Not seeing as many remote roles out there? Let me give you a peak behind the curtain as to why some companies may be pulling back on this perk.
For starters, I have been remote since 2016. Being remote has afforded me the flexibility to work while being a mom. But it takes one key element and that is…. Discipline. I get up early, check my emails, plan my day, then get my kids up and off to school, then log back on and go about my day. I have developed trust with my team, I get my work done during the day, show up to meetings and am Accountable.
I have interviewed candidates since covid who have told me they didn’t like being remote and wanted the routine back of going into an office, that it was distracting being at home and they were honest that they didn’t have the discipline to be remote. We have to remember that everyone is different and there is not a “one size fits all” when it comes to the remote/hybrid/onsite debate.
But what about the folks that do have the discipline, that love remote, are successful at it and want to keep in that space? Why are there fewer remote jobs available right now?
While Recruiting has been harder than ever these last few years, we are now dealing with another more frequent obstacle, the fake candidate. There are many pros of remote work, but a big con that has developed has been the fake candidate.
Clients are sharing that candidates are not turning their video on for video-required interviews, they claim candidates may be typing answers on the side of interviews to obtain answers and candidates are being called into question that maybe the person that was phone interviewed is not the person that showed up on video interview. Additionally, clients have shared frustrations when they allow for remote flexibility that employees don’t show up to required video meetings and not getting work done on time. Are these scenarios ruining it for the rest of the remote workforce?
Seeing fraudulent resumes and fraudulent degrees is now more frequent than ever. To be a successful recruiter in today’s market, you need to have a detective eye to ensure you are finding qualified and legit candidates.
Some companies are facing these obstacles far too often and quite frankly have decided to go back to a hybrid model and requiring at least a day onsite in an effort to bring some relief to this situation.
What can be done? A few tips I have learned along the way to uncover fake candidates:
- Does the resume match what is on the candidate’s LinkedIn profile?
- Does the candidate have a picture on their LinkedIn profile? Is that who you are seeing on video?
- Spend time interviewing a candidate, go through their experience. Do they know what is on their resume?
- Is the candidate giving specific answers to questions? Or just replying yes, they have done that.
- Trust your instincts. In my experience, when something seems off, dive in further, ask additional questions. Those instincts are usually spot on.
Usually there are multiple red flags. Keep an eye out when something seems off. There are usually multiple pieces to a puzzle.
With the introduction to AI, will the fake candidates become more prevalent? Recruiters need to be super sleuths to help protect our companies and clients from being the victim to fake candidates. Rely on your recruiter. We are there for you!