Remote Tech Hiring: Challenges and Best Practices

Hiring has never been simple, but throw in different time zones, internet glitches, and the occasional cat strolling across a candidate’s webcam, and you’ve got a whole new game: remote tech hiring.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have embraced remote work like never before. In fact, a 2023 FlexJobs survey showed that 63% of workers are willing to take a salary reduction just to work remotely, and 77% say they’re more productive in the comfort of their home. 

For hiring managers and founders, this shift opens up access to a global talent pool. But it also introduces new headaches like verifying candidates’ skills and building trust without ever meeting in person.

In this article, we’ll break down what remote tech hiring actually means, the real-world challenges it brings, and the not-so-obvious best practices that can make it work for your team.

What Is Remote Tech Hiring?

Remote tech hiring is simply hiring tech professionals like software developers, UX designers, DevOps engineers, data scientists, and so on, who work from anywhere but your office. This could be across the city or halfway around the globe.

The appeal is obvious:

• You’re no longer limited by geography.
• You can hire faster by widening your search.
• You can often save on overhead costs.

But while the idea sounds great on paper, executing it well is a different story.

The Challenges of Remote Tech Hiring

1. Finding the Right Talent (When Everyone Looks the Same on Paper)

The global talent pool is vast, but that also means more noise. A single remote job posting can attract hundreds of applications. And thanks to ChatGPT and resume builders, it’s easier than ever to sound qualified, even when you’re not.

To make things trickier, deepfake interviews are a growing concern. One recruiter recently shared on LinkedIn how a job applicant used an AI-generated applicant during an online technical interview. 

And then there’s the challenge of filtering candidates who are genuinely passionate about remote work versus those who are simply fleeing traditional office settings.

2. Evaluating Technical Skills Remotely

Let’s be honest: whiteboard coding interviews are already flawed. Doing them over Zoom? Even worse.

You need to find better ways to test for real-world skills, like how someone writes maintainable code or collaborates in Git. But at the end of the day, it’s the quality of the task and how well it mirrors the actual role that makes or breaks your assessment.

3. Cultural Fit Is Harder to Gauge

Remote culture isn’t just about Slack emojis and Zoom happy hours. It’s about communication, autonomy, and trust.

Hiring someone who’s technically great but can’t work asynchronously or doesn’t thrive in ambiguity? That’s a ticking time bomb.

In a remote setting, culture fit also extends to timezone overlap, language fluency, and values alignment. These aren’t always visible in the first few interviews, which makes a strong hiring process all the more critical.

4. Onboarding Can Feel Like an Afterthought

In an office, a new hire gets a tour, lunch with the team, and a buddy. Remote? They might get a Google Doc and a “Welcome!” Slack message. It’s not the same.

Poor onboarding leads to disengagement and turnover. It’s worth noting that 89% of employees who go through effective onboarding experience integrate better into the company’s work culture.

5. Legal and Compliance Maze

Hiring someone in another country? You’re now navigating international labor laws, tax systems, and data regulations. If you miss a detail, you could end up in legal hot water.

Solutions like Deel or Remote.com help with compliance, but they’re not magic. You still need to understand what you’re signing. Questions like “Who owns the code?” or “Where is the IP protected?” become essential.

Best Practices for Hiring Tech Professionals Remotely (That Actually Work)

1. Hire for Communication First, Then Code

Yes, tech skills matter. But remote work requires effective written communication. If candidates can’t explain their thoughts clearly in writing, or constantly need hand-holding, they’ll struggle.

During hiring, please pay close attention to how they write emails, document pull requests, or respond to async tasks. Clear communicators are productive team members.

2. Use Real-World Assessments

Skip the LeetCode questions. Instead, give candidates a small project similar to what they’d do on the job using 

Ask them to review a messy PR, write a README, or pair-program a feature. Timebox it. Observe how they think, collaborate, and document. These skills are much closer to the day-to-day reality of the job.

If you can’t craft these coding assessments yourself, consider using skill assessment software to access hundreds of pre-built tests tailored to your unique hiring needs. 

3. Don’t Skimp on Onboarding

Build a remote-first onboarding plan:

• Create video walkthroughs of your tools and systems.
• Assign a mentor.
• Schedule regular check-ins in the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Add a human touch. Send a welcome package. Host a virtual team lunch. 

These details go a long way in making new hires feel seen.

4. Be Transparent About Work Style and Expectations

Do you expect people to be online from 9 to 5 EST? Say so upfront. Do you prefer async communication and deep work? Let candidates know. Transparency filters out people who won’t thrive in your setup.

Include details like response time expectations, preferred tools (Slack vs. email vs. Notion), and how you handle meetings.

5. Invest in Culture Beyond Work

You can’t force bonding, but you can make space for it. Host optional remote coffee chats, run virtual hackathons, celebrate wins publicly, or offer a budget for home office gear.

Consider tools like Donut for randomized 1-on-1s or Gather for casual hangouts. Culture doesn’t have to be lost just because the team’s not in one room.

6. Lean on Tech, But Don’t Overdo It

It’s tempting to use multiple tools when hiring remotely—Loom, Slack, Notion, Asana, Zoom, GitHub, etc.—but over-tooling can lead to confusion and burnout.

Keep things simple. Create a central hub where everyone knows where to find information, like Slack or a simple communication platform like WhatsApp. Then, have all your processes documented on a Google Doc or Notion. Documentation is your best friend in remote setups.

Final Thoughts

Remote tech hiring is here to stay. It gives you access to incredible talent, but only if you approach it with intention.

Be clear. Be human. And remember: the best remote teams aren’t just hired, they’re built deliberately.

With the proper process, you won’t just hire great engineers. You’ll build a team that actually wants to stick around and thrive.