5 Essential Soft Skills Every Remote Worker Needs

Ever wondered what makes a remote worker not just good, but great? 

While technical know-how and expertise are definitely needed to make a living online, the importance of soft skills cannot be overlooked. 

Whether you work remotely for a company or want to become a location independent freelancer, you can benefit from working on your soft skills. 

But first, let's take a step back and understand what soft skills are.

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills also referred to as people skills or interpersonal skills, are non-technical skills that relate to how you work and interact with others. 

Unlike hard skills, which can be quantified and specific to each job, soft skills are transferable and applicable in different situations. 

They are the intangible skills that influence how we navigate our environment, work well with others, perform our jobs, and manage our personal lives.

So, Why Are Soft Skills Important for Remote Workers?

Soft skills for remote workers are not only important—they're essential. 

The way we work has been changing for a while now. Tech advancements and global circumstances caused more of us to find ourselves working away from traditional office spaces. 

And even though soft skills are important in any career you choose, they play an even more significant role in this remote context.

They help us collaborate effectively with a team that is possibly all around the world, adapt to rapidly changing digital trends, manage time, and build relationships even though we’re not physically present. 

Communication, for instance, is no longer just about writing a message—it's about communicating in a way the other person understands and creating smooth collaboration across different time zones and cultures.

Top Soft Skills For Working Remotely

Now, let’s dive into the top 5 soft skills that you need to truly thrive in the digital space.

Communication

As I mentioned before, communication online isn't just about shooting off emails. 

It's also about listening, understanding others' points of view, and working well within a team, regardless of its members being spread all around the world. 

Even though there are amazing tools out there that make communicating and working remotely easier, you also need to know how to best communicate.

To be a good communicator, you also need to be assertive, keep your messages clear and concise, and most importantly, be a good listener. 

And bonus tip, don’t be scared of emojis—they can be your best friend when trying to set the right tone.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others. 

Empathy allows us to walk in someone else's shoes, helping us understand what they really need. 

This ability is important when you work within a team, but it’s also particularly valuable in business contexts where understanding users' needs is crucial. 

Emotional Intelligence

The third soft skill for remote workers is emotional intelligence. 

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and to empathize with and respond appropriately to the emotions of others.

Investing time in nurturing your emotional intelligence, understanding more and more about yourself, your triggers and the reasons behind them is really worthwhile. 

It was a real game-changer for me personally, as working on mindset was the key reason I had the courage to grow my team and take GeekPack to new heights.

Adaptability

With the digital world rapidly evolving, adaptability is a soft skill employers value A LOT.

One moment you're deep into a project, and the next, a software update could throw a curveball your way. 

And that's where being able to adapt becomes super valuable. When you expect changes and know that you can work around them, they stop being so scary—they become part of life.

The best way to work on your adaptability? Keep learning and stay receptive to new ideas.

Multitasking

Last but not least, we have multitasking. 

It's something we all do daily—making breakfast while answering emails and helping your kid find their missing shoe, all at the same time. 

These everyday multitasking abilities are an absolute superpower in the digital world, making you more productive and helping keep clients or employers satisfied. 

It's a shining example of excellent organization and time management skills, both of which are great soft skills examples. 

Multi-tasking is great, but there’s a difference between being able to multitask and taking on too much. Just remember to prioritize and avoid overwhelming yourself.

Keep On Learning! 

So, there you have it! Five soft skills that we can all use to our advantage in the digital world.

But let's not forget, it's not just about these soft skills or the hard skills. It's about continually learning and evolving. Most importantly, it's about believing in yourself!

In our digital age, education offers limitless possibilities. It's like standing at the edge of a vast, sparkling ocean—the more you dive in, the more treasures you uncover.

Join our strong community of +35,000 women who are making their dreams a reality through empowering skills training.

So, dive deep, learn, grow, and don't be afraid to explore. 

In The GeekPack Collective, you can learn a new skill in under 20 minutes, every month!

Between hard and soft skills, we’ll teach you in-demand, revenue-generating digital skills in minutes (not years)!