Build Skills For The Remote Workforce

If there are three things Tina Hamilton, CEO of myHR Partner, believes in it’s to “be ready, keep your skills updated, and embrace the change.”

Working from home has faced everyone with different challenges and everyone is dealing with it in different ways. Technology can be a huge struggle for some remote workers who are not accustomed to managing technology independently. The people who struggle range from managers and hourly workers who aren’t proficient in technology, to executives who no longer have an assistant sitting by their side to fix their technology issues. How we communicate, the pace at which work gets done, how we collaborate with others, and the use of outsourced services are all parts of work that have been changed by technology, and now the one thing that has remained the same, the workplace, has been taken away.

Without the proper remote working skills, normally productive and effective workers are being negatively affected. They risk being able to keep up in their current jobs because of new remote work skills that they lack. Luckily, there are solutions for those who are willing to make a change and upgrade their skill set. The Literacy Center in the Lehigh Valley has a rigorous 20-hour class to earn a “Work From Home (WFH) Certification”. The class is free to those who reside locally, is taught remotely, and is offered at different times to accommodate varying work schedules.

Some of the subject areas include:

• Using technology: How to navigate everything from videoconferencing to collaboration platforms and making sure everything stays secure.
• Communication skills: Improving your ability to communicate clearly and succinctly across digital platforms, for example, how to run a teleconference meeting effectively.
• Managing distractions: How to balance work and home responsibilities, establish boundaries, and structure your workday.
• Managing stress: Proactive strategies and skills for keeping stress levels reasonable without the physical separation between work and home.
• Ergonomics: Creating an in-home workplace that’s friendly to your body and improves your productivity.