How to Spot Bad Remote Workers (5 Signs to Look For)

As a remote worker, you can set your own schedule and take complete ownership of your commitments. You don’t have to be at the office at the same time as everyone else, but there are certain expectations and standards that you should adhere to.

If you’re a manager or leader of remote workers, it’s important to pay close attention to their behavior and performance. Not only is this beneficial for the business, but it’s also helpful in identifying if someone is struggling with remote work.

Here are 5 ways to spot bad remote workers:

Slow to Respond – One of the biggest challenges of remote work is communication. Remote workers should always be available by email or Slack (or another team messaging app) during their working hours. If they’re not responding quickly enough, then they could be slacking off.

No Good News – Nobody likes bad news, especially when you’re a leader who has to deliver it to other team members or to your boss. But good news and positive updates are equally important because they help keep momentum going and let people know that things are going well. If a remote worker doesn’t provide regular updates about their progress, then they could be disengaged from their responsibilities and tasks.

Their Camera is Off – With video conferencing tools at our fingertips, there’s no excuse for working remotely without showing your face. If they’re not showing up on camera, there’s something wrong.

Not Dressing in the Dress Code – Even when working remotely, there are dress code expectations that employees need to follow—and if they don’t even bother to follow those guidelines, it could be because they don’t feel like they’re part of the team.

They Don’t Set the Tech Ahead of Time – With applications like Slack and Zoom making it easier to work remotely, it is important to have these applications working especially if there are scheduled meetings. Nobody wants to wait for someone that’s late to get their tech working properly. It hurts productivity and it is definitely unprofessional!