Check Out these 7 Habits of Highly-Effective Remote Workers

The workforce has been evolving, with companies bringing aboard remote employees, freelancers, and third-parties. Around the world, the remote worker population has continued to grow. Not surprisingly, the majority of the remote workforce would like to remain remote.

When considering building out your team, these 7 habits will help ensure you have highly-effective remote workers.


Habit 1: Be Vigilant About Quality

It goes without saying, do your due diligence. Too often employers are eager to fill seat and overlook key qualities. For instance, job applicants may say they have years of experience programming. But once on the job, they can't perform at the level needed. Thoroughly testing candidates before hiring removes the downstream effect.


Habit 2: Hire Efficiently

Common questions to answer before bringing on an employee to ensure the best possible outcomes include:

What is your current workload?
How can I most efficiently onboard this employee
How will a remote worker impact the workload of your team?


Habit 3: Hire Based on Need

Let's say you have a complex web development project that comes with a short timeline. Your current staff of developers already have a hefty workload. Who do you hire?

In this scenario, hiring a remote team fully dedicated to the project that can quickly spin up would take the workload off of current staff. If the need is limited to just one project, hiring contractors can make more sense than bringing aboard full-time employees.


Habit 4: Communicate Expectations

When bringing on remote employees or contractors, communicate expectations:

Availability and hours
Handling deadlines
Accountability structure
Communication style
Who to talk to when, and why
Schedule weekly check-ins


Habit 5: Training

Training ensures the right person understand company culture, who has the answers, and helps them grow. The vast majority of remote workers get regular training from their company.


Habit 6: Pivot Quickly

Have a new remote hire that isn't working out as expected? You're not alone. Check your expectations versus reality, look for breakdowns in the process, and acknowledge gaps. Lastly, take action on what needs to change.


Habit 7: Elicit Feedback

Communicating clearly and often is key. In particular aim to obtain:

Feedback from remote worker
Feedback from staff they interact with
Build strategies to optimize workload and performance


Make An Impact in Your Workplace

Implement these 7 habits and you will begin to see an impact in your remote workforce. The habits you work on today form your habits of tomorrow. If you believe in your ability to adjust and change, you can develop habits that will enable you to maximize your potential. As a full service IT staffing agency, we have seen it all and always excited to share with our clients our tips and advice.