Top Remote Jobs: Here Are the 3 Things to Look For
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Remote work has rapidly spread across America. These days, more people than ever work from home with entirely remote or flexible hybrid schedules. If you’re one of those remote workers, you may find it difficult to know which workplaces are worth your time and effort. After all, interviewing for a remote job can be just as time-consuming as interviewing for a traditional job!
To maximize your employment prospects and ensure you only work at a great organization, read on. We’ll explore three key things top remote jobs have in common. These are the signs you want to look for to decide if the position in question could be a good fit.
1. Strong, Clear Lines of Communication
First and foremost, the top remote jobs have strong, clear—and, most importantly—consistent lines of communication.
When it comes to remote work, being able to communicate easily with your fellow coworkers, supervisors, and clients is vital. After all, you won’t be able to stop by someone else’s cubicle or office for a quick chat or a project update.
To that end, any remote work position needs to be bristling with tools and communication channels you can take advantage of. These include:
- Online chat channels using platforms like Slack.
- PM or private message channels. For example, maybe all of the supervisors at the company have dedicated work phone numbers so their employees can text them in an emergency.
- Lots of email addresses for both direct supervisors and HR representatives if necessary.
The best companies leaning into remote work will understand the value of consistent communication. With that in mind, they may also host regular video conferencing sessions with all of their employees. These can be excellent opportunities to brainstorm, share ideas, and ensure that everyone is kept up-to-date with important workplace projects.
Furthermore, remote workers may have extra communication channels that they can take advantage of. Through them, they can reach out to each other, speak to supervisors, or deliver important project updates. It may be beneficial to ask recruiters during interviews what the company’s communication policies are and what tools are available for remote workers to use.
Bottom line: don’t start a new remote job if you aren’t able to easily communicate with the other people at a given organization. If you look at the reviews for a company online and notice signs that their communication policies are woefully out of date or slow, move on to a different job opportunity.
2. Robust Remote Work Culture
Next, check to see whether a given remote job is at a company with a strong remote work culture. Workplace culture is an important part of any work experience. It’s essentially the combined attitudes of employees, initiatives and philosophies of management, and overall “feel” of working in a traditional environment. A robust, supportive workplace culture will elevate employees and help them reach their maximum potential.
In contrast, a company that is poorly run, overly competitive, or otherwise lacks a good work culture is one to avoid. It will only cause work burnout much more quickly, both for in-office employees and for remote employees. The last thing you want to do is start working a remote job at a company with a bad work culture.
Some companies have excellent work cultures for their in-office employees. Unfortunately not for their remote workers. They are often left out of social activities, like after-hours cocktail parties or get-togethers. They may also not have the same networking opportunities as their in-office counterparts.
That can be disastrous for your long-term job prospects or career ambitions. More importantly, it can make working at a given company absolutely nightmarish.
Therefore, you should only try to work for a company that has a good work culture that incorporates remote employees.
During the job search process, ask whether remote workers participate in social events, whether they get access to employee perks, and so on. The answers to these questions will tell you whether the company values its remote workers or if it treats them as largely disposable.
3. An Appropriately “Long” Onboarding Process
Last but not least, consider skipping out on job offers that are extended too quickly. Top remote jobs will have an appropriately long onboarding process.
The onboarding process involves everything from an initial hiring interview, a job offer, your first day at work, and ongoing training support. A company that seems desperate for employees and is advertising things such as “You can start today!” is usually a bad sign.
Why? Appropriately filled remote work jobs with ample training resources and management support take a little bit of time to get going. Be wary of a company that seems desperate to get you cranking out work ASAP. It may indicate that they aren’t working hard to ensure you have a good first few weeks at your new position. That can lead to you being swamped with work and experiencing fast burnout.
An appropriately long onboarding process should take a few weeks from start to finish. In the absolute best-case scenarios, you may get offered a job with a start date a week out from your initial interview, but don’t accept any positions that are faster than this.
Remember, when it comes to remote work opportunities, it’s not just getting hired; it’s getting hired at the right place and by the right people. That way, you’ll make enough money to pay your living expenses, ensure your debt-to-income ratio is not getting out of hand, and live a financially secure lifestyle.
If you get hired at a bad company that doesn’t treat its remote employees properly, you’ll just have to return to the job hunt sooner rather than later.
Conclusion
The above three factors can massively determine whether a given remote work job is right for your needs, personality, and schedule preferences. By considering each of them in the hiring process, you’ll be well-equipped to decide whether to continue with an interview, accept a job offer, or keep looking.
At Lensa, we can help you find the perfect remote job. Check us out today, and good luck on your job hunt!
