As thrilling (and freeing) as it may be, jumping into the world of remote work can also be intimidating, especially for employees who have spent most or all of their careers working under immediate supervision in an office setting. If you’re new to the game of remote work, or if you’re contemplating joining it, then this article should be useful in helping you assess whether or not working from home is your jam, so to speak.
Of course, the only way to truly find out if you’d make a good remote worker is to simply try it out. However, until you feel comfortable making that leap, take a look through this list of traits and skills that tend to be common in all the most successful remote employees. Chances are, by the end of this article, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not remote work is for you.
1. You Thrive on Independence
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times — and that’s because it’s inevitably true: remote workers are independent creatures at their very essence. They thrive on the freedom of working from their own home and on their own schedule. Micromanaging is the type of thing that makes them cringe.
2. You’re Organized
Now, just because a remote employe is working independently doesn’t mean that there isn’t any sort of structure implemented in his or her daily work day. In fact, quite the opposite. The most successful of remote workers are those that are the most organized, even though that organization isn’t coming from an employer. Rather, remote workers keep track of their own tasks, making sure to get everything handled in a timely and professional fashion.
3. You Like to Grow
Naturally, with working independently, you often have the chance to do much more growing than in your typical hand-holding, in-office position. Remote workers adore challenges, and because their employers are able to trust them and feel able to pile on responsibilities, they’re often given the opportunity to grow within their company. Who likes staying stagnant? Not a remote worker.
4. You’re Proactive
Part of gaining extra responsibilities means being proactive about asking for them or going ahead with taking them on without being asked to. Enthusiasm, enthusiasm, enthusiasm: it’s key. Remote employees are proactive about helping their companies succeed, and many times that means taking on new roles that will ultimately benefit the company while showing off the employee’s initiative.
5. You Communicate Well
Communication makes the world go round, at least the remote work world. If you’re not a great communicator, then working remotely may not be for you. Keeping your employer up to date with projects, assignments, and tasks is something that every successful remote worker does on the regular. Whether it’s video calls, emails, accessible spreadsheets, or chat updates, a remote employee should be able to communicate clearly and frequently.
6. You’re Self-Motivated
Finally, it would be impossible for us to end this list without mentioning the fact that all of the aforementioned points come from a strong sense of self-motivation. As a remote worker, no one is standing behind your desk cheering you on, but rather, you are your own catalyst for success. At the heart of it all, if you’re self-motivated, you’ve likely got what it takes to succeed as a remote worker.
What do you think makes for a successful remote worker? Tell us with the #howyouknow on Twitter!
This article was originally published on Remote.com