Content creation isn’t a typical desk job — the work is creative and often requires a high level of knowledge in a specific field. Here’s the issue, though: when you’re recruiting for any position that requires a high degree of skill, the process can often feel like an uphill battle.
For starters, you’ll be doing battle with all the other businesses out there that are also seeking applicants with a similar set of skills. Competition can be fierce, particularly if your company is city-based. To make matters worse, you’re unlikely to attract any applicants at all if your business isn’t located in a town or city center. The solution? Hire remotely. By opening up your recruitment to the entire world, you’re casting the widest possible net. Besides this, building a remote team has plenty of benefits — especially for digital marketing.
Below, we’ll dive into how to hire the perfect content creator, including our top 5 tips that you can use in your next recruitment campaign.
How To Hire A Content Creator
On the whole, the overall procedure when hiring a content creator should be no different from any other position, so try not to tie yourself in a knot by reinventing the wheel!
Begin by working out exactly what you expect your content creator to do day-to-day (along with all the necessary qualifications or experience they may require). Will they be spending the bulk of their time coming up with on-trend ideas and bringing them to life with lightning-fast turnarounds? Perhaps their role may be a little slower-paced, working on larger projects with more time to flex their creative muscles.
What kind of content will they be producing? Do you need a jack of all trades, capable of creating infographics, podcasts, memes, and white papers? Or, will their role focus on creating compelling short-form video content for social media? All of these questions need to be answered by your job listing.
For most remote positions, you’ll want to use a job posting site where you can find qualified candidates for your position. With the right site, you can filter your search based on experience level, skill set, and location. Once your listing is plastered across the web and you’ve reeled in your applicants, you can begin the process of thinning them down.
Depending on the amount of responsibility your content creator may be entrusted with, you may deem it necessary to put these applicants through their paces with multiple interviews. It’s also advisable that they’re made to demonstrate their skills. Design a task that mirrors the kind of work they’ll be expected to undertake on an average day. This could be a blog post with careful attention paid to keywords, or a pitch for a larger campaign idea. In any case, don’t be afraid to put them through their paces — making the wrong hiring decision can be extremely expensive!
Top Tips When Hiring A Content Creator Remotely
So, you’ve decided to hire a content creator remotely — what’s the best way to go about this? If remote recruitment is unfamiliar ground for you or your company, the process can seem daunting. You may even feel a little overwhelmed at the sheer volume of applications you’re tasked with wading through (this is what happens when you open your gates to the entire world!). In any case, read on as we detail how to make the entire hiring process as stress-free as possible:
1. Set Clear Expectations
It should seem fairly obvious, but if you’re hiring a remote employee, just remember that they won’t be in your office daily (if at all). This means that after hiring, you’ll have to set clear expectations for work hours, work days, and communication standards. Make sure that you set these expectations in the job description — and don’t back down. This will be important to not only set the standard for future work but also to protect your business.
If you don’t set clear expectations and enforce them, it could lead to potential legal issues. When hiring, be sure to determine each candidate’s preferred way of working, as well as their work history. If they’ve been working remotely for a while, they should have a good understanding of how to balance their schedule. If they’re unfamiliar with a remote working environment, consider their application more carefully — they may struggle to adapt.
2. Ask The Right Questions
If your hiring process allows it, ask the candidates to complete a sample piece of work for you. This will help you get a better idea of how they think and work. Make sure to ask them about their work history and experience so far.
Above all, make sure you’re asking the right questions. Your goal is to gain insight into their personality and get a sense of their communication skills. Make sure you ask questions that drill down into who your applicant is at their core. Why are they applying to your business instead of seeking employment locally? What makes them the perfect fit? Don’t be afraid to get personal — your new acquisition must fit in with your workplace culture (even if they may not be physically present in the office).
3. Make Sure You Do Everything Legally
If your successful applicant is based overseas, tread carefully! There are all sorts of legal aspects to consider, including elements of HR, taxation, local compliance, payroll, and invoicing. If you’re a smaller business (or hiring on behalf of one), then you may even need to hire some extra help to ensure that all mandatory procedures are followed.
Don’t let this put you off hiring globally, however: nowadays, it’s easier than ever to build an international team. For example, an employer of record service by Remote can take care of all of the legal procedures on your behalf. By routing the recruitment process through a legal business umbrella in the desired country of employment, an EOR service can dramatically simplify the entire affair — leaving you to focus on successfully onboarding your new hire.
4. Use The Right Tools
When hiring a remote content creator, you want to make sure your applicant is familiar with all of the tools necessary to work remotely.
Is your candidate comfortable with video conferencing? Do they understand how to track their workload through task management applications such as Asana, Float or Timedoctor? If your company primarily uses instant messaging programs to communicate, it’s worth asking whether your interviewee has experience with these, too.
Hiring someone who already understands how to use all of the tools your business relies upon will save your company time and money. This being said, don’t dismiss an otherwise perfect applicant simply because they’re unaware of how to use a certain tool — everyone can learn new systems.
5. Only Hire If It’s Worth It
Hiring the wrong person for a remote position can cost you and your business a lot of time and money. Make sure that you’re only hiring if it’s worth it.
If you find a candidate that meets all of your qualifications and expectations, but you’re not sure if you should hire them, ask yourself these three questions:
- Do they have a track record of excellence?
- Are they a good cultural fit?
- Are they worth the investment?
If the answer to all three of these questions is yes, you’re ready to move forward with hiring your new remote content creator.
