How to Test the Skills of Remote Workers?

The trend of hiring remote workers for the last couple of years worldwide has been growing. And after the Covid-19 pandemic, the working remote module seems to have become a part of our daily lives. Bureau of Labor Statistics points to just under 30 percent of people having an opportunity to operate remotely to some extent. And there is an estimation that these numbers would grow in the future.

There is no doubt that businesses and individuals have lots of benefits from working remotely. However, there are few downsides to this module as well that are challenging for both of them. The biggest one is to make sure that you have the right pick. Since there is no physical manager to supervise these workers, it has hard to tell whether they will be able to use the resources effectively or not. Therefore, the hiring is crucial as you should know about remote workers’ skills before bringing them on board.

Thanks to technology, testing the skills of the remote workers are no longer a hassle. There are many ways to test the skills of your remote workers, and we would be discussing a few of them in this article.

How to Test the Skills?

When hiring a remote team or a work, you need to consider the following few skills that the right candidate should have.

1 – Knowledge About Microsoft Tools

When looking for a remote worker, you must take into consideration that they have a good command over all the Microsoft tools. In particular, Microsoft excel and word. As many remote working jobs can be regarding composing or compiling the data, the relevant person must have a good grip over Microsoft excel.

Although this does not mean that the relevant person should be a professional, however, they must have the necessary knowledge. A simple Microsoft skill test would be able to let you find the right person for the job. Moreover, even if you don’t have any project regarding Microsoft, a remote worker with this skill might come in handy. You never know you would need to create a report or a document for any particular thing. And at that time, you wouldn’t have to go looking for another remote worker, as you will already have one.

2 – Communication

One may wonder how communication can be an excellent way to test the skills? Well, it certainly is. No matter where ever your remote worker is, effective communication is very important. As per the 7Cs of the communication, it should to be: clear, concrete, concise, correct, courteous, coherent, and complete.

An excellent way to test the skills and capabilities of your worker is through communicating with him regarding your requirements. Have a look at how successfully they were able to understand it and then comprehend it through their work.

3 – Competencies

No one wants to hire a remote team and then rehire one again in just a short period due to incompetence. During the Hiring Process, you need to check for a few competencies that the workers must have:

– Self-Discipline: It is pretty much self-explanatory. Remote workers are on their own as no one is standing on the top of their heads. So, they must be able to organize themselves and deliver the work on time. Also, they should be accountable and must take full responsibility for the job.

– Adaptability: Change and incertitude are part of a remote function. Anyone who likes to work in a rigid structure will find it challenging to adapt to the changes. Because of this, there is a chance that the project or the team might suffer. Therefore, you must hire an effective remote worker who will enjoy and embrace flexibility.

– Tech-Savvy: Since there is no IT team dedicated to solve technical issues, it could lead to productive energy and time been lost. Such sort of remote workers who cannot solve small technological issues may not be a good fit for the job.

– Results-Oriented: Many people enjoy the fact that they are not under the direct supervision of a manager or supervisor. Therefore, the evaluation of their performance is on the basis of their work. So, your remote worker must be result-oriented and should keen to provide the best of his work.

– Collaboration Skills: Collaboration can way easy when you’re in an office. However, adding miles between your remote workers poses a challenge You would have to see to it that collaboration is among the core attributes for anyone you hire. You need them to want to work with challenges rather than complain about it and put in half an effort.

4 – Understanding of Basic Skills

It’s no longer clerical and administrative employees who need to type rapidly and correctly in the workplace. For most positions, fast and precise typing abilities are required. The candidate’s ability to produce and send error-free correspondence quickly, complete forms and documentation accurately and effectively are also important.

Moreover, the thing about working remotely is that many individuals don’t follow the corporate 9 to 5 lifestyle. Some might consider it a benefit, but this develops a lack of professionalism. This can sometimes be a problem as many of the remote teams are connected through skype and slack, so their response is in a causal manner. Therefore, it has imperative that your remote worker can correspond in a professional manner. This includes replying to emails and proper documentation.

5 – Giving Candidates a Test Project

You would be able to know about a candidate’s skills and other experiences through an extensive interview, but you would not be able to judge them accurately until you work with them. However, there is an easy solution to this problem. Through giving them a trial project, you would be able to assess if they are a right fit or not.

Ask your applicants to do an assignment for a paid trial with a firm deadline. You will be able to see how your current team is able to coordinate with them. This will present you with a clear picture regarding the speed of their work, if they can submit the work on the given deadline, and whether their work is up to your mark or not. This way, you would be able to find the right candidate for the position.

The Importance of Testing

It is vital that you must know about the strengths and weaknesses of your workers. Remote working is the new of working for the unforeseeable future due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses around the globe have to adapt to the new module. But even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the trend of remote working is growing.

For any company, workers are its main asset, and when you invest in an investment, you expect to get a good return from your investment. Therefore, before investing time and money in a remote team, you must test the remote workers’ skills.

Further testing is often required during the remote interview process to confirm the skills and level of competency a candidate has in a specific area. Some tests can evaluate both soft skills and hard skills, but this will ultimately depend on the role of being hired. Poor recruiting can have a negative impact on your long-term corporate strategy.