5 Must-Have Qualities of All Remote Workers

What it takes to be good at a work-from-home position

Not all employees are built for remote work.

This might come as a surprise to a lot of people, but it’s true. Before the COVID19 pandemic forced a major portion of the population to shift to a remote working model, there were many preconceived notions about remote work- that it was easy, it required less effort, and it would take people little to no time to adjust to. But a year and a half into remote working has taught everyone that, while it comes with a unique set of pros, remote work is not the easiest change to implement.

This doesn’t mean that individuals who aren’t inherently built for remote work can never improve on themselves. It’s just important to recognize that remote work requires a set of qualities that must be fine-tuned in order for the employee to provide fruitful results and excel at their job.

Understanding these qualities is the first step towards figuring out where you stand and how to improve yourself, so let’s dive right in!

Strong Communication Skills

This one’s a no-brainer. Communication is important regardless of the model of work, but it takes on a whole new meaning with a remote position. A lot of us don’t realize how much we rely on body language and other nuances to communicate well that is only available to us face-to-face. Remote work effectively removes these factors, often leaving us feeling a bit out of sorts. It is then up to us to find new ways to connect with people, whether it’s a coworker, a client, a future investor, etc.

Another factor to take into account is the different forms of communication. In this day and age, people stay in touch via phone calls, video conferences, emails and chats. Effective communication entails being able to get your point across or obtain the required information through any and all of these avenues. So, written communication is as important as verbal communication and both should be regarded with equal care.

The best way to improve on communication is to start speaking less and listen more. Be considerate of the words you use, and be both polite and straightforward. When it comes to business communication, everyone appreciates efficiency, so avoid beating around the bush. Written communication is easier to work on as you can review an email before sending it. Be mindful of your tone, and again, prioritize efficiency while remaining amicable.

Highly Disciplined

One of the so-called “advantages” of remote work is the ability to wake up 5 minutes before you need to log in and start your workday. While in theory, this sounds great, in practice it can often lead to a pretty poor start to the day.

Remote workers need to practise discipline in their daily lives. While they can take liberties that aren’t possible at the office, without setting boundaries and a routine, it can often take a toll on their mental health, which will lead to a cascading effect of mounting issues. The key is to find balance, and understand which liberties are ok and which are negatively impacting your efficiency and your ability to remain professional.

Being disciplined can mean different things to everyone. Some examples of the most important factors are:

• Setting up a routine that doesn’t involve waking up just in time to work. You’ll be setting yourself up for a much better start to the day if you wake up at a consistent time and give yourself some me-time before diving into work.
• Starting work on time. In addition to being disciplined, this also shows a sense of professionalism on your part. Start times can vary from day to day and job to job, so you get to decide when this is, but it’s important to adhere to it.
• Setting work-life boundaries. It can be hard to distinguish between personal and professional when you do everything in the same space, but it’s important for your physical and mental well-being to switch off or stay focused when needed.

Efficient and Organized

Every remote worker has a plethora of tasks to tackle, and without organizing their time and resources beforehand, they are bound to get stuck on one task or the other. This could result in delays for other projects that have time-sensitive issues, and the domino effect could cause multiple problems for the whole team.

Organization involves staying on top of all your assigned tasks while also taking stock of your own wellbeing. In order to be successful at remote work, you need to have excellent time management skills and you need to be able to complete the work required of you in a timely and orderly fashion.

Organization can also bleed into other aspects of your life- keeping the spaces around you neat and tidy can have a huge positive influence and aid your work life in ways you can’t imagine. Start by creating to-do lists the night before, jotting down as many points as possible. Check them off as the day progresses, and don’t jot down too many personal tasks. It will only dissuade or pressure you into completing them all and have a more negative effect on you. Have realistic goals and expectations, and try to plan ahead as much as possible.

Well Focused

One of the biggest vices of working from home is the never-ending stream of distractions. There’s no boss to hover over your shoulder and keep you in check, and you likely have a television with a comfortable couch placed in front of it at your disposal. Food can also serve as a distraction- we all know the world started cooking a lot more after the pandemic left us with little else to do.

The other issue with being unable to focus is that you end up pushing your work later and later into the day, and by the time you’re done it’s likely already time for dinner. This takes away your ability to end the workday at a reasonable hour and set those healthy boundaries needed to avoid burnout and mental exhaustion.

Focus ties in very closely with discipline. A good remote worker understands that these distractions are within their grasp and creates a game plan to eliminate any potential distractions so they can get their work done on time. Try to reserve a spot in the house that is dedicated to work and work alone, and when you feel like taking a break, opt to take a small walk or stretch out your stiff joints rather than picking up your phone and scrolling through social media. It’s far too easy to fall down the social media rabbit hole, and exercise will only help you focus better and stay fitter.

Self-Motivated and Highly Driven

At the end of the day, no matter how focused, disciplined or organized you are, if you aren’t passionate about your work, you are less than likely to be happy working in any way, let alone remotely.

Studies show that employees’ whose values align with their companies’ tend to find much greater satisfaction in their careers and are more inclined to stay with that company. They will go the extra mile to do their best, and they will motivate themselves to do a great job even away from the office. On the flip side, if you feel no connection to your work and don’t find any sense of purpose or accomplishment, you will probably struggle to get any work done at all. And this can be true for high earning jobs as well.

It is understandable that income takes precedence over passion because you need to put food on the table. If that is the case, even if you aren’t exceptionally passionate about your current line of work, it is important to motivate yourself by focusing on your goals and reminding yourself of why you’re doing it in the first place. If you are ever fortunate enough to pursue your true passions though, do so without hesitation because you will likely be an exemplary employee, remote or otherwise.

It is not uncommon for people to struggle while shifting from an office style in-person working model to a completely remote set-up. The current trends indicate that the majority will adopt a hybrid work model moving forward, offering employees the best of both worlds, but that too is a work-in-progress. The world is still in a state of constant and sudden change, and it is important to stay grounded and do our best to thrive in the circumstances granted to us!

Thank you for reading!

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