Today, remote working is on the increase, with predictions that 50% of workers will be doing their jobs remotely by 2020. In fact, there are many companies that are completely remote, which saves them money in renting office space and saves employees money on commuting. Many jobs can be done remotely, so if you’re interested in working from home or somewhere out of the office, Prestige Recruitment Group have listed 5 Skills You NEED to be an Excellent Remote Worker.
1) Technological Skills
In order to stay in contact with other members of your team and your managers, you’re going to need an Internet connection. With that, you’re probably going to have to use a computer and phone. Therefore, it is essential that you learn all your systems before you start working remotely. Test out all of your software beforehand – will you be using GoToMeeting, Zoom or Skype for your video conferencing? Try them all, and choose the most reliable program that works for your company. Make sure you have thorough knowledge - you won’t be a productive employee if you constantly have to sort out simple IT issues. Therefore, make sure that you are able to use your phone and other devices with ease - it will make working remotely as smooth as possible.
2) Communication Skills
When you work remotely, you can’t run over to a colleague’s desk to ask them questions whenever you need them. You therefore need to ensure that you are communicating effectively through other mediums such as email and the phone. It is vital that you can pick up the phone and be able to explain things efficiently and to the point, so that the person on the other side of the line understands what you are saying first time. You also need to nail your email etiquette (check out our other blog here). Ensure that you are clear and concise with your words in order to avoid confusion.
3) Self-Motivated and Disciplined
Working remotely means that you won’t have your manager looking over your shoulder and constantly reminding you of what needs to be done for when. Because of this, it can be difficult to stay motivated outside of a professional workplace setting. You may not be distracted by colleagues and general office chit-chat, however you are likely to have distractions of your own. Without working in a professional workplace office, it can be easy to get distracted by a cat video on Facebook, and before you know it, you’ll be four hours deep, scrolling through your Facebook timeline. Therefore, in order to be an excellent remote worker, you need to learn to avoid distraction and motivate yourself with what needs doing.
4) Time-Management Skills
Linking into our previous skill, it is also important that you have great time-management skills. When you clock into work at 9 every morning and leave everyday at 5, managing your time becomes very automatic. One of the biggest perks of working remotely is that you can use your time as you like – if you need to pop out on Wednesday lunch time, you can, as long as you work and make up for it. Therefore, in order to ensure that you get everything done that you need to, you need to manage your time efficiently and effectively so that everything is complete to it’s highest standard on time.
5) Team Player
Being a team player is important when you work remotely, especially if other people on your team also work from home. Depending on the company or type of business you work for, there may be times when you have to conference call employees that work in different countries and continents. You may have to compromise what is considered normal working hours if you have to get up early, or work late in order to catch up with members of the team who work across the globe. Therefore, in order to be an excellent remote worker, you need to be able to put the teams needs and wants in front of what works for you – it’s all about compromise.
Working remotely comes with many perks – you can literally work from anywhere and everywhere. However, it’s important to remember that you are still working even if you’re doing it from the comfort of your own bed. If you're interested in more information about remote working, check out '5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Employees The Opportunity To Work From Home.'