Which Channels To Use in Order to be a More Effective
As the world changes and goes through the transition it is important to move with it on every level, as each passing moment brings new and improved methods/practices to sustain oneself. Similarly, becoming a Global Digital Nomad requires a person to be more social, adaptive, and flexible to accommodate the learning curve. Traveling to work in various and sometimes remote locations may make you a Digital Nomad, but how to make a successful career out of it is another story. Much like any other field, it requires prior knowledge to understand the core meaning of being a digital expert. So stick around as we delve into the digital world and the key platforms you’ll want to establish yourself on, all while working as a nomad!
YouTube
Top of the digital food chain when it comes to video-based content, a vital form of media in the modern world. Although reading content and gaining knowledge from articles and such is a key component, video content adds a whole new flair to the debate. It is easier to demonstrate a topic as a coach and it is much easier to understand with the help of visual aids on the user’s end. As we’re inclined to gain knowledge in the most efficient way possible, YouTube offers a host of content creators and trainers ready to break down topics for your understanding.
YouTube receives millions of views on a daily basis and gaining small traction with your content eventually leads to a mass following. The platform allows for the users to interact with the content by Liking, Commenting, Sharing, and even disliking (Something which other platforms lack). YouTube allows monetization for channels when they reach a certain subscriber count and watch-time, making it a perfect source of passive income.
Dishing out the right content for your audience may seem daunting, especially from a business standpoint. But it is important to understand the audience is built and studied, therefore presenting the key components of Digital Marketing will always attract the people willing to gain knowledge and enhance their skill set. Style of content is completely up to you and how you wish to present yourself, people may come for the learning aspect but may stay because of your training style.
If nothing else, watching a few videos on how to establish a new channel from YouTube itself may just do the trick! That’s the versatility it offers, we are all familiar with using Google to search our queries away yet YouTube tutorials allow for a more practical learning experience.
MailChimp
Definitely a mode of media and content sharing that flows under the radar, but it is still so important that it makes the top of this list. Email communication remains one of the most direct ways for companies, brands, and professionals to communicate with their customers. There are no social platform restrictions (such as the word count on Twitter, the necessity of visuals on Instagram, and so on), so you can really experiment with your branding and hone it exactly to what works for you as a professional, or for the clients that you are representing.
Whether you’re running a retail brand or providing training or coaching services, having a planned newsletter not only gives your audience regular updates and reminders but also adds a layer of professionalism to your operations. Haphazard, untimely communication can sour the audience to your communications very quickly.
Newsletters involve sending members or subscribers news updates regarding the brand, events, and giveaways. They’re versatile and can be used to share a variety of different materials, for example, sending a link to new content on your website or an update to your services.
Newsletters in theory may seem daunting and a tedious process, however with the use of online tools such as MailChimp, it is actually a breeze! MailChimp is an automation platform as well as an email marketing service. Exactly the tool you should have under your belt! Using the platform is fairly simple as well, you can assign email recipients into groups and categories if you wish to supply niche content separately.
Thanks to the latest applications available for creating and sending newsletters, you can even analyze insight into how your email marketing is performing. This insight provides a clear understanding of what type of content is clicked more often – including the frequency of clicks and views emails are yielding.
Zoom
A relative unknown before 2020, Zoom blew up beyond their wildest imaginations at the start of the pandemic and resulting global quarantines last year. Zoom is a video conferencing software available on almost all major operating systems and capable of handling 100 users on one video call or even 1000 with the paid add-on. The benefits are plenty with the software and the user count is still growing as it is a free and simple to use service compared to the competitors who often had restrictions and limits – people being stuck inside their houses and working and socializing digitally through Zoom helped!
It’s not hyperbole to say that Zoom has in great part changed how we work remotely, with teaching, workshops, and training moving almost entirely to that platform. While large corporations and universities paid for the premium features to host large classrooms, Zoom’s free features are enough for you to establish video conferencing, meet clients online, or even conduct your services through the platform.
Zoom integrates smoothly with online calendars such as Google Calendar which is a great reminder of meetings and makes collaboration easy with the team. Please note that Zoom is my personal favorite but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have more options. If it doesn’t suit you, you can try Google Meet which is a tad bit less complicated than Zoom. Just remember to not pay hefty amounts on any video call subscription before checking a trial version first, especially when we’ve such amazing free options available.
Clubhouse
Remote Working requires you to stay connected to the world and your social network, yet maintaining the connectivity can be a hassle more times than not. Clubhouse is a new platform on the conferencing and connectivity scene but its simplicity is what makes it stand out! With the emphasis put on having quality options rather than quantity, the audio-based platform provides blazing speeds compared to the market! By keeping their focus on audio-based communication, the value of words outweigh the visuals.
Clubhouse provides a platform to manage work without being bombarded with a host of customization and saturated features that go unnoticed. It’s a complete tool, packed with the essentials so a solid one-stop shop with great performance. It’s still in beta- version and invite-based only so I would suggest you get in now before they start charging for membership.
Clubhouse provides you access to team and classic company management, the integrated API option allows for a seamless connection when needed. The company iterates on its blazing-fast performance, which is a result of removing the bulky options and optimizing the necessities. The audio calling and conferencing takes place without lag which is a common theme with most platforms, and acts as the perfect tool for not only business discussion but workshops as well as creative sessions!
Users are able to join into the main workshop and later subside into smaller group conversations or teams to work seamlessly. You’re able to visit the participants’ profiles and learn more about them, which makes the smaller group division even more practical, this exclusive feeling is similar to that of a real Clubhouse which acts as the main appeal!
The platform is built with traveling and ease of access in mind with its easy-to-use features and fast loading speeds even on the go! Creating, joining, and hosting sessions are a few easy clicks away, and Clubhouse offers a secure server with only invited members given access to the audio chat! A key addition to any Nomad’s arsenal. You can join a room based on your interests and simply listen to amazing conversations happening around the globe. If you ever decide to talk on a topic of expertise (or anything random), make sure that you get co-hosts on board so that you don’t have to carry the entire session alone. Remember it’s a conversation-based tool so try to build an audience by providing meaningful audio content in the panel discussion sort of format. If any audience member wants to join, they get an option to raise their hand and you can let them in for questions or exercises.
As a Digital Nomad adapting to new platforms and their changes is key to staying relevant, so implementing these techniques with a combination of tactical strategies and straight-up hard work might just land you on that beach in the Bahamas – once the COVID-19 pandemic is finally contained.
About the Author
Nabeha Latif is a Digital Media Consultant since the last eight years all while being a prominent influencer! Her vast experience in the digital hemisphere has cemented her as the go to Digital Guru. A major in Digital Marketing, She pushed herself onto the scene with a host of varying micro and macro projects, she is also actively involved in providing business development services related with marketing. A few key names which have grown onto new heights with Nabeha’s expertise include the likes of UNICEF Pakistan, Cesvi, Ali baba Inc, Nescafe Basement, NBC, EuroVillage.
Nabeha has worked with Global People Transitions and Angie Weinberger from the early days and is an estimated member of our team.
I’m on a MISSION to bring the HUMAN TOUCH back into Global Mobility. One theme that I see more now is that we Global Mobility Professionals are involved in the recruiting of Global Talent. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that we have the knowledge and skills to deal with most of the challenges that hiring people from other countries brings. However, since in most organizations we are not officially responsible we don’t get the resources we need to deal with recruiting professionally. Hence, we can consult but not support. So, dear recruiters, I hope this is helpful.
Lifestyle Expats, or Self-Initiated Expats (SIEs), are an important factor in today’s global force and the actual circumstances suggest the phenomenon is on the rise (Habti & Elo, 2019). In fact, thanks to technological changes, such as online recruiting, the labour market has become more international and more fluid and made the process of filling jobs internationally (internally or externally the organization) much simpler. As a consequence, an increasing number of professionals consider working abroad a realistic career option and there are growing opportunities to identify and eventually find a job abroad.
We are in the middle of an unprecedented global crisis, which is bound to create a stronger recession than the 2008 financial crisis, and the war for talent is as heated as ever.
Specialized Subject Matter Experts are increasingly hard to find and when you turn to places rich in talent such as Singapore and certain areas of the US like Boston and the Silicon Valley, that’s of course where competition is already extremely high. Moreover, there is no real point in stealing from the competition if you aim at bringing in innovation.
It’s 2020 and the global workforce is as varied as ever, with five generations working side by side and companies striving to fulfill all their D&I goals (gender/religion/ethnicity/sexual orientation). As cited by Forbes, diversity plays an ever more important role in recruitment and is proving to be directly correlated with an increased revenue for the company (Boston Consulting Group, 2018; KPMG, 2018).
Yet, relocation policies have historically been a one-size-fits-all model and are often still struggling to include points such as religion, ethnicity, age, disability status, working mothers, non-traditional family units, etc.
Make sure your Global Mobility policies acknowledge and support your employees’ varying needs to make them feel more encouraged to accept International Assignment. The point is to ensure that deserving and promising talent does not experience barriers to success.
Demographic changes will require highly-skilled migrants to fill positions as turnout of university graduates declines in developed countries. Also at the EU level and among the Member States there is consensus on the need to address labour market shortages, worsened by the deepening demographic crisis and skill mismatch (Platonova & Urso, 2012).
Even rich countries like Liechtenstein, (Beck et al., 2018; Hauri et al., 2016) may have a hard time attracting talent. Other more traditional expat hubs, like Singapore, London, New York City, the UAE, Hong Kong and Switzerland, continue leading the ranking despite the high costs of living. In this case, according to the 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, what really makes the difference are their socio-economic policies in which talent growth and management are central priorities.
Perhaps even more important to acknowledge is that the world of work as we knew has already changed. With new technology enabling employees to work almost anywhere and anytime, the classic ‘nine to five’ is outdated. In an article published by Sage People even before the pandemic changed companies’ approach, figures speak for themselves: not only do 50% of the US interviewees say they’d like to be more mobile at work, but a good 54% would change job if it meant more flexibility.
In Global Mobility, Virtual Assignments are an opportunity to give employees the much longed-for flexibility they seek. Despite Virtual Assignments having always been on the rise since the widespread implementation of the internet, it’s easier to see how they’re going to be even more numerous in the aftermath of the Corona-crisis. In fact, never before have so many employees worked remotely in order to guarantee essential business continuity.
But there is another side of the medal, and this is the portion of talent who seek international experience as part of their decision to join a company. In particular, overseas assignments are becoming more appealing among Millennials, who often see the opportunity to live and work abroad as more rewarding than a pay rise. They are called Digital Nomads or Telecommuters. According to Smart Gear, 90% of digital nomads plan on working remotely for the rest of their careers, while 94% of them encourage others to try Digital Nomadism themselves.
Whether or not you’re having troubles attracting talent, here are six basics to add to your recruiting suite that you should consider during and after the recruiting process.
1 – Make Sure They Have a Realistic Picture of What it’s like to Live in Your Expat Hub
Try to put yourself in the mind of a candidate who is contacted by a company in a foreign location. What’s the first thing that you would like to know? Salary? Job title? The direction of the company? Probably none of these things, but rather: “Why would I want to move there?”
Moving continents, or even “just” countries, isn’t a decision that can be taken on the potential of a great office view only. Instead, candidates need to know what the place looks like, what language is spoken, where they (and maybe their families) would live and whether they would fit in.
It is useful to include this information on your careers page so as to make it more of a relocation portal and less of a job listing. Workable offers a service to help you in this process. Not only will candidates benefit from this information, but so will your company: showing what candidates want to know during the overseas job hiring process builds your credibility from the beginning.
This type of thinking is beneficial for companies at every level, whether you’re hiring someone 70 or 7,000 miles away.
2 – Help with the Move of Household Goods
Among Expats and Expat Spouses, the phase of moving abroad is often cited as the most stressful one. Moving out doesn’t take one day only: there are farewells, often a party, and especially when small kids are involved, the family needs to stay with friends or in a hotel room. While Expats are still busy handing their work over and finalizing conversations with clients, Expat Spouses are often alone in coordinating all the logistics behind the move. That’s why it is important that they are connected with a moving company. Having someone who takes care of their house goods until they are settled in the new location surely spares the Expat family from a lot of stress.
If you are looking for a relocation company, consider paying a visit to the Keller Swiss Group. They offer relocation services, household removals, business relocation and household storage services, both in Switzerland and worldwide.
3 – Organize Support with Immigration
Organizing support with immigration is definitely another helpful and efficient way of helping the expat family during the stressful pre-assignment phase. In recent years, the process of obtaining work permits and visas has become more complex. Letting Expats and Expat Spouses navigate this sea of bureaucracy all alone would put on them an incredible and unnecessary amount of stress.
When it comes to immigration compliance, each case is different and needs to be examined thoroughly. Some relocation companies, like BecomeLocal in Switzerland, are specialists in this field. They can help you handle the permit process, write applications and submit to the authorities, instruct professionals and executives to obtain visas, sparing your organisation and the expat family a lot of hustle.
4 – Provide Spouse Career Support and A Pre-Hire Assessment for the Spouse
The effects that International Assignments have on the Expat Spouse’s wellbeing and state of mind are often underestimated. For some Expat Spouses, the sudden change from independent career person to stay-at-home parent has a strong psychological impact, even more so if getting a working visa is not possible.
Coaching is a very powerful tool with which companies can support Expat Spouses. With the help of a Career Coach, some Expat Spouses manage to start their own businesses while living abroad, thus finding deeper fulfillment in the experience.. At Global People Transitions we are specialized in this. If you want to know more about what we do to help Expat Spouses find motivation and new perspectives, visit Global People Transitions or send me an email (angela@globalpeopletransitions.com).
It is also very fair to the Expat Spouse to have a realistic idea of whether their profile actually leads to potential employment in the host market or whether their chances of finding work are slim. An Expat Spouse Coach can also help with a pre-hire assessment for the Expat Spouse.
5 – Consult them on Technical Issues such as How to Get Health Insurance, What to do About Their Taxes
Once again try to put yourself in the mind of your future employees. They now have a clearer idea of what it means to live in your expat hub and they are positively considering relocating there. Perhaps their spouses and children are coming along. In this preparatory phase, Expats are inevitably very busy with what needs to be handled back at home in their professional and private life. But they also need to be ready for what’s coming next.
Handling both “back home” and “in host country” can be extremely overwhelming, especially if this means going through important technical issues of a country with a different system and in a language they don’t understand. This is the right time to step in and consult them on important decisions such as which type of health insurance to get and how to do it, but also on how to handle their taxes. If you can’t deliver this in-house we’re happy to help.
6 – Sprinkle Everything with A Bit More Human Touch
As I said earlier and many times before, HUMAN TOUCH is my MISSION and the key to enhancing the employee experience. Deloitte (2019) proved to be onboard with that when stating that today’s global workforce is attracted and motivated by a more personalised, agile and holistic experience than before. This is why it’s important that you find your way to unlock the HUMAN TOUCH. For example, you can start by welcoming new team members with a hand-written card. You will make their first day a celebration.
If you wish to review your global recruiting policies or your process please contact me for a proposal via angela@globalpeopletransitions.com.
Resources
Become Local. Swiss Immigration Adviser. https://www.becomelocal.ch
Harrison, C. (2019, 19 Sep.). „7 Surprising Statistics about Digital Nomads.” Smart Gear Blog. https://smartgear.travel/7-surprising-statistics-about-digital-nomads/
Hayes, A. (2020, 7 Apr.). „What is a Digital Nomad?”Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/digital-nomad.asp
Keller Swiss Group. Worldwide Moving Relocation. https://www.kellerswissgroup.com/
MBO Partners. (2018). „Rising Nomadism: A Rising Trend.” MBO Partners, Inc. https://s29814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/StateofIndependence-ResearchBrief-DigitalNomads.pdf
Montilla, E. (2020, 17 Jan.). „Achieving workplace diversity through recruitment in tech.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/01/17/achieving-workplace-diversity-through-recruitment-in-tech/#2214496a1359
References
Beck, P., Eisenhut, P. and Thomas, L. (2018). „Fokus Arbeitsmarkt: Fit für di Zukunft?”. Stiftung Zukunft.li. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.stiftungzukunft.li/publikationen/fokus-arbeitsmart-fit-fuer-die-zukunft
Boston Consulting Group. (2018). „How diverse leadership teams boost innovation.”, BCG. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation.aspx
KPMG. (2018). „Inclusion and Diversity: How Global Mobility can help move the Needle”, KPMG. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://assets.kpmg//content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2018/06/global-mobility-inclusion-and-diversity-how-gms-can-help-move-the-needle-FINAL.pdf
Habti, D and Elo, M. (2019). Global Mobility of Highly Skilled People. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Hauri, D., Eisenhut, P., and Lorenz T. (2016). „Knacknuss Wachstum und Zuwanderung: Hintergründe unde Zusammenhange.”Stiftung Zukunft.li. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.stiftungzukunft.li/application/files/3215/1635/3318/Knacknuss_Wachstum_und_Zuwanderung_Endfassung_22_11_2016.pdf
Platonova A. and Urso, G. (2012). „Labour Shortages and Migration Policy.” International Organization for Migration. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/labour_shortages_and_migration_policy.pdf?language=en
Guest post by ANGELINE LICERIO
Discrimination of any kind should be unacceptable in any given situation. Gender discrimination, on the other hand, takes this to another notch, especially in the workplace. The sad reality is that gender discrimination still happens in most hiring processes. I found this surprising, and no wonder if you’re shocked too: in light of our new global situation, those who work remotely also experience gender discrimination. An article published by Harvard Business Review has highlighted that women are viewed by employers to be carrying out more domestic responsibilities, while men are seen to be more career-oriented and likely to expand their work spheres. Another article published by Forbes suggests that men are more likely to put in extra overtime on work tasks, while women pick up the slack with more domestic duties.
So, is gender a factor when hiring a remote employee? The short and definitive answer is “no”. The decision to hire a worker should be based on how they fit the role and how they can contribute to the growth of the organisation. Hiring an employee, especially for a remote position, should always be based on merits, qualifications, and skills.
Is Gender Discrimination Still Happening?
Gender issues in the workplace still happen, and it’s a proven fact. Women and men both get discriminated against when it comes to work, especially remotely. Some employers would often put in their job posting that they only hire women or men for specific roles. This is not illegal just across the whole European Union (Directive 2006/54/EC), but also in many other more authoritarian countries and notably less egalitarian countries. Hence, you might be shocked to read this. Human Rights Watch spotted “men only”, “suitable for men” or the like on thousands of job descriptions in China, despite this being illegal there as well. Read the report here.
While this may be the case, we should also highlight that there are a lot of companies that look past gender differences and many leaders genuinely respect a person for his or her achievements at work. More people have the utmost respect for both women and men in the workplace because of their contributions to their respective fields.
A Different Approach
Hiring remote employees, whether a single one or a full team, requires not only the right skill sets but their ability to work in an unsupervised working environment. Remote work has a lot of merits. At the top of that is more savings timewise and moneywise, which makes this option very attractive to both employers and employees. Remote workers are also not bound by geographic locations, which means that an employer looking to hire has a massive pool of talent at his disposal.
Let’s now look at the skills that make remote workers more employable regardless of their genders.
Self-discipline
A remote employee needs to be able to work with minimal supervision, and being male or female has no bearing on this whatsoever. Remote workers need to block and manage their time for and focus their energy on work when it is time to. Great employees need to be on the clock without anyone telling them to do so, and this should be among the top considerations when looking to hire remote workers. This quality is never gender-related – it is either a person has self-discipline or not.
Strong, Above-average Communication Skills
Having average communication skills will never be enough for a remote worker because communication is a crucial element for a successful remote-based work. In this case, a person can have excellent communication skills regardless of sex. There is no workaround for not having above-average communication skills in a remote working environment.
For one, a remote employee would need to be in constant communication with their teammates and their direct supervisors. Instructions will likely be over calls, emails, and video conferences. Average communication skills help when you’re working with someone face to face, but you will need to be an excellent communicator to thrive in the remote work environment.
Remote workers need to have the extra sensitivity to listen and hear what is actually being said in an email or telephone conversation. It would take above average communication skills to read between the lines of an email and to pick up the nuances in a conversation.
Troubleshooting Skills
The ability to troubleshoot not only work-related problems concerning clients but also technical and business continuity problems are crucial when it comes to working remotely. Remember that when a person works remotely, there is no IT department to support them round the clock. A remote worker should, at the very least, have rudimentary troubleshooting skills when it comes to networks and computers. Without this, simple installation or a simple network problem can cause delays in their deliverables.
Troubleshooting does not always mean technical problems, but it is also about finding out the root cause of a problem. We need not to reiterate it, but troubleshooting skills are never dependent on the gender of the employee.
Have Reliable Judgment
Some would say that this is part of having troubleshooting skills, but for us, having a reliable judgment is completely separate. It comes very handy whenever decisions have to be made without the help of a team or a committee. A person who has great judgement, whether male or female, can make decisions that will affect the business he or she is representing as a whole.
The ability to rely on themselves and weigh their options well is one rare but necessary skill to have as a remote worker.
In Closing
Hiring remote employees brings a lot of benefits to the table. Apart from more productivity and motivation, the company can save money and get higher quality output in the long run. This is why gender should never be a cause for someone’s disqualification.
It is unfortunate that this topic even exists and that we feel the need to enumerate the right qualifications for hiring a remote employee. Gender ultimately has no bearing on the effectiveness of a remote worker to do their jobs well. Any company that uses gender to segregate their employees should rethink their hiring process if they want to thrive in their chosen industry. Being male or female has nothing to do with a person’s ability to succeed in their jobs, be it remote or not.
How the Author Defines a Remote Worker
In this article, the author refers to remote workers as anyone who works outside of a traditional office environment. They can be working from home, working from a coworking space, at a coffee shop, etc.
Resources and further reading
Guest post by ANGELINE LICERIO
Discrimination of any kind should be unacceptable in any given situation. Gender discrimination, on the other hand, takes this to another notch, especially in the workplace. The sad reality is that gender discrimination still happens in most hiring processes. I found this surprising, and no wonder if you’re shocked too: in light of our new global situation, those who work remotely also experience gender discrimination. An article published by Harvard Business Review has highlighted that women are viewed by employers to be carrying out more domestic responsibilities, while men are seen to be more career-oriented and likely to expand their work spheres. Another article published by Forbes suggests that men are more likely to put in extra overtime on work tasks, while women pick up the slack with more domestic duties.
So, is gender a factor when hiring a remote employee? The short and definitive answer is “no”. The decision to hire a worker should be based on how they fit the role and how they can contribute to the growth of the organisation. Hiring an employee, especially for a remote position, should always be based on merits, qualifications, and skills.
Is Gender Discrimination Still Happening?
Gender issues in the workplace still happen, and it’s a proven fact. Women and men both get discriminated against when it comes to work, especially remotely. Some employers would often put in their job posting that they only hire women or men for specific roles. This is not illegal just across the whole European Union (Directive 2006/54/EC), but also in many other more authoritarian countries and notably less egalitarian countries. Hence, you might be shocked to read this. Human Rights Watch spotted “men only”, “suitable for men” or the like on thousands of job descriptions in China, despite this being illegal there as well. Read the report here.
While this may be the case, we should also highlight that there are a lot of companies that look past gender differences and many leaders genuinely respect a person for his or her achievements at work. More people have the utmost respect for both women and men in the workplace because of their contributions to their respective fields.
A Different Approach
Hiring remote employees, whether a single one or a full team, requires not only the right skill sets but their ability to work in an unsupervised working environment. Remote work has a lot of merits. At the top of that is more savings timewise and moneywise, which makes this option very attractive to both employers and employees. Remote workers are also not bound by geographic locations, which means that an employer looking to hire has a massive pool of talent at his disposal.
Let’s now look at the skills that make remote workers more employable regardless of their genders.
Self-discipline
A remote employee needs to be able to work with minimal supervision, and being male or female has no bearing on this whatsoever. Remote workers need to block and manage their time for and focus their energy on work when it is time to. Great employees need to be on the clock without anyone telling them to do so, and this should be among the top considerations when looking to hire remote workers. This quality is never gender-related – it is either a person has self-discipline or not.
Strong, Above-average Communication Skills
Having average communication skills will never be enough for a remote worker because communication is a crucial element for a successful remote-based work. In this case, a person can have excellent communication skills regardless of sex. There is no workaround for not having above-average communication skills in a remote working environment.
For one, a remote employee would need to be in constant communication with their teammates and their direct supervisors. Instructions will likely be over calls, emails, and video conferences. Average communication skills help when you’re working with someone face to face, but you will need to be an excellent communicator to thrive in the remote work environment.
Remote workers need to have the extra sensitivity to listen and hear what is actually being said in an email or telephone conversation. It would take above average communication skills to read between the lines of an email and to pick up the nuances in a conversation.
Troubleshooting Skills
The ability to troubleshoot not only work-related problems concerning clients but also technical and business continuity problems are crucial when it comes to working remotely. Remember that when a person works remotely, there is no IT department to support them round the clock. A remote worker should, at the very least, have rudimentary troubleshooting skills when it comes to networks and computers. Without this, simple installation or a simple network problem can cause delays in their deliverables.
Troubleshooting does not always mean technical problems, but it is also about finding out the root cause of a problem. We need not to reiterate it, but troubleshooting skills are never dependent on the gender of the employee.
Have Reliable Judgment
Some would say that this is part of having troubleshooting skills, but for us, having a reliable judgment is completely separate. It comes very handy whenever decisions have to be made without the help of a team or a committee. A person who has great judgement, whether male or female, can make decisions that will affect the business he or she is representing as a whole.
The ability to rely on themselves and weigh their options well is one rare but necessary skill to have as a remote worker.
In Closing
Hiring remote employees brings a lot of benefits to the table. Apart from more productivity and motivation, the company can save money and get higher quality output in the long run. This is why gender should never be a cause for someone’s disqualification.
It is unfortunate that this topic even exists and that we feel the need to enumerate the right qualifications for hiring a remote employee. Gender ultimately has no bearing on the effectiveness of a remote worker to do their jobs well. Any company that uses gender to segregate their employees should rethink their hiring process if they want to thrive in their chosen industry. Being male or female has nothing to do with a person’s ability to succeed in their jobs, be it remote or not.
How the Author Defines a Remote Worker
In this article, the author refers to remote workers as anyone who works outside of a traditional office environment. They can be working from home, working from a coworking space, at a coffee shop, etc.
Resources and further reading
Read the insights of the 4th edition of the Advance and HSG Gender Intelligence Report.
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/?s=Tips+for+Managing+an+International+Workforce
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/?s=Values+in+Global+Virtual+Teams
https://cdn.gendereconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-and-gender-GATE-policy-brief-.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x
References
Ibarra H., Gillard J., Chamorro-Premuzic T. (2020, July 16). ‘Why WFH isn’t necessarily good for women’. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved August 14, 2020 from https://hbr.org/2020/07/why-wfh-isnt-necessarily-good-for-women
Stauffer, B. (2018, April 23). ‘Only Men Apply’, Human Rights Watch. Retrieved August 14, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/23/only-men-need-apply/gender-discrimination-job-advertisements-china
Gaskell A. (2020, April 1). ‘Breaking Down The Gender Divide To Survive Working From Home’. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, August 14 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2020/04/01/breaking-down-the-gender-divide-to-survive-working-from-home/#7996063720cf
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/?s=Tips+for+Managing+an+International+Workforce
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/?s=Values+in+Global+Virtual+Teams
https://cdn.gendereconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-and-gender-GATE-policy-brief-.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x
References
Ibarra H., Gillard J., Chamorro-Premuzic T. (2020, July 16). ‘Why WFH isn’t necessarily good for women’. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved August 14, 2020 from https://hbr.org/2020/07/why-wfh-isnt-necessarily-good-for-women
Stauffer, B. (2018, April 23). ‘Only Men Apply’, Human Rights Watch. Retrieved August 14, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/23/only-men-need-apply/gender-discrimination-job-advertisements-china
Gaskell A. (2020, April 1). ‘Breaking Down The Gender Divide To Survive Working From Home’. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, August 14 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2020/04/01/breaking-down-the-gender-divide-to-survive-working-from-home/#7996063720cf
Author’s Bio
Angeline Licerio is a content writer for Elevate Corporate Training. Like the rest of her teammates at Elevate, Angeline believes that she can help create better bottom lines, happier and healthier staff and build communities where people engage with each other in high functioning relationships.
Here is her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeline-licerio-2a3406107/
