Even if you have never had to work remotely before, we’re all becoming well-acquainted with the experience (if we’re fortunate enough to have a profession that can accommodate it). While many of us likely looked at working from home as “easy,” before now, I’m sure we’re more than acquainted with its struggles and frustrations at this point.
Working from home comes with its fair share of challenges along with its conveniences. We don’t know how long this will last or what the future holds — but remote working is all the more likely to increase from here.
Whether you want to be the model remote worker or you’re looking to hire one for your company, here are a few must-have qualities you want to see:
5 Ideal Qualities for Working from Home Well
1) Communication Skills
When we’re not physically present with coworkers and bosses, it is easier to slip into silence and isolation. It’s not that we mean to — it’s more “out of sight, out of mind,” as you focus more fully on your work and your own environment. This makes communication skills crucial for the remote worker.
So many times, there is a lack of communication between employee and employer, boss and colleagues. This lack of communication can result in anxiety, crossed wires, and resentment. We can’t assume that people know what we are doing and working on, or if we’re getting things done at all.
While you can take a “they’ll see the end result and that’s enough” approach, communication and regular updates mean that everyone is re-assured, on the same page, and moving in the right direction.
2) Self-Directed
Perhaps the most necessary quality in a remote worker is that they are self-directed and self-motivated. Self-directed means that they know what they need to accomplish and what is expected of them without having to be given a task list. Expectations are made clear from the beginning and they just do it. They don’t need a supervisor to stand over them in order to accomplish their tasks. They don’t need anyone to check in on their work. It gets done.
If you’re not self-motivated it makes working from home that much more difficult. Sure, you may get it done, but you may be prone to procrastination — which blows the worth of your time and your work.
3) Collaborative
There is a difference between being self-directed (even self-sufficient) in your work and being isolated. Remote workers need to be able to work well together, even from a distance. A big part of this is that communication element, but it is also about engagement. You check-in, but not necessary to be sure people are on task — it is so you can bring your work together to make the best, most informed, and on-target deliverables.
Ask where people are. Report in. Pitch ideas. It’s easier to brainstorm in person, so you must work that much harder to collaborate from a distance.
4) Tech-Savvy
Remote workers have to be adaptable. This is at the heart of their work style. Part of that adaptability has to do solely with technology. Remote work is only possible because we now have the Internet, video and phone conferencing, and the ability to communicate and transfer data from a distance.
Because of this, remote workers need to know their tech. Can they work a webcam? Do they pick up new platforms and programs easily, or do they struggle to break away from old ways? Do they know how to troubleshoot tech issues, or do they need an IT guy by their side?
5) Discipline
Working from home demands discipline. While not all remote workers fill a traditional 40-hour workweek, they do have to make distinctions between “work time” and “life time” just like the rest of us. Moreso than in-office workers, remote workers have to plan for contingencies. Communication (on both sides) tends to suffer and slow down from a distance.
Remote workers might not get the feedback they need when they need it. Discipline isn’t a matter of working for eight hours straight every day. It’s working effectively and when it is needed. Disciplined remote workers set personal boundaries, but they also recognize when they need to move their schedules around.
Discipline and flexibility are not at odds. Rather, the disciplined workers recognize the time that they have to work and the time they need, and they act accordingly. The discipline of a remote worker doesn’t always mean routine, and it certainly involves flexibility.
What is important is not the when, but the how.
What qualities do you believe are essential to successfully work from home? Share in the comments.