Nobody can deny that we are recruiting for a different world than we were three years ago. It stands to reason that the skills required to succeed in that world have evolved, even if the role itself has not. Let’s understand what skills are most required today in a scenario where remote working is a daily practice.
remote work, skills
Working from home introduces additional obstacles that employees may never have faced before. On paper, a 30-year-old executive may be the ideal choice, but if they've never managed a remote team or faced the technological challenges of a distributed workforce, they may be far less competent than someone with a different skill set. The greatest candidates in today's market not only have what it takes to succeed at their profession, but they also know how to work successfully remotely.
As you evaluate the talents and traits required to flourish in whatever your company's "new normal" looks like, here are six qualities of a good remote worker that will help candidates thrive, whether they're working from home temporarily or forever.
1. Motivation
When you can't be in the same physical place with your employees, it's critical to hire self-starters who can work from home, hit the ground running in the morning, and stay focused throughout the day without constant monitoring. Because they will not be able to rely on the structure of a regular office environment to keep them on track, the perfect candidate will feel at ease defining his or her own daily goals and will be disciplined enough to work toward them despite the unavoidable work-from-home distractions.
Look for applicants who have experience leading initiatives, coming up with unique ideas, and seeing projects through to completion.
2. Adaptability
Schedules and deadlines tend to shift more frequently while working remotely than when the entire team is in the same location. Staff questions lead to impromptu conference calls, toddler meltdowns necessitate rescheduled meetings and IT challenges cause frustrating delays. The right candidate should be able to take these things in stride and adjust accordingly.
Remote employees must also be adaptable in terms of workflows and processes. Switching from onsite to remote work will always result in some adjustments to the way you do things. If you have a employee who is set on the old method of doing things, he or she can slow down or leave the rest of the team behind.
Look for applicants who have demonstrated experience handling many projects or stepping up to take on new duties. Candidates with prior experience working from home may also be considered.
3. Organization
Organization is one of those qualities that, while desired, while desirable, often takes a backseat when it comes to determining success (think of the creative genius who is notoriously scatterbrained or the dynamic leader who is always running 10 minutes late, for example). But when you work from home, organization is a must-have skill, and those who don't have it may find themselves in trouble.
From managing their time to responding to emails to keeping track of shared documents, a remote candidate must be on top of things in a way that is not as pressing when they have office mates to help shoulder the burden. They must be proficient at managing not only hectic moments but also slow periods and prioritizing duties so that all important work is completed on time.
To discover candidates with great organizational abilities for remote employment, ask them how they plan their days, how they manage many deadlines, and what resources they use to stay organized.
4. Excellent communication skills
Written and spoken communication become even more crucial when you cannot see each other in person. To be successful in the world of remote work, candidates must be able to clearly give and receive instructions via email and phone.
In addition to communication skills, the candidate must be able to identify appropriate communication channels. For example, it is quick and easy to pop into a coworker's office to ask for clarification on an issue, but it becomes much more difficult if each of those check-ins becomes a phone call.
Look for a candidate who is comfortable interacting on all platforms—whether Slack, text message, email, phone, or video chat—and who uses them wisely. This attribute can be identified via skill-specific screening exams.
5. Independent thinking
Effective employees must be able to come up with creative ideas and address day-to-day problems on their own, without bringing every minor issue to the attention of a supervisor. This may necessitate some changes on your part in order to provide your team members with the autonomy they require.
Independent thinkers are valuable members of any team because they can operate confidently without supervision, which is related to the motivation attribute we covered previously. When they encounter an issue that they cannot solve on their own, they will know who to turn to for assistance. They make solid decisions when dealing with clients and critical work-related initiatives, so you may delegate responsibilities to them with confidence.
In order to uncover independent thinkers, ask questions that will help you gain a sense of a candidate's judgment; situational interview questions (e.g., "If you were faced with X scenario, how would you respond?") are excellent for this.
6. Tech savvy
Before the epidemic, computers and smartphones were common instruments for corporate operations; now, they are indispensable. Applicants today need to be comfortable with new and changing technology, whether it's a smartphone app for instant messaging with the whole team, project management software, or a video platform for working together.
Not every candidate needs to be a computer nerd, but they should have an interest in technology that will help them do their work more efficiently, as well as a willingness to master the platforms you have chosen to use.
Beware of the idea that older workers cannot be tech-savvy, this is not only a myth that has been widely debunked, but that results in agism creeping into your hiring. In reality, research shows that people over the age of 55 are less concerned about using new technologies in the workplace than their younger counterparts.
The questions below will assist you in identifying the attributes stated above.
Motivation
Flexibility
Organization
Strong Communication Skills
Independent Thinking
Technologically Savvy
Finding the abilities required for remote work is a combination of science and art. We use both to find people with the ideal blend of experience, talents, and personality to succeed in your career. Contact us today to discuss your remote staffing requirements and see how we can assist you in developing a larger, more qualified pool of candidates for your vacant position.