Impacts of Remote Working on HR Processes
By: Estefania Castillo
In the modern job market, the term remote working has continuously been applied in
describing specific jobs. With innovation making it easier to happen, the process of remote
working is making headway in our job world. Remote working refers to a style of operation that
enables professionals and experts to work outside the traditional office settings. It is usually
based on the concept that work should not only be done in a specific place to facilitate proper
execution. Some people may combine this style of working with several days in office while
others do not even meet their colleagues face to face. Employers are also starting to believe that
remote work can be useful for the company, for instance, in saving office costs and a high
content labor force. Remote working has been projected to be even bigger in the coming years.
As reported by Linkedln’s Global Talent Trends Report for 2019, about 72% of talent mavens
and experts argue that labor flexibility will be essential in the coming years (Carey, 2020). Due
to the current global epidemic of Covid-19, most firms have been forced to limit their activities
to what can be done remotely. This is easier for some businesses than others. As part of the
service-occupied economy that has experienced solid technological growth, businesses have
resulted in working remotely more so in part of countrywide lockdown. This paper seeks to
discuss the impact of remote work environment on human resource practices such as selection,
training, compensation, and performance management.
Selection and Recruitment
Remote working improves diversity in the selection process. The current global epidemic of
Covid-19 has acted as a game-changer in the recruitment and selection process. The pandemic
has made organizations shift from the traditional selection processes, change in the sense of an
applicant’s fit into organization’s culture, the ability of the applicant to articulate potential
contributions, and even the instincts of the managers during selection processes. It is widely
acknowledged that having a diverse workforce drives better business outcomes. One study
reported that racial and gender diverse firms have a higher likelihood to perform better (Carey,
2020). Having a diverse workforce serves as a great tool to impress potential minority hires.
Besides, with a wide range of workers, the organization enjoys broader sets of skills and points
of view that give the organization a competitive advantage over homogenous ones. There are
various ways through which remote working helps in expanding diversity in hiring and selection.
