Remote work has its fair share of benefits and disadvantages. While remote workers can provide advantages in terms of space, availability, and employee mental health, all of that is reliant on your ability to choose the right people for the job. Remote work can easily be abused, whether intentionally or not, by the wrong kinds of workers.

Today, let’s talk about the best traits to look for when you’re hiring a remote worker, and what recruiting methods you should use to get the best deal.

Test Their Internet Speed

This should be at the top of ANY remote worker requirements list. If you are recruiting a remote worker, it stands to reason that they need a fast internet connection. All of their good work ethic and skills don’t mean anything if you cannot communicate with them.

As a baseline, 25Mbps is a good start. The higher it is, the better. If the position they’re applying for needs constant video calls or transferring of large files, then they should be at least 50Mbps. Fast internet speed is crucial to a proper remote working setup.

Technical Know-How

Remote working involves a lot of digital tools. Your potential recruit must show an aptitude for working with laptops and mobile phones. They need to be able to fix any computer issues from their home, as they will not have the luxury of an IT department to help them.

Technical aptitude is a must since it reduces the chance of any major issues concerning the technical side of working.

In addition, they must have existing digital tools in place even before hiring. While any company-specific software is not yet possible, ask them if they already have basic office tools such as Microsoft Office, Skype, Slack, and an e-mail account.

Also, ask about how up-to-date they are with the hardware they use. Smartphones and a decent mid-range laptop or PC are a must for remote work.

Accountable and Trustworthy

A team member must be committed to their job even if they are separated from the rest of their team physically. Ask them about their habits at home. Check if their priorities are in order. Remote workers must always be reporting semi-regularly that they are indeed working.

Unlike an office, the boss cannot just look over and see if they are being productive or skipping on work. Look for this quality while screening applicants.

It doesn’t matter whether their position is an entry-level data entry position or a high-level accounting position that manages business finances.

It’s important that they can hold themselves accountable for any mistakes and are forward about any issues they face while working from home.

Properly Motivated

A remote position offers a lot of advantages to the recruit, but you must be sure that they are not just picking the job because it’s “easy”. Ask them their reasons for working remotely. Is it to take care of their family?

Are they simply too far from any job opportunities and went for remote work? You must be sure that your potential recruit has valid and understandable reasons for working remotely.

Responsive

Responsiveness is crucial when you are in a situation that separates you physically from your employee. If they aren’t responsive to your calls, e-mails, or chat messages, then it can cause a panic about their wellbeing as well as the status of any tasks they are working on.

Remote workers need to understand that even if they are home, they must remain responsive to their co-workers. During the hiring process, ask them about this quality while observing the way they respond throughout the interview.

Social Skills

Remote teams have the problem of not having a physical presence with each other. A lot of people tend to work in teams when in an office because it’s easy to be motivated when there are other people near you working.

However, some remote employees may find it difficult to have genuine conversations with their co-workers because of the digital medium. Tell them from the get-go that you expect them to still be communicative and friendly with their team even if they may not meet physically all that often.

Of course, make sure you do your part in connecting your team and providing the best employee experience even when remote. Have digital meetings and plan physical meetups with your team. While there, observe their social skills as well.

Results-Oriented

Some remote employees will simply log in and call it a day. For positions that don’t do constant work checkups, this becomes a big concern. A reliable remote worker isn’t based on their empty work “activity”, but rather the quality of their work output.

Even if they only spend 5 hours a day working and the rest idle, as long as the results of their work are quality and on time, that is a much more reliable employee than one who stretches out an hour of work over 8 hours.

Independent

A lot of candidates can have the necessary skills and digital devices at home to work remotely. They may even look perfect when you interview them and look at their resume.

However, especially for those coming from an office environment, they may end up being too reliant on instructions from you. While it’s important to communicate clear directions to your employee, they must be able to work by themselves.

Being self-sufficient and quick thinking are traits you must look for as these are good markers for their ability to work by themselves.