Welcome to the decade of remote work. With companies such as Twitter, Dropbox, Shopify, Square going remote forever, and Facebook and Apple extending their remote working till 2021, the percentage of people working remotely is rising.

More and more people are searching for the benefits of remote working and are applying for remote jobs. To keep yourself updated about all the whereabouts of remote work, we list down the most common questions remote workers and jobseekers ask to help you in this journey.

What are the benefits of working remotely?

Working remotely allows you to work from anywhere in your PJs and provides higher pay, and involves no commute with guaranteed family time. But we list down some of the lesser-known benefits of remote work that can change your life and trigger you to get that remote job.

  1. Save money.
  2. Be the master of your day.
  3. You get to choose where to work.
  4. Become more independent and confident.
  5. Avoid office politics.
  6. Spend more time with your family and kids.
  7. Increased Productivity and Performance.
  8. Better Work-Life Balance

What are the most essential qualities of a remote worker?

  • Motivated and Self-Disciplined:
    You don't have a boss over your shoulder, keeping track of your work like in-office employees working remotely. Therefore, remote workers need to be motivated and self-disciplined to complete their daily tasks amid all the distractions at home. Apart from being a self-starter, a remote worker should be able to work through deadlines and distinguish between work hours and family time.
  • Strong Communication Skills:
    Strong communication is a critical skill to comprehend and communicate with everyone on the team while working remotely. Being clear and concise in written and verbal communication is necessary to present your ideas, have 1:1 check-ins and team meetings, and even send a slack message.
  • Independent and self-confident:
    Remote workers should have a knack for troubleshooting independently. When working at home, there will be daily hurdles to overcome and tasks to complete. Critical thinking skills and self-confidence are highly expected of them. You need the ability to make informed decisions about your work in a reasonable time period by yourself.

What are the best jobs that can be done remotely?

Find out more jobs that can be done remotely.

Top remote companies that offer remote jobs?

Given the current situation, there has been an increase in companies offering flexible work policies and becoming remote-first; the remote job market is growing faster than ever. Searching for a remote job, we have listed the top 20 remote companies who are actively hiring, which includes Buffer, Gitlab, Zapier, etc.

How do I find a remote job?

Remote jobs are the future jobs with flexible schedules, various job options based on personal abilities and interests, high starting pay, no commute, and the freedom to leave anywhere. It is also essential to figure out which type of job are you seeking?

  • Identify if you feel motivated to work remotely?
  • Understand what timing works for you?
  • Remote companies want people that are passionate about what they do. Are you passionate?
  • Think about the type of remote culture you want to work in.

The first step to successfully search for a remote job is to identify the position you’re interested in and then start looking at the right places such as LinkedIn, AngelList, DailyRemote, Indeed, etc.

How should I prepare for a remote job interview?

The most important points to keep in mind while preparing for a remote job interview are:

  1. Research about your employer's company to get an extra edge over other candidates before an interview.
  2. Dress formally to reflect confidence and enthusiasm. Don't hunch or appear relaxed to keep your posture straight.
  3. Your interviewing space should be clear and clutter-free to set a good impression.
  4. Showcase reliability and enthusiasm about the interview. Showcase, you understand the importance of asynchronous communication while working remotely and follow our career advice.
  5. Prepare the common remote job interview questions mentioned here.
  6. Send a follow-up email after the interview, and thank them for considering you.

What are the biggest challenges of remote work?

Working remotely takes some effort, but it is worth it if you apply the correct strategies. The biggest challenges of working remotely are:

  1. Overworking
  2. Feeling isolated and anxious
  3. Lack of proper communication
  4. Facing distractions
  5. Overeating
  6. Difficulty to stay motivated

Does remote working affect productivity?

A survey report found that reducing work distractions is good for productivity. Remote work helps eliminate workplace distractions like background noise and interruptions from coworkers.

76% of people claimed that they’re more productive when working remotely because of fewer distractions, and 62% indicated their productivity increase because of the presence of a less noisy work environment.

According to the survey, 30% of the people said that working away from the cubicle allows them to achieve more in fewer hours. Overall, 77% reported higher productivity. Remote workers are thus more effective and productive because of the flexibility in their work arrangements.

How do remote workers schedule their day and prioritize tasks?

The best way to schedule your day and prioritize tasks to achieve deadlines is to have a daily routine set to maximize productivity and avoid all the distractions at home.

  • Start the day early, shower as if you're leaving for work, dress up, and log into work.
  • Create a to-do list for the day. Block calendar for uninterrupted work time, including log-off time, keeping your team informed. Don't forget to take breaks and not overwork.
  • Set clear boundaries between work and family time, giving you plenty of time for other activities such as book reading, playing with your kid, etc, before you go to bed.
  • Set specific work hours to increase performance. Schedule meetings by time block and maintain this routine regularly.

What does an ideal remote work setup involve?

Every remote employee works in one or the other kind of remote work setup. Dedicate a separate room for your workspace, far away from leisure areas such as a bed or couch. Take inspiration from one of our interviews of the How I Work Remotely series.

Invest in a laptop and a standing desk and other equipment like a monitor, a laptop stand, wireless mouse, and keyboard to create your workspace. Also, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to let some tunes going while you enjoy telecommuting.

What are the best tools to facilitate remote work?

While working remotely, you don't have your whole team together, like in the office. Therefore it is essential to feel connected with the team to collaborate and make decisions regarding deadlines and participate in check-ins and team meetings.

We list down the most effective software tools to increase your productivity and overall throughput of the remote team you're a part of:

  1. Communication tools, such as Slack, Zoom, Loom, etc.
  2. Project Management tools such as Jira, Trello, etc.
  3. Design and development tools such as Github, Figma, etc.
  4. Collaboration tools such as Miro, Mural, etc.

How do remote workers stay motivated?

Remote work comes with many benefits and offers a lot of flexibility, but many people feel demotivated and depressed. Working from home alone might take a toll on your discipline and focus when working for long hours. Follow these pointers to learn how remote workers remain motivated :

  1. Set a daily routine.
  2. Create a remote workspace.
  3. Schedule deep work slots and break timings.
  4. Dress like you are working in an office.
  5. Say no to distractions.
  6. Take care of yourself.

How to a maintain work-life balance while working remotely?

Working from home with kids and family members may take a toll on remote workers' work-life balance. It's becoming overwhelming for working parents to balance their responsibilities with kids and complete their tasks before deadlines.

Working remotely can be a great way to spend time with your children, strengthen family bonds, and maximize your productivity with a little bit of proper planning, preparation, and patience.

Tips to effectively work from home:

  • Create a Home Routine.
  • Set up a Home Office
  • Be flexible
  • Set Clear Expectations

How do I avoid scams while searching for a remote job?

Look for the following red flags to avoid scams while searching for a remote job:

  1. Looks too good to be true.
  2. Improper Job posts without a proper job description.
  3. They asked for financial and confidential information.
  4. They contacted you first.
  5. They ask to pay money before joining
  6. You are offered the job immediately without verification.

Questions to ask your employer while interviewing for a remote job?

Any candidate seriously interviewing for a remote job should always have questions to ask their interviewer. Most importantly, regarding the company, their culture, their remote work policy, etc.

Here are a few questions you should ask during a remote interview:

  • How do you manage regularly scheduled meetings?
  • What communication and collaboration tools do the company prefer?
  • Do you provide allowances for setting a remote workspace?
  • What's the average number of leaves an employee can take?
  • What's the security strategy for remote workers?
  • Does the whole team meet in a year or 6-months timeframe?
  • How does the company figure out local holidays?

We really hope this list of questions could help people searching for remote jobs to work from home. If you have been laid off or are looking for remote jobs, visit DailyRemote. Join like-minded people at our LinkedIn and Facebook community.