker has worked in your field or for a company similar to yours. Use the website's contact form or one of the other ways to get in touch with these employees.

2. Hire From Your Network

Most business owners and managers can find qualified remote workers through their personal and professional networks. You can use the knowledge and experience of people you trust, such as people you may have worked with on a project or contract in the past.

The biggest advantage of recruiting remote workers through your network is that referrals come from people you already know and trust. This makes it easy to believe in the results someone claims to deliver and to check their job history, projects, and other resume features.

The disadvantage of this hiring strategy is that it restricts your skill pool. You are working within a network you already have, and you aren't making the post available to everyone. This cuts out a lot of potential clients. There's a chance you won't find the best folks for your requirements. Another critical consideration is that if your network is not varied, you may not have a wide-ranging pool. A lack of variety might cause long-term restrictions in your organization.

3. Social Media

One hiring funnel that's rising in popularity is social media. Before you talk to them about a project, you can start a conversation right away with talent and leaders in the areas you need. Social media may also be used to view a huge body of work that has been shared through time, and people may have posts that indicate their point of view, opinions, and thoughts about their industry.

Many professionals make public Facebook accounts to promote their businesses and expertise, which can be a great place to ask questions. Twitter and Pinterest are helpful for designers because they make it easy to show and organize a lot of work. Marketing experts are also building their brands on TikTok and Clubhouse, which might help your company branch out into new marketing platforms.

Remember that if you seek for the most well-known persons on social media with a large follower, you will almost certainly wind up paying a premium for their experience and the visibility they can provide for your project.

4. Job Boards 

If you want to capture as many remote workers as possible, consider using job boards as part of your plan. Job boards are the most passive choice on this list, you create the post and then let people find it. Some trusted services, like Talentport, will post your job and let potential candidates know about it, but most of the work is on the potential candidate to read the post, decide to apply, and then follow the steps you give them to contact you and send in an application.

To get the most out of these platforms, write a job description and post it. Give the most up-to-date information about your organization and the right way to get in touch with you.

One problem is that job boards might bring in a lot of applicants, many of whom might not have the right experience or skills. If you don't want to miss out on resumes or other emails, you might want to create and use a separate email account for job ads.

Looking for Qualified Remote Workers and Freelancers?
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5. Utilize a Platform such as Upwork and Freelancer

When it comes to finding talented independent remote employees, your best choice is to use a platform that connects people with firms in need and manages most of the hiring and work process for you. Upwork is a job marketplace that links independent workers with companies in need. After posting your job, you can choose to invite certain independent professionals to apply. The platform's other talent can view it and submit applications as well.

When you hire people on Upwork, you help standardize a lot of processes. This makes it easier to evaluate talent, start a project, stay on budget, and finish it well. Some of the primary advantages of using Upwork and Freelancer are as follows:

• Independent talent has established profiles that allow for easy comparison of their experiences.
• Reviews and suggestions are provided directly by their clients, you might need to ask to verify previous projects.
• Because of the shortened onboarding procedure, projects can be launched more quickly.
• Hiring insurance ensures that you only pay for work that is actually accomplished.
• Hiring becomes more flexible, and a one-time job could lead to a long-term relationship.
• You have access to talent from all over the world, so you can meet local needs or look for the best person without being limited by where they live.

For employers, this new revelation possesses its own challenges and opportunities. This includes a larger pool of talents to access their unique skill sets and lower overheads with less office expenditure. So, how exactly can we hire remote employees more effectively? 

How to Hire Remote Employees

Hiring remote employees can be daunting, especially if you’re not a multinational company with local entities in various nations all over the world. But don’t let that fact deter you, there are a lot of alternatives in remote hiring nowadays, and we’ll show you how. But first, let’s start with the very basics of how to hire remote employees.

1. Know Your Budget

Before going all-in on remote hiring, know exactly how much money is available. What is your budget? How much talent can you secure with said budget, and whether it will be sustainable along the way?

Please consider the talent’s level of seniority, experience, role, and whether you’ll be providing them with a home office budget. If you decide to hire internationally, please be prepared to adjust the salary, benefits, package, and tax in accordance with the local customs and regulations.

2. Compelling Job Advertisement

Composing an eye-catching remote job advertisement should include important and compelling information in a concise manner. If you’re hiring internationally, use inclusive and culturally appropriate language to attract a wider talent pool. Below are elements that you should include on your job advertisement:

Introduction

Write a compelling, yet brief introduction of the company and why the potential candidate should join. This includes how the company’s unique values and culture can benefit the remote hire. Use keywords such as “autonomous”, “cross-functional”, “flexible hours”, etc. to entice potential hires.

Clarity

Clear detail about what the company would expect from the remote worker. Whether they’ll be 100% remote, hybrid, or will be required to come to the office at some point. Details about where they can be based and option to work from anywhere is also required to clear things up.

Responsibilities

List a comprehensive job description that includes skills and experience required for the role. Along with some of the major tasks and responsibilities he or she will assume when they join the company.

Remunerations

This is where you can shine and list in detail what the company can offer as remuneration, should the candidate join the company. Range of salary, fix & potential bonus, healthcare coverage, home office allowance, and other perks that the company will provide successful candidates.

3. Channel Distribution

Now that you’ve created a compelling job advertisement, it’s time to spread the word out. Try Talentport if you're keen on posting on specific channels designed for remote work job ads. Talentport is one of the top websites for hiring the brightest individuals who are eager to start their careers abroad.

Additionally, Talentport saves you time by only recommending applicants that meet your qualifications. All contracts are legally compliant under Singapore law.

Process of Hiring Remote Employees

Now that you receive a lot of potential candidates to process, it’s time to move on to the next step. Here is the step-by-step process of hiring remote employees:

Interview Stage

During the interview stage, it’s important that you prepare beforehand on what each of the interview processes will be. This includes who will interview the potential hire and how it’s going to be done. Whether it’s a one-two part group interview, or a one-on-one interview.

Make sure you align all corresponding schedules of both the interviewer and the interviewee. Once everything is set, follow the following process to get things going.

• Virtual interview 101: If, and when you’re involved in facilitating the interview process, make sure that you follow the virtual interview best practices. This includes pre-testing your laptop, camera, and mic beforehand, and choosing the most accommodating (private, quiet, clean) room on the D-day.
• Zero distraction: Contact both the interviewer and interviewee a few hours before the interview schedule, reconfirming of their availability and ask whether they will be able to proceed with the allotted time. This will ensure zero distraction from upcoming meetings, and don’t forget to request everyone to turn off all notifications -both on PC and mobile.
• Remote-ready qualities: During the interview, look out for remote-ready qualities such as independence, initiative, self-motivation, autonomy, good communication, adaptability, and highly experienced in using corresponding technology and digital tools for remote work and collaboration.
• Skill test: Test their skills in both role-related tasks and problem-solving abilities. Depending on the company’s policy, such online tasks can be done prior from the main interview, or after the initial interview process -once they passed the first layer of interviews.
• Reference check: If every aspect of the interview goes well, and you are interested in hiring the potential candidate, it’s time to check their reference and right to work. A quick call to their provided reference should give a clearer picture of who they are as an employee, and whether they will fit with the company.  

Onboarding Stage

During the onboarding stage, you must adjust the process following their domicile. If the hired candidate is based in the same country as the company, the hiring and onboarding process should be similar with your office-based employee. Here are some of the simple steps you can follow:

• Send a locally compliant offer letter
• Send employment contract
• Add them to the company’s HR system and payroll
• Welcome them virtually
• Start working

If you’re hiring and onboarding remote staff who are based outside of the company’s headquarter, especially if they’re based abroad, or in a country where the company does not have any local presence, there are far more things to consider.

To be able to legally hire an employee abroad, you’ll very likely need to set up a local entity in the country they’re based in. This is no easy feat and time consuming. Not only that, you’ll have to have an in-depth understanding of how to pay the remote workers and comply with the local regulations. This includes following certain tax and benefit rules.

If this sounds daunting, worry not, there are other ways to onboard the new hires abroad, one of them is using an Employer of Record (EOR) service. It’s the EOR’s job to employ your chosen talent, without you having to set up a local entity. They are the ones who will assume responsibility for complying with the local employment laws, from compensation, to benefit, taxes, and more. The hired employee then will be assigned to your company and carry out the tasks you set them.

Here are the top EOR to consider: 

• Remofirst
• Remote
• Airswift
• Papaya Global
• Deel
• Velocity Global
• Atlas Technology Solutions, Inc.
• New Horizons
• Foxhire
• Omnipresent
• Multiplier

Hiring Remote Employees Guideline

Hiring remote employees will surely have its ups and down. Even if you’ve done everything by the book, a hiccup or two is bound to happen. But as in with life, we must do what we can from where we are. Here’s a hiring remote employees’ guideline you can follow, once they’re onboard with the company:

1. Trust and Let Go

High level of trust is needed if you've decided to hire a remote employee. It’s high time that you learn to trust and let go, let them work and do their job. Yes, you can guide and help them when needed, you can even assess their work product, but you can’t expect to control every single aspect of their process.

2. Documentation

Having a document of your processes as a guide, will not only help the new hire to kick things off, but also keep a certain standard to your expected level. Especially in things that are fixed and non-flexible, a highly detailed documentation can go further than a week of manual guidance. Don’t have any? Start writing that documentation down.

3. Law compliance

Hiring a remote worker, especially those who are abroad, will require a lot of effort. But above all, it’s always best if you comply with the law to the dot. From benefit, tax to paid time off, each country has their own accounts. Make sure everything you do, and offer are compliant with the local law. This will reduce any future risk the company may suffer.

Remote Employee Regulation in Singapore

Work flexibility or remote work may not be a statutory right or regulation in Singapore, but the government has several guidelines in place and encourages companies to implement them. The Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) clearly laid out recommendations for the company to comply.

Aside from the Tripartite Advisory, Singapore also has the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) that requires employers to take reasonable measures to ensure the employee’s health and safety. Through the WSHA, employers are encouraged to conduct risk assessments of the home workstation, and the employee responsible to look after their own health and safety at home. 

Benefits In Hiring Remote Workers

Hiring remotely broadens your skill pool beyond your immediate vicinity to everywhere. The best applicants can now work for you regardless of where they live.

Remote work also makes it easier for people who have trouble getting to the office to work in a more equal way. Workers with disabilities have long struggled in traditional businesses, fighting for modifications that allow them to work from home. Remote-first organizations are an essential step toward making well-paying work more accessible to folks who might otherwise be excluded due to office constraints. This includes parents and caregivers, who often worry about not being able to go to work because they have to take care of their families.

1. Increased Productivity

Those who work remotely are actually more productive than those who work in an office, contrary to the prevalent notion prior to the pandemic. A poll by Airtasker found that many people who work from home can put in more hours than those who work in an office. Furthermore, according to Forbes research, remote workers are 35%-40% more productive than office-based employees. That kind of gap, without a doubt, cannot be overlooked.

2. Higher Employee Retention

There is a reason why remote workers are more productive, and that is an improvement in employee happiness. Employees that work remotely may have more freedom and autonomy over their work environments, whether they are at home or in their own workplaces. Higher employee happiness, of course, leads to increased staff engagement and retention.

3. A Larger Pool of Talent

Many organizations are concerned about the limited talent pool in their area, which is mostly due to geographical constraints. This is not a problem in a remote work context because organizations may now tap into the abilities of people all around the world for their remote responsibilities.

4. Cost Savings

Businesses, particularly startups, can save money by not having to maintain shared office space as well as other utilities and facilities. Hiring remote staff entails providing them with their own resources such as internet, water, and energy. Companies that want to grow quickly also have a clear advantage when they hire high-quality workers in emerging markets. Employers can hire people more quickly and easily, and they don't have to worry about where they live. They can also offer competitive salaries and benefits in the local currency.

5. Better Time Management

With the way offices are set up, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of absences and lateness, especially when people have to drive from home to work. Compared to a remote work environment, employees have more time to relax and instantly begin working without the stress of travel, allowing them to maximize working hours.

6. Disaster Planning

This is another item you can cross off your list. Every commercial establishment must be prepared for a disaster. You must have secure fire exits, disaster plans, first-aid children, and other measures in place to safeguard the safety of your employees should something terrible occur. It is easier to monitor your employees' safety and well-being when they work remotely. At the same time, work can keep going as usual because everyone is safe in their own places.

7. Reduce Your Environmental Impact

Companies are more concerned with strategies to lessen their environmental impact. As an employer who cares about the environment, becoming eco-friendly is easier to do if you work from home.

Businesses are shifting to remote work arrangements, releasing huge development potential. As this becomes the new standard, it is critical for your company to assess and invest in this trend.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the ins and outs of hiring remote employees, things look a little bit easier now, don’t they? Don’t be afraid to start this process and learn along the way. If you like this article and would like to read some more, head on to Talentport now.