22L021923

Remote work requires a different set of softskills

We have spent the last hundred years aiming to scientifically perfect the management of an employee in an office environment. We have had only a scarce few decades to work out how to manage remote employees. This puts the remote work force at a distinct disadvantage.

In this short time a few rules have been found: hybrid doesn't work and solid asynchronious communication skills are necessary. In both cases the fail state comes down to the team's soft skills. And mainly, the softskills required to master remote work are an entirely different set of skills than in office.

Solid in-office softskills skills are the ability to communicate effectively one-on-one face to face and speak publically to a room of coworkers. Mastery of social skills involving sychnoious communication, "reading the room," small talk, etc are an effective way of building commraderie -- communication is largely oral, and written communication is secondary.

Solid remote softskills are a mastery of asychronious communication, ability to write succinctly, clearly and good reading comprehension for communications that might be poorly writen, unclear and verbose. Being able to text, to communicate via memes, to read e-mails, to (gasp!) actually read and make decisions entirely from written reports without calling a meeting or gain the consensus on a decision entirely through text chat or email thread.

The hybrid team fails because it would take an exceptional manager to master both sets of soft skills. They will inevitibly favor the set that they are most comfortable (typically, but not always, in-office). Likewise, a team that tries to migrate their in-office communication style to remote work without adapting to prioritizing asychronious written communications will falter.

The in-office employee has chosen to master the in-office softskillset. If they try to force this skillset into the remote office, they will fail and fall behind their remote-softskill mastered counterparts. But if they stick to in-office work, their oral and synchronious skills are highly valued.

Today, remote work is readily available to the office worker and is no longer career limiting, but is rather a career choice. Over the course of the remote employee's career they will master the remote softskillset. They will excel and be sought after in companies that prioritize remote work, but will be locked out from companies that prioritize in-office work.

Linked References

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