Skills Required for a Successful Remote Worker
Telecommuting or teleworking is a very valuable and desirable form of work, but not all work well alone. Zapier points to five skills or qualities that make remote workers great.
In its free ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work , App Automation advises companies to hire employees with the following characteristics:
Good remote workers have several qualities that make them successful:
Addiction to Action: This is the type of person who is not given a to-do list and will find something meaningful for himself.
Ability to prioritize: Often times, important tasks can be unclear when working remotely (especially at startup). A person who can focus on the right tasks and know how to ignore others will do well.
Experienced Written Communicator: Most remote team communication takes place via text messages – email, team chat, or private messages. If someone fails to write clearly and concisely, it will not be easy for them on a remote team. It is equally important to be tactful in written communication. It is easy to tell that this is a passage by text. Free use of emoji can make a big difference.
Reliable: If you cannot trust this person, then due to the fact that you cannot see him every day, you will lose sleep. Make sure you trust the people you hire.
Local support system: If the only support system someone has is their work, then being in a remote environment is likely to drive them crazy. You need people who have external support systems so they have people to interact with on a daily / weekly basis.
While the advice is for those who are hiring remote jobs, these are also good qualities to demonstrate to the company when you are applying for one of these positions.
Review the entire chapter and other chapters in the book. This is a good read.
How to Hire a Remote Team | Zapier