Soft skills aren’t as soft as they sound. In fact, they can
make or break your career—especially when it comes to remote work.
As the professional world settles into a new norm of working
from home, soft skills—defined by Workable as “general characteristics that help
employees thrive in the workplace, no matter their seniority level, role or
industry”—have come to the forefront in hiring and recruitment decisions.
There are more remote jobs than ever before, but there are
also more remote job-seekers. In a fast-changing employment landscape, hard
skills matter—but soft skills can help you rise to the top.
FlexJobs
and PAIRIN put together a list of the top ten remote-work fields, along with each
field’s top five soft skills. Whether you’re looking to break into a new field
or move up in your current career, it helps to know which relational and
interpersonal skills can best complement your technical abilities in the career
arena.
As defined in the FlexJobs-PAIRIN analysis, here are the top
25 soft skills and traits for success in remote work.
- Accountability:
“To be answerable. To take responsibility for outcomes through the
appropriate use of resources, personal integrity, and self-monitoring.”
This skill is especially important in the Medical & Health remote-work
field.
- Assertiveness:
“Global tendencies to express and interact with boldness, enthusiasm, and
confidence.” Assertiveness is critical for remote workers in Sales,
Customer Service and Marketing.
- Collaboration
& Teamwork: “To combine efforts and resources with others toward a
common goal. To work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams.”
Candidates for remote positions in the Project Management field will want
to emphasize this skill.
- Compliance:
“Global tendencies to maintain self-discipline and conform to another’s
plan, rules, will, or direction.” This skill is particularly crucial for
remote work in the Medical & Health and Accounting & Finance
fields.
- Conflict
Management: “The ability to effectively negotiate and resolve
disagreements.” Being able to effectively resolve disagreements is
important in every field, but especially in those of Sales, Accounting
& Finance and Customer Service.
- Cooperative-Practical:
“The moderation of reason and feeling, resulting in calm, commonsense
thinking—upbeat, attentive, and realistic.” This character trait is in
demand in the Education & Training and Business Development
remote-work fields.
- Creativity:
“The desire to think, do, and express in ways that are different from the
norm. This includes personal elaborations or variations on known or
existing techniques.” Professionals working from home in the Computer
& IT and Education & Training fields should display this trait.
- Critical
Thinking: “To gather and objectively assess key information as a guide
to belief or action. An intellectual process that uses analysis,
conceptualization, synthesis, and evaluation.” Computer & IT,
Accounting & Finance, and Business Development are all remote-work
fields where this skill is especially needed.
- Dynamism:
“Global tendencies to generate results through intentional, resourceful,
energetic mindsets and behaviors.” This trait is critical for
professionals working remotely in Project Management.
- Enriching
Others: “Perceiving and reacting to others with acceptance and respect
while supporting their development toward full potential.” Business
Development professionals in particular should cultivate this attitude as
they work remotely.
- Flamboyance:
“The drive to impress or excite—to stir others through words or actions.”
Flamboyance is a sought-after trait in the Marketing and Administrative
fields—and being able to express it remotely is even more critical.
- Influential
Leadership: “The ability to positively persuade others’ choices by
focusing on what is important to them and building consensus.” Sales and
Marketing professionals can advance their remote careers by focusing on
this skill.
- Inspirational
Leadership: “The ability to uplift, enliven, fill, and empower people
with a compelling vision.” Marketing professionals especially should
develop this skill in their remote work relationships.
- Objective-Analytical:
“The emphasis of logic and fact-based evaluating over feelings, resulting
in clarity, thoroughness, and productivity.” This skill is essential in
the Computer & IT field.
- Originality:
“The ability to invent or independently conceive of brand-new ideas,
methods, or products, regardless of their usefulness.” The ability to
think originally is important in the fields of Computer & IT and
Education & Training, especially in light of the many new challenges
presented by remote work.
- Perspective:
“The ability to understand broadly, to coordinate knowledge and experience,
and to provide clear-sighted and meaningful counsel to others. An aspect
of wisdom.” This is another trait that is helpful in every field, and
especially in that of Education & Training.
- Problem
Solving: “To discover, analyze, and solve a range of unfamiliar
problems in both conventional and creative ways.” Computer & IT
professionals working remotely should demonstrate strong problem-solving
abilities.
- Productivity:
“To set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing
pressures. To prioritize, plan, and manage work to achieve the intended
results.” Project Management professionals who display productivity can
enhance the value of their remote work.
- Relationship
Management: “To use awareness of one’s own emotions and those of
others to navigate interactions successfully.” In the era of remote work,
this interpersonal skill is especially important in the Project Management
field.
- Relationship:
“The drive to draw close and remain loyal to another person or people—to
truly connect and enjoyably engage with them.” This soft skill has wide
application for remote work, particularly in the Accounting & Finance,
Marketing, Business Development and Administrative fields.
- Self
Assessment: “To engage in self-reflection so as to determine strengths
and limitations in one’s values, abilities, and resources.” This ability
is most needed in Business Development professionals.
- Service
Orientation: “The ability to anticipate, identify, and meet people’s
often unspoken needs through assistance, products, or services and the
drive to generate customer satisfaction and loyalty.” This is another
trait that is critical to multiple industries that are transitioning to a
remote workforce, including Medical & Health, Sales, Customer Service
and Administrative.
- Social
Awareness: “To relate and respond to the feelings, needs, and concerns
of individuals or broader societal groups.” Professionals in such diverse
remote fields as Medical & Health, Sales, Accounting & Finance and
Education & Training can benefit from cultivating this skill.
- Stress
Tolerance: “To endure pressure and uncertainty without becoming
negative (e.g., hopeless, bitter, or hostile) toward self or others.”
Stress tolerance is vital for every remote worker, especially those in the
fast-paced fields of Customer Service, Administrative and Project
Management.
- Supportiveness:
“The drive to assist, protect, and provide for others in emotional or
physical need.” Medical & Health, Customer Service and Administrative
professionals can advance their remote-work careers through this
empathetic trait.
3 steps to cultivate soft skills
As you read that list, did any skills stick out to you as
opportunities for improvement? Maybe you already know the skills you could grow
in. So how do you get started? FlexJobs career coach Brie Reynolds has some
advice.
- Identify
the soft skills you already possess. Starting with a positive
assessment will encourage you in the growth you’ve already experienced and
motivate you to attain more soft skills. “PAIRIN offers soft skills
testing so people can identify their areas of strength and where they can
improve,” says Reynolds. “FlexJobs also recommends doing a self-audit
to determine which soft skills you feel strongest with and which ones you
lack confidence in.” Asking people close to you, such as friends, family
and coworkers, can also give you insights on where to go from here.
- Take
a class. “There are plenty of free, online short and longer courses
to help you strengthen your skills,” says Reynolds. Here’s one
place to get started. Then, once you’ve got a course under your belt,
it’s time to practice—at work and in your personal life. “You might also
seek out new tasks or projects at work, in volunteering, in your community
or at home where you can put these newer skills to use.”
- Interview
someone who has the skill you want. “Informational interviews are also
a great way to learn from other people who are already strong in the
skills you want to build,” says Reynolds. “For example, if your
sister-in-law has excellent stress tolerance and you’ve witnessed her
staying calm in stressful situations, ask her how she approaches stress
and what her advice would be for you to get better in this area.”
It all comes down to communication
According to the analysis, the top soft skills across most
industries include Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Social Awareness,
Relationship Management and Stress Tolerance. “Interestingly, the ability to
communicate effectively is foundational to many of these skills,” says
Reynolds. “Communication is the number-one skill we see employers of remote
teams looking for.”
Why is communication so important in the virtual workplace?
Positive rapport is essential to a team’s success, but it can be harder to
build through a screen. “Most remote employers want to hire professionals who
can both do the job they’re being hired for AND build excellent working
relationships with their colleagues,” says Reynolds.
“The bottom line is that employers place a high value on
people who have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.”
In today’s remote job marketplace, many candidates will
possess similar technical competencies. These not-so-soft skills are what can
set you apart—and put you in the best position possible to land the job.