2 min and 36 sec to read, 650 words
One of the biggest problems with remote work today is that there are hundreds of companies hiring remotely but only a small percentage of candidates who know where to find these jobs. For most people, finding a fully remote job still feels like a secret that only the privileged few have access to.
At Grow Remote we know that ‘hiring by community’ is the key to unlocking this secret – we educate people in local communities and they in turn spread the word locally. And nothing demonstrates this better than the story of Rebecca and Kat.
After working in an office for 15 years, Rebecca moved to Louisburg in County Mayo and started exploring remote work as a way to achieve a better work-life balance. Not sure where to start, she began doing some online research and quickly heard about Kat Slater, the Grow Remote Local Leader for the area.
Kat was a remote worker herself and was also building a community of remote workers in the local area. She knew that she could play a role in helping others find remote jobs by organising events to spread the word locally about who was hiring.
“Grow Remote had really opened my eyes to all the employers offering remote roles and I had a hunch that there were people around who, if they were told about the opportunities, could find great remote work. Rebecca was one of those people.”
Kat Slater – Louisburg Local Leader
Rebecca and Kat connected on LinkedIn and Kat invited Rebecca to attend a remote worker event she was organising at the village coworking space. Speaking about that first event Rebecca said, “This was a great opportunity to get to know some people who lived locally and were interested in, or were currently working remotely.
During the event, Kat handed out leaflets showing distributed companies who hired within Ireland. Automattic were listed on those leaflets – so you could say that Grow Remote introduced me to Automattic!”
Rebecca Williams – Louisburg Community Member
Rebecca did not get the first role she applied for at Automattic but she kept a close watch for another opportunity. “A few months later, it happened! I put everything I had learned from the stories and advice that were shared into practice, and this time I was lucky enough to be successful. I now work in Talent Operations, and my focus is on the engineering part of the organisation. I oversee onboarding and supporting new starters as they begin their careers at Automattic and work with leads in ensuring that our engineers are happy and engaged in their careers.”
As her remote career at Automattic took off, Rebecca stayed connected with the local Grow Remote chapter in Louisburg enjoying the social connection and sense of belonging she felt being part of this community. “As Grow Remote grew, the number of people I could connect with in this community increased. Being able to chat with people in a similar situation was invaluable as I was getting to grips with everything!”
All across the country, people like Rebecca are on the hunt for a remote job but don’t know where to start. How do you differentiate between genuine remote jobs and online scams? How do you know if the job is really remote, or if you will suddenly be expected to go to the office 3 days a week? How do you know which companies are great to work for and which are not?
These are the problems that can be solved with a ‘hiring by community’ approach.
We are ramping up our efforts to land remote jobs through the power of community. By the end of this year we will reach 100 active communities that will be busy helping local people access great remote job opportunities – just like Kat did for Rebecca in Louisburg.
Ready to get involved? Join our community – https://growremote.ie/community/
