Top 7 Skills Needed to Create a Team of Successful Remote Employees

Posted on 03/30/21 By Guest Contributor

Before the pandemic, working from home was an upcoming trend, growing at a steady 10% every year. In 2019, it had been estimated that most organizations would go remote by 2025, but the pandemic has made this a necessity for everyone — five years earlier than expected.

After functioning with remote teams through 2020, 74% of companies across the globe have decided to adopt a permanent remote working model even after the pandemic has ended.

7 Skills Every Remote Employee Needs

There are some core competencies essential to successful remote team recruiting. Here’s a look at the top seven skills needed to create a team of successful remote employees. 

1. Communication

Remote working brings unique communication challenges among teams. Team members working in distant locations can easily connect over emails and text messages.

But by the time a message is read, the sender may not be there to answer questions about it. Therefore, employees hired for remote roles need to know how to communicate clearly, concisely, and directly.

2. Focus

Creating an environment conducive to work is essential for productivity in remote teams. Working from home may be easy for many people, but others may feel overwhelmed or distracted in this format.

Employees hired to work remotely should be able to create a distraction-free environment for their job.

3. Independence 

In a remote working model, employees should be capable of setting and meeting deadlines without the constant supervision of a manager. 

People who are independent-thinkers can be trusted to figure out solutions to problems on their own. Independent workers do well in a remote working team.

4. Time Management

While working from home, some people choose to work in the evening while others prefer to finish their work early in the day. 

This difference in timings can lead to a lack of coordination. Remote working teams need employees who can manage their time and appropriately coordinate with others. 

5. Motivation

Employees who work remotely should deliver the same quality and productivity, even when they are not being monitored.

Remote teams need employees who are self-motivated to complete the tasks entrusted to them.

6. Self-Discipline

Employees working with remote teams should have the discipline to overcome the obstacles of working from home and complete their tasks on time.

A disciplined person can manage their time well and avoid distractions. These are essential traits of a remote working employee.

7. Responsibility 

Business owners engaged in remote team recruiting need to look for punctuality, responsibility, and a task-oriented mindset.

It is essential for a successful remote working team that all employees show a solid commitment to work.

The new normal has determined that the employees hired in future will be assessed upon their domain expertise and their capacity to function efficiently in a remote role. This means online recruitment software can play an essential part to fulfill your specific recruitment needs for a remote working team.

Finding employees who can do well in a remote working format is easy when you know what to look for. Like businesses, employees are also adapting to the new normal and are trying to develop the right traits needed to work well with a remote team.

All you need to do is guide them in the right direction.

About the Author

Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager specializing in HR and is responsible for leading Jobsoid’s content and social media team. When Kelly is not building campaigns, she is busy creating content and preparing PR topics. She started with Jobsoid as a social media strategist and eventually took over the entire digital marketing team with her innovative approach and technical expertise.