Best Places to Recruit Remote Employees

As remote work and the hybrid work model gain popularity and become adopted by more and more companies, businesses have to adapt their practices to accommodate the changes. However, the basic need to recruit and hire employees remains central as part of running a business. But with the move to remote work comes a more open availability to hire employees from a larger geographical pool. Virtual employees can live far outside of the location of the office or other on-staff workers, and remote work can accommodate people who need flexibility of schedule for various reasons. Essentially, remote hires can live anywhere in the world and still be employed by a company with either a physical location or an entirely online operation. Even time zones can be worked around and do not need to present an issue.  

While remote work is seen as a fairly new and revolutionary process in the United States, the percentages of businesses operating with remote workers around the world is surprisingly robust. 16% of companies globally are entirely remote workplaces, and a full 4.7 million Americans have been working remotely this year. With the trend moving towards even more accessibility and availability of remote positions, the numbers will only increase. In fact, now that people have gotten a taste of remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic and have realized their affinity for it, many employees do not wish to leave the remote working situation they have experienced over the last year or so. 23% of people who worked remotely during the pandemic expressed their willingness to trade a 10% pay cut for permanent remote work. 

Their response is no surprise when the benefits of remote work are explored: on average, 40 minutes of commuting time is avoided with remote work which is equivalent to approximately $500 per month according to Owl Labs.

As a business owner or hiring manager, it is crucial to be aware of the general shifting attitude towards in-person work versus remote work. With the technological advances available in 2021, remote work is fully possible and should not present too many new challenges that haven’t already been worked through during the pandemic-induced remote work period. So, knowing that workers desire to offer their services remotely, where do you begin to look in order to staff virtual workers?

We asked business owners and founders their favorite platforms for recruiting remote employees. You can use the websites from their responses to staff your own remote team.

Indeed and ZipRecruiter

Indeed is one highly recommended platform for finding remote employees. The CEO of Outstanding Foods, Inc. appreciates it for the filters set up and the way it is free to post through.

“Indeed and ZipRecruiter are great places to try to recruit remote employees. ZipRecruiter shares its job postings with more than 100 other job websites, so the reach is great. Many applicants can also just type in whether they want to opt to work remotely since it does not have an automatic filter for remote jobs. On Indeed however, there is a filter applicants can use for remote work. An added incentive is that employers can post job listings on Indeed for free,” says Bill Glaser, CEO of Outstanding Foods. 

FlexJobs and RemoteOK 

The co-founder and president of Swoopt also recommends Indeed for the wide range of job searchers it reaches but he has found additional success with the perhaps lesser known platforms FlexJobs and Remote OK.

“There are certain platforms that hire solely for remote jobs such as FlexJobs and Remote OK. That being said, remote work is so much more common these days since the pandemic that you would likely receive applications if you were to advertise remote jobs on more common job platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed. The best bet you’ll have for recruiting remote employees would be to advertise on as many platforms as possible, so long as you make it clear that the job is remote. Casting a wide net will increase your chances of receiving applications from qualified people,” says Schuyler Hoversten, Co-Founder and President of Swoopt.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another platform that comes widely recommended. Owned by Microsoft and launched in 2002, the app has been around for a while which means it has gained popularity and attracted many members. LinkedIn is a social network for users to post updates relating to their careers which makes it a prime spot for companies to post open jobs on the “Jobs” page.

“LinkedIn is a fantastic place to recruit employees because you are able to see a more interactive and personal representation of their resume on each person’s profile page, as well as additional accomplishments, skills, and experience that might not be present on their pdf resume. Also, LinkedIn is an interactive platform where you can reach out to potential new hires through the messaging feature or by interacting with their profile. You are able to advertise your job posting as a remote position which those on the job hunt know to find through setting their search to ‘remote positions’,” says Dylan Arthur Garber, Co-Founder of Audien Hearing.

The founder and COO of Stori also mentions LinkedIn with high regard due to its options for connection and quick application offering.

“LinkedIn is one of the best places to recruit remote talent. Using this medium allows you to find unique talent in individuals who have specialized qualifications, and work experience that can help push your business forward. It also offers opportunities to build connections within your network, seamlessly link to media, and offer quick applications. In addition to this, you can utilize posts to bring in interested individuals and grow possible hire opportunities. Using professional social media is a great opportunity for acquiring talent,” says Karina Karassev, Founder and COO of Stori.

Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups is a method for hiring remote workers that might be initially overlooked since Facebook is seen as more of a social channel than job search website, but the founder, CEO, and head of design at Unico Nutrition Inc. has found success with job posting through the Groups option.

“Facebook groups dedicated to a particular niche is an effective way to recruit remote employees, especially when recruiting for part-time and freelance roles. While employees have been majorly impacted by the global pandemic, many are looking for virtual work without the competitiveness of job boards and internal systems. Facebook groups allows employers to directly post the job description and requirements with the contact information to send their application to. Posting through these groups not only speeds up the process to fill the role, but has the ability to reach a range of clients who are well versed in their field. Facebook groups dedicated to a particular niche is an effective way to recruit remote employees, especially when recruiting for part-time and freelance roles. While employees have been majorly impacted by the global pandemic, many are looking for virtual work without the competitiveness of job boards and internal systems. Facebook groups allows employers to directly post the job description and requirements with the contact information to send their application to. Posting through these groups not only speeds up the process to fill the role, but has the ability to reach a range of clients who are well versed in their field,” says Lance Herrington, Founder, CEO, and Head of Design of UNICO NUTRITION.

Handshake

Handshake is especially useful for companies hoping to work with students and recent graduates. It is an ideal location to advertise everything from internships to volunteerism to part time and full time positions. 

“I love using Handshake as a hiring platform because of the accessibility the site offers. As a job searcher, you are greeted on the site with a search bar where you can type in a wide range of keywords to find your ideal position. Handshake is primarily marketed to students either looking for internships or work while in school or recent graduates searching for work. If your company is offering internships or part time roles that could help undergraduate and graduate students with their career goals, definitely take the opportunity to post your position through Handshake. Also, if you have an entry level position or one well suited to a recent graduate, Handshake is also ideal because you can find workers perhaps without a ton of previous experience in their field, meaning you can acclimate them into your company’s way of life. It’s a win-win situation for both employers and employees,” says Tyler Read, Founder and Senior Editor of Personal Trainer Pioneer.

Working Nomads and Handshake

The CEO of skincare brand Simple also uses Handshake to recruit employees, as well as Working Nomads, a job posting site for solely remote work. The most utilized divisions are Development, Marketing, and Administration, but positions also range from Design to Human Resources to Education etc.

“I have a couple different job search sites on which I like to post open positions depending on the type of role and hire we are seeking. Handshake is an excellent platform especially for recent grads or those looking to gain work experience. It is a great location to post jobs that can make a big difference in the life of a relatively new worker looking to gain job experience. For digital positions, Working Nomads is a first-rate site for finding virtual workers in all fields. It has a wide range of categories so there are quite truly positions for every area of work,” says Geoff Percy, CEO of Simple.

Upwork

Perhaps lesser known than other job search giants like Indeed and Handshake, Upwork is targeted specifically to freelancers. While freelancing is not always completed remotely, a large number of job hopefuls on Upwork are searching specifically for or open to remote positions.

“Upwork is a site for freelancers to find work, so if your company is one that can utilize freelance work it is a fantastic place to post your position. Small businesses in particular, as well as start ups, can take advantage of hiring freelancers while they build their growth further–sometimes full time workers are not in the cards for a small business right away, but there are always still tasks and projects to be done. The great news is that you can find freelance talents from anywhere in the world and with any level of experience and pay range. With remote work having become more popular as of late the platform’s number of users is always growing, so you are likely to find the perfect person for the job,” says Manish Joneja, CEO of BarkBox.

Monster

The CEO of Emjay prefers Monster for finding employees because of its field and position categories that make it easy to attract the right people to the right role.

“I like using Monster in order to find new hires because the site makes it easy to locate workers in a particular field if you’re hiring, as well as positions well suited to your experience if you’re an employee. Monster divides their positions into easily understandable categories to help narrow down the options; workers can search under categories like ‘remote,’ ‘new grads,’ ‘nursing,’ etc. This makes it really simple to find exactly what you’re looking for,” says Chris Vaughn, CEO of Emjay.

We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is a site that has recently gained traction for being recommended by big name corporations like Google, Amazon, Staffaro.com, and Basecamp. Jobs are separated into categories like contract work, full time work, and design, customer support, and product positions.

“We Work Remotely is a job search website specifically for remote roles. Because its specialty (remote work) is highlighted in the name, companies and job searchers know exactly what to post and find on the site, so the positions and users are all well matched to the We Work Remotely community. Users can find a wide range of full time roles anywhere in the world, which is also fantastic for companies who want to expand their employee search to a wide location in order to ensure they find the right person,” says Jeff Goodwin, Sr. Director and Performance Marketing & E-Commerce of Orgain.

Google for Jobs

Google for Jobs refers to the option for companies to post their position that is already listed elsewhere into Google’s job radar through their enhanced search feature. The positions lead back to the original website where posted, so they cannot solely be shown on Google’s job search. The best way to ensure your post makes it into Google’s job radar is to use a third party site connected with Google.

“While not an independent job post website, adding your third party job post to Google for Jobs is a smart way to raise its visibility and receive more applications. After all, the goal is to have a large variety of applicants so you can be sure your company finds the right fit. Oftentimes job searchers who don’t know which job site to use or who want a selection of positions from many locations–like perhaps if they are recently starting to shop around and see what positions are open–will simply type a few position keywords into Google and voila, pages of options become available. More and more lately I think job searchers are using Google as a one stop shop for roles. In order to make sure your position doesn’t go undiscovered, I think it’s wise to add your position into Google,” says Seb Evans, Co-Founder of Banquist.

Recruiting.com

One such site integrated with Google that would make it easy for your company’s job postings to be available on Google for Jobs is Recruiting.com. As a platform that works with recruiters to fill their roles, many companies prefer it over other job sites because it feels like less heavy work on their part.

“I recommend Recruiting.com for finding remote employees because of the way it aims to work directly with job recruiters to find workers to fill the positions they struggle to receive applicants for due to whatever reasons. Recruiting.com tries to answer hiring managers’ frustrations over not receiving applicants from the right people, losing workers to other companies, and not being able to fill highly niche roles. With Recruiting.com I know they will do their best to find the right person every time so it feels like the task is out of my hands,” says Jeff Meeks, VP of Sales and Marketing of EnergyFit.

Now that you’ve heard from top recruiters on the platforms they recommend for finding remote workers, you will be able to search for employees all over the world and select the absolute best candidates for your company’s open roles. With people all over the world expressing their desire to be given opportunities to work remotely, you can answer the call and offer remote working freedom to those simply waiting for the right virtual position to come along.