Remote Work at Knobs.co

I built the business out of a desire to support my family while maintaining the flexibility to live wherever I wanted and live a balanced life, so it was only natural that the business be created to support remote work.

What traits do you look for in candidates for a remote job?

Attitude is the number one. I want high energy, go-getter, positive individuals.

How do you conduct interviews for remote jobs?

Video conference is essential. I’ve even begun asking for videos as part of the application process so I can get a sense of the applicant’s personality before we meet.

How do you convey your remote culture in the recruiting process?

Interestingly enough, the culture comes across best while asking the candidate questions. The very type of questions we ask, which often get the candidates speaking of their personal values, conveys more about us than any statement we can make. When candidates ask about the company culture, I’ll often bring on one of the other staff to answer those questions, as I’m obviously biased as the owner.

What is your hiring process for remote workers?

I request applicants to submit a video application and/or fill out a quiz, which puts them in common work scenarios to see how they react.

Do you use third party testing or evaluation services when hiring remote workers?

No, we do not.

How do you conduct onboarding for remote workers?

We have them work through our website and knowledge base, then shadow other staff, and then have staff shadow them during their initial interactions. We also constantly give feedback on client interactions.

What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?

Clear tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables.

What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?

Managing outgoing sales efforts.

How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?

Our weekly staff meeting, done via Skype, keeps everyone on top of the company’s initiatives.

What is your time off policy for remote workers?

Each person takes as much time off as they need, though they are expected to coordinate with other staff to make sure nothing falls through the cracks in their absence.

How did you implement a remote work policy?

Initially our policies for managing our remote staff developed organically, then later we developed a more cohesive policy.

Can a remote-friendly company have a healthy culture?

100%. The staff meetings are key to that.

What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?

You must develop intelligent systems to hire and manage your remote staff, or you’ll soon find yourself out of control.

What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?

Identifying which staff are doing a great job and which are not.

What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?

Chat and Skype

What has changed about how your remote team operates?

We’ve developed a knowledge base that contains core elements everyone needs to know. Not only do new staff need to study the knowledge base, but whenever they have an interaction not inline with our company policies, they are referred to the pertinent section of the knowledge base to review and correct.