Top 5 Qualities a Boss Should Look for in a Remote Worker

No two employees are created equal, and that’s especially true when you’re looking to hire a remote worker. Whether you’re looking to hire your first remote worker or are replacing one who has recently left the company, there are certain qualities that you should look for when interviewing a potential telecommuting employee. Here are the top five qualities that a boss should look for in a remote worker.

Excellent Communication Skills

You assigned a project to your telecommuting employee that was due three days ago, but he hasn’t handed it in yet. When you email to find out why, he tells you that his Internet connection was down for a few days. Although he has a valid excuse, it doesn’t make up for the fact that you had to take extra steps to find out what happened. That’s why excellent communication skills are an absolute must for remote workers. From IT issues to getting clarification on a certain project, workers must be proactive (and communicative) in order to keep the team running smoothly—and on schedule.

Previous Experience

While it doesn’t have to be a requirement, finding a potential employee who has already worked from home before is a definite plus. You may find a great job candidate who hasn’t had previous work-from-home experience but is eager to try working remotely. However, that same employee might later realize that he’s not cut out to work from a home office and is better suited to work in a traditional in-office environment. For that reason, it can sometimes be a smarter move to hire someone who has successfully worked from home before and liked it.

Strong Problem-Solving Skills

A nonsensical email comes in from a coworker. The screen-sharing software stops working—right in the middle of a meeting. A storm knocks out power in the home. There are a myriad of things that can (and will) go wrong when employees work from home. A strong job candidate will know how to problem-solve almost any issue that can arise when telecommuting quickly and effectively.

Team Player Attitude

It may seem unnecessary to look for an employee who works well on a team. After all, your employee will be working alone, right? Wrong. Geographic location aside, it’s crucial for remote workers to have a strong sense of camaraderie. Feeling that he or she is part of a team and working together towards common goals can help make an employee more productive—and happier. Without the benefit of being in an office day in, day out, remote employees must strive harder to make their teams work without physically seeing each other. That level of commitment to the company and to their other colleagues can mean all the difference between your potential employee working successfully from home—or not.

Self-Motivated

Let’s face it: it takes a whole lot of willpower to get up and out of bed when you work from home. Making sure that an employee can stay motivated even when distractions (such as kids, spouses, or even the lure of a warm and cozy bed) abound is an important factor when deciding who to hire.

Hiring a remote employee is not as difficult as you might think. Knowing what qualities make for the best telecommuters can guide you as you hire the best candidate for the position.

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