Soft skills are often needed to work from home. Without these, it would be completely difficult to work from home under the best productivity that the worker can provide.There are some insights about how to train them inside the workplace.
Perhaps, when you’re in an interview and someone asks you about your soft skills, you are automatically caught by surprise, all you’ve prepared is goals, career path, experience, what you expect from the position, etc…
Soft skills are qualities of a person that will help them work more efficiently even if they are not in an office or sharing the same space with a team. With the current market trends of hybrid and work-from-home models, these skills have become as impactful as just tech knowledge.
Soft skills are relational attributes that help people work effectively, whether on their own or in a team. And with many workplaces shifting to hybrid or remote models, these interpersonal skills have become just as important as technical knowledge.
What skills make someone an effective remote worker?
1. Effective Communication
Top of the list is the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively within a virtual workplace, whether that’s via email, telephone, video call or instant messaging platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. This means more than simply being able to use the technology to keep people in the loop. Some communication channels work better than others depending on the situation, so you need to exercise good judgment when deciding how to reach out to colleagues.
2. service orientation
This skill is highly related to the previous one, but in this case you need to identify and anticipate your colleagues’ or clients’ needs. Nowadays many sales and marketing positions are done remotely, although you’ll encounter situations where you have to react as fast as possible to generate customer satisfaction.
3. time management
Whether it’s the dog begging for a walk or the pull of daytime TV, there will always be distractions when you’re working remotely. Create your own boundaries, starting with having a workspace away from as many interruptions as possible. Then set deadlines to help you manage your time and stay on task. Tempted to scroll your favorite blog for “just a minute?” Save it for a scheduled break.
4. Initiative
When you work remotely, you won’t have your colleagues down the hall or beside you to help you find out suitable solutions for something that pops up out of nowhere, in this case, you’ll need to be resourceful, come up with some pros and cons for every solution that you come out with, and in the end, taking a decision and owning the responsibility of the result. If your solution wasn’t the best one, your employer will appreciate your proactiveness
5. Stress tolerance
All jobs are stressful at times, and more so if they’re fast paced, such as customer service or project management. You’ll also have days when deadlines are piling up or clients are digging their heels in. Without a team physically around to help you let off steam, you need to know how to manage your emotions calmly. Try to remain positive and approachable, and remember to reach out to someone if it all gets too much.
6. Adaptability
Perhaps it’s a new project that’s suddenly landed on your desk or different software that you need to get to grips with fast. Or maybe your network connection has crashed just as you need to deliver an important piece of work. As a remote worker, you’ll be challenged with unexpected situations on a regular basis, so the ability to pivot quickly and find a creative solution is vital.
There are many remote jobs that will require the same technical skills and qualifications. So one thing you can make to shine in this sea of similar requirements is your soft skills, with those, you can land on the perfect job.
You should like “ 7 things you should stop doing on your CV” (link) to know more about how not to make mistakes in your resume and find a good remote job
