Have you got the right skills to work remotely?

We are all keen to move on from the pandemic but there is one topic of conversation that continues to centre around the pandemic. That is the almost instant global transformation to remote working.  And with it has come the need to acquire new skills required to work remotely.

There is no denying that the pandemic dramatically sped this transformation up and forced companies to go remote several years earlier than they had planned, if they had planned at all.

Lily Shippen, Recruitment for Executive Support and Human resources roles, shares their expertise.

With remote working clearly here to stay, what competencies do we need to enable us to be successful remote workers?

Some obvious but essential skills to work remotely are:

• Ability to use digital tools
• Unrivalled communication
• Awareness and knowledge of cyber security
• Adaptable time management
• Formidable team work ethic (including cross culture literacy)
• Resourceful with a self-motivated attitude
• Organised but responsive to change

However, we strongly feel that to be a successful remote worker it is much more about your characteristics being combined with the above skills. Whilst being a remote worker has many benefits, it is not as easy as it looks and requires independence, initiative, and a strong will.

No longer can people turn their chairs and converse across the office, nor can the ‘IT Person,’ come up to your desk/floor and help you fix your IT issues. Being resourceful and applying discipline have become critical requirements for success. Now that we are (largely) responsible for initiating (or at least contributing to) our own solutions, plans, and focuses, these characteristics are no longer desirable, they are essential.

The right skills and work-life balance is a recipe for success

Combine that with finding the ability to balance your working life and personal life (to ensure you avoid blurring the lines), and you are almost close to being the perfect remote worker!

Remote working was once a ‘taboo’ subject, now, it is our new normal and to some extent an expectation, but what truly makes a successful remote worker, is passion. Competence is fuelled by passion and energy, and we genuinely believe that is the key to success, irrespective of your working environment.

We have all had to learn how to facilitate this change, but the benefits of remote working are clearly advantageous for both the employee and the employer.

With a mutually agreeable set up and the right resources and tools in place, remote working can be successful. Employees need to have complete transparency over what successful remote working looks like for you and your employer.

Easy right?!

You might also enjoy reading our survey results on What Assistants want from their working conditions.