Remote / Virtual hiring is the latest trend in leadership hiring.

We have been doing virtual leadership hiring for 4 years now and have done 100+ positions in the past 4 years.

Sharing with you what we have learnt:

Potential benefits and drawbacks to hiring leaders remotely:

Benefits of remote hiring in leadership positions:

Ability to access a wider pool of candidates: When hiring remotely, organizations can consider candidates from anywhere in the world, rather than being limited to those who live in the same location. This can help organizations find the best fit for leadership roles, regardless of geography.

Reduced cost: Hiring remotely can save organizations money on things like relocation expenses and office space.

Increased productivity: Some research has shown that remote workers can be more productive than their office-based counterparts, as they have fewer distractions and are able to work in a more focused and personalized environment.

Improved work-life balance: Remote work can allow employees to have more control over their work schedule and environment, which can lead to improved work-life balance.

Drawbacks of remote hiring in leadership positions:

Communication challenges: Managing a team remotely can be more difficult than managing one in person, as it can be harder to build rapport and trust with team members who are not physically present.

Lack of in-person collaboration: Collaborating and working together on projects can be more difficult when team members are not in the same location.

Potential for isolation: Some remote workers may feel isolated or disconnected from their team and organization, which can impact their engagement and job satisfaction.

Difficulty in assessing candidates: It can be harder to get a sense of a candidate’s fit for a leadership role when conducting interviews and assessments remotely, as you don’t have the opportunity to see how they interact with others in person.

The future of leadership hiring is definitely hybrid.

The leadership hiring process must be a combination of virtual and physical – the initial 2-4 rounds of primary screening, primary interviews and assessment along with research can be done virtual, followed with physical rounds to close faster and accurately.

Adopting hybrid style of leadership hiring can be your biggest competitive advantage in future.

Warren Buffett said – “The Three Things I Look For in a Person – Integrity, Intelligence & Energy”.

Most of us would agree BUT the big challenge is to find out these in an interview or when you meet someone in a limited time.

Below are my thoughts:

Intelligence.

There are a thousand ways to define intelligence – I would define intelligence as the ability to Day Dream, Listen and Appreciate different points of view, Ask without hesitation, Adapt, Compromise, Team approach, Solve, Innovate, Decide, and Act.

Energy

Again there are many ways to judge energy – I would define energy as the ability to be: Confident, Appreciate & Motivate others, Think and talk positive, Curiosity and questions, Easy going, Positive approach, Action-oriented and consistent.

Integrity

This is most difficult to judge. To me, integrity means having a consistent character, keeping promises, being on time, accepting your mistakes, dealing positively, and learning from failures – even when there is pressure or incentive to compromise.

Of course – Aptitude & Psychometric tests and Reference checks help a lot in verifying and deep-diving & correcting your understanding during the interview.

What are your thoughts on this?