1. Technical Knowledge

Remote employees use a wide number of tools to manage their work and communicate with their team. Instant messaging, project management, video and web conferencing, and document sharing tools are just some of them. While remote employees don’t need to have in-depth knowledge about every type of technology and tool, they need to be comfortable accessing the digital tools that the company uses on a daily basis with little to no assistance. At the same time, they should feel confident in trying out new remote work tools.

More importantly, remote employees should be reliable, flexible, and prepared in case things go sideways and they experience issues while using digital tools.

 

2. Strong Writing Skills

Working remotely relies heavily on written communication. An employee won’t have a co-worker sitting nearby to ask questions or run ideas by. It’s not possible to pop into a manager’s office to have a quick face-to-face conversation. 

From email and text messages to Slack to Microsoft Teams chats, there are a host of platforms and methods to keep team members connected and work humming along. Therefore, remote employees should be able to effectively communicate through writing – this includes proper grammar. This is especially true if an employee is client-facing, but there should be a standard for internal communications as well. No one wants to read an email riddled with errors or incomplete information. 

 

3. Ability to Work Independently

Employers that hire remote employees typically expect their workers to know their job and meet expectations without much hand-holding. While virtual workspaces allow for communicating with others, responses from your manager or coworkers often aren’t as quick as popping into an office or discussing an issue with a coworker in the next cubicle. As a result, remote workers need the ability to work independently, including being resourceful and problem-solving on their own.

 

4. Emotional Intelligence

In a remote work environment where you don’t always have access to the non-verbal cues that can help you “read the room” and respond appropriately, having high emotional intelligence (EQ) helps you solve problems, resolve conflicts, and truly listen to your colleagues.

In addition, emotional intelligence enables you to be self-aware, empathetic, and adaptable in the face of any remote work challenges you come across.

 

5. Self-Motivation

Remote employees need to have enough self-motivation to get things done without the need to be constantly monitored. In an office setting, your manager would walk by your desk to get updates or even help you if you are stuck. But in a remote work environment, you need to remind yourself about the things you need to get done every day.

Ideally, remote employees should be self-starters who don’t require a lot of direction. They should have the ability to create a remote work schedule, set their own goals, estimate timelines, and achieve those goals in a timely manner.

 

6. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is important whether you’re working in the office or at home. However, it’s more valuable for remote workers even if’s not part of your day-to-day workload.

When you’re working remotely, you have to make more decisions independently and deal with the little things that come up. For example, if you have a tech issue at work, you can turn to a colleague to ask for help or call the IT team. If you’re working remotely and your laptop crashes, you’re the first line of defense in solving the problem. While you may be able to reach out for help from your company’s IT team, you’ll need to try to fix it yourself to stay productive.

Mastering these skills can set you apart from your peers and help you make the transition to working remotely more effective.

 

7. Time Management

With 24 hours in a day, consider how many of them you should be working and how many should be spent on tending to the other needs in your life. While many of us operate on a standard, eight-hour workday, remote work can lead to overwork and long-term burnout. Manage your schedule, time, and expectations each day and prioritize those tasks you need to get done while letting others fall into place as time allows. Work to build a schedule as though you were going into an office and make a ‘to-do’ list that you can cross things off of to maintain momentum and show progress.