The rise of distributed and hybrid workforces has accelerated the adoption of virtual recruitment as a standard practice for organisations and companies across different industries. For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in particular, the ability to source, interview, and hire talent remotely has opened access to a much wider pool of candidates while also increasing their efficiency.
However, moving from traditional in-person hiring to a secure, compliant, and candidate-friendly digital process requires strategic planning and organisational effort. Leaders and HR professionals need to know not only what remote hiring is, but also how to execute it effectively, using the right tools and best practices.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to remote recruiting—exploring its meaning, process, technologies, and best practices. Drawing on academic insights and remote-first recruiting practices used by global companies, we’ll help SMBs understand, implement, and optimise virtual hiring processes that are both secure and scalable.
Table of contents
- What is virtual recruitment?
- The virtual recruitment process
- Benefits of virtual recruitment for SMBs
- Challenges and risks in virtual recruitment
- Key pillars of remote-first recruiting
- Best practices for effective virtual recruitment
- How SMBs can transition to virtual recruitment
- FAQs
- Leveraging Digital Samba for enhanced virtual recruitment
- Conclusion
What is virtual recruitment?
Virtual recruitment (sometimes referred to as remote recruiting) is the process of attracting, assessing, and hiring candidates using digital technologies rather than traditional in-person methods. This includes:
- Posting job adverts on online platforms
- Using applicant tracking systems (ATS) for candidate management
- Conducting video or AI-powered interviews
- Running remote skills assessments
- Onboarding employees through virtual tools
Unlike the usual online hiring practices, virtual recruitment is a structured, end-to-end process designed to be secure, scalable, and legally compliant in all phases. It allows SMBs to expand their reach beyond geographical boundaries while ensuring that candidates enjoy a streamlined experience.
Remote-first recruiting practices add further advantages. Interviews conducted virtually allow candidates to perform in a more comfortable setting, reducing stress and enabling authenticity. Employers also benefit from increased fairness, transparency, and global scalability.
The virtual recruitment process
1. Workforce planning and job design
The first step is strategic planning: defining workforce needs, identifying remote-friendly roles, and drafting inclusive job descriptions. SMBs should ensure roles are clearly framed to appeal to diverse, geographically dispersed candidates.
2. Sourcing and employer branding
A strong digital presence is crucial. Companies use platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and niche job boards to attract candidates. Equally important is showcasing a positive company culture online. According to an article by the HR and payroll platform Remote, sourcing must go beyond traditional channels to include underrepresented groups, ensuring inclusivity from the outset.
3. Screening and shortlisting
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help manage high volumes of applications. Advanced tools leverage AI to identify the most suitable candidates based on skills, experience, and cultural fit. At this stage, businesses must prioritise compliance with anti-discrimination laws and ethical AI usage.
4. Remote interviews
Video conferencing platforms like Digital Samba or HireVue enable structured and recorded interviews. Here, it is important to emphasise the value of structured questions, scorecards, and buffer time between interviews, which will ensure preparedness, consistency, and timely feedback.
5. Skills assessment
Virtual recruitment often includes remote testing, such as coding challenges, case studies, or situational judgment tests. This stage validates skills in a practical context and helps employers compare candidates objectively.
6. Reference checks and background screening
Compliance and security are vital. SMBs must implement GDPR-compliant background checks, identity verification tools, and reference processes to mitigate risks.
7. Virtual onboarding
Once hired, employees are onboarded digitally. This may involve e-signing contracts, online induction sessions, and access to collaboration platforms like Slack or Trello. Remote-first practices emphasise transparent documentation, enabling seamless onboarding across time zones.
Benefits of virtual recruitment for SMBs
- Expanded talent pool – Access to candidates worldwide, without any geographical restrictions.
- Reduced hiring costs – Savings on travel, venue, and administration since the time is better organised.
- Faster time-to-hire – Automation speeds up candidate screening and evaluation.
- Enhanced candidate experience – Flexible, fair, and accessible processes and procedures.
- Scalability – Adjust recruitment to meet fluctuating hiring needs.
- Inclusive hiring – Virtual interviews reduce geographical and accessibility barriers, fostering fairness.
Challenges and risks in virtual recruitment
- Data security and compliance – Protecting candidate data in compliance with GDPR and local labour laws.
- Technology integration – Ensuring ATS, video platforms, and HRIS systems work seamlessly.
- Bias and fairness – Avoiding over-reliance on AI that may inadvertently introduce bias.
- Candidate engagement – Preventing a “cold” process by maintaining human interaction.
- Onboarding experience – Replicating culture and training in a digital setting.
Key pillars of remote-first recruiting
The article by the Remote platform further identifies three essential pillars for successful digital hiring:
- Cultural intelligence
Recruiters must demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences, tailoring communication across global markets.
- Technological proficiency
Hiring teams need to be comfortable using ATS, video tools, and HRIS. Ongoing training and industry awareness ensure teams stay ahead.
- Documentation and transparency
Recruitment processes should be clearly documented and easily accessible (excluding sensitive data). Transparency improves trust and ensures consistency across distributed teams.
Best practices for effective virtual recruitment
1. Invest in the right technology
Choosing the right technology stack is central to building a secure, scalable, and effective virtual recruitment process that aligns with your company’s policies. Below are examples of trusted platforms across the recruitment lifecycle:
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- Greenhouse – A leading ATS focused on structured hiring, diversity, and data-driven insights.
- Workable – An easy-to-use ATS with strong AI candidate sourcing and collaborative hiring tools.
- Lever – Combines ATS and CRM capabilities, helping companies nurture talent pipelines while managing active applicants.
Video interviewing platforms
- Digital Samba - A GDPR-compliant video conferencing and webinar solution with branding, interactive tools, and browser-based access, designed to create secure and professional candidate experiences.\
- HireVue – an AI-driven video interviewing and assessment platform designed for high-volume hiring.
- Spark Hire – Specialises in one-way and live video interviews, ideal for SMBs managing multiple candidates quickly.
Background screening
- Checkr – Automates background checks with quick turnaround times, commonly used in fast-scaling companies.
- Sterling – Provides global background screening and identity verification services, focused on compliance.
- Veremark – Tailored for modern, remote-first companies with easy-to-integrate, global background check solutions.
Collaboration tools
- Slack – Real-time communication platform, ideal for keeping candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers aligned.
- Asana – A project management tool that helps recruitment teams organise tasks, deadlines, and hiring pipelines.
- Notion – An all-in-one workspace for documentation and workflows, useful for onboarding and recruitment process transparency.
By strategically selecting tools that integrate well, SMBs can avoid fragmented systems and build a streamlined, compliant recruitment ecosystem.
2. Prioritise security and compliance
Ensure candidate data is encrypted and processed in compliance with GDPR or any other data security and protection regulation in your region. Remote-first organisations use secure identity verification solutions to reduce risks.
3. Standardise and document processes
Standardised questions, scorecards, and evaluation rubrics reduce bias. Documentation also ensures consistency and helps teams scale hiring globally.
4. Enhance candidate experience
- Provide clear communication at every stage
- Offer flexible scheduling
- Share transparent timelines and feedback
- Create branded onboarding experiences
5. Promote inclusivity and diversity
Actively source diverse applicants, provide pronoun options, and diversify hiring panels. Inclusive practices drive stronger outcomes and better representation.
6. Train hiring managers
Equip teams with training in digital tools, compliance, and inclusive interviewing.
7. Measure and optimise
Track KPIs like time-to-hire, candidate satisfaction, and retention. Use analytics to refine strategy.
How SMBs can transition to virtual recruitment
- Audit current processes – Identify gaps in tech, compliance, and candidate experience in order to be able to evaluate current processes.
- Select tools strategically – Avoid tech sprawl with integrated platforms.
- Pilot and iterate – Test with a few roles first to make sure your system works properly.
- Embed security and compliance – Work with HR, IT, and legal teams.
- Focus on employer branding – Build a strong online culture and stick to your company’s branding guidelines.
Candidate experience: the deciding factor
For SMBs competing with larger firms, candidate experience is critical. Virtual recruitment should feel seamless, personal, and respectful. Candidates expect quick communication, transparency, and accessibility. By offering a positive journey, SMBs can secure high-quality hires and reduce offer drop-offs.
FAQs
Leveraging Digital Samba for enhanced virtual recruitment
While a range of tools can streamline virtual recruitment, our platform, Digital Samba, is particularly well-suited for the SMB use case. Known for its secure and customisable video conferencing solutions, our API provides a professional-grade environment that integrates seamlessly into recruitment workflows.
1. Secure video interviewing
Security and compliance are at the forefront of modern hiring. We offer a GDPR-compliant API by design, ensuring encrypted video communication to protect sensitive candidate data. For SMBs recruiting across borders, this ensures peace of mind and regulatory alignment.
2. Customisable candidate experience
Unlike generic video tools, Digital Samba allows organisations to brand their virtual interview spaces. This creates a polished, professional experience for candidates, strengthening employer branding and improving perception from the first interaction.
3. Interactive assessments
Our software supports features such as screen sharing, live chat, polls, and whiteboards. Recruiters can use these tools to conduct interactive case studies, presentations, or coding challenges—bringing depth and engagement to remote skills assessments. It also offers transcripts and note-taking functionalities, which will make the HR work easier.
4. Scalability for SMB growth
As hiring demands fluctuate, Digital Samba scales easily to support both high-volume recruitment drives and one-to-one executive interviews. This flexibility is especially valuable for SMBs managing periods of rapid growth.
5. Integration into recruitment ecosystems
Another advantage of our API is that it can easily integrate into and adapt to existing recruitment stacks—such as ATS platforms and HRIS tools—streamlining workflows and ensuring continuity of data. By consolidating communication within one secure system, HR teams can avoid fragmented, multi-platform processes.
6. Enhanced candidate fairness
Because Digital Samba is accessible via browser with no downloads required, it reduces technical barriers for candidates. This levels the playing field and supports more inclusive hiring, particularly when engaging applicants from diverse backgrounds and regions.
Conclusion
As SMBs adapt to remote and hybrid work, virtual recruitment is no longer optional—it is a strategic necessity. By understanding the meaning, process, and best practices of remote recruiting, organisations can build secure, scalable, and candidate-friendly systems.
Done well, virtual recruitment enhances outcomes, strengthens employer branding, and drives retention. For SMB leaders and HR professionals, the moment to act is now.
Sources
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- Cascio, W. F., & Montealegre, R. (2016). How technology is changing work and organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3, 349–375.
- Chapman, D. S., & Gödöllei, A. (2017). E-recruitment: A comparison with traditional recruitment and the influences of social media. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25(2), 125–132. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38110358.pdf
- Deloitte. (2022). The future of work is here: Reimagining the work, workforce and workplace of the future.
- LinkedIn Talent Solutions. (2022). 2022 Global talent trends report. The Reinvention of Company Culture.
- Remote. (2025, April 24). Remote-first recruiting practices: How we do it at Remote.
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2021). The Pros and Cons of Virtual and In-Person Interviews. Recruiting experts share what they've learned one year after the start of the pandemic.
