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As businesses evolve, it’s becoming more common to hire remote employees, freelancers, or virtual assistants to get jobs done. Robert Nickell is the CEO of Rocket Station, a platform that helps entrepreneurs and companies outsource their work. Here are five things to look for when you’re trying to find the perfect remote employee, as per Robert Nickell.

Strong work ethic

Your remote employee should be willing to work hard for you and bring your company value. You won’t always be there to encourage them to do their job, so they need to want to succeed. “You don’t want employees who aspire to merely do the bare minimum,” said Robert Nickell.

Responsive

Working with a remote employee should be just as easy as working with an employee in the office, if not easier. Once you teach them the ropes, they should be available to have a Zoom meeting, respond to an email, or answer an IM whenever required.

Detail-oriented

The work your remote employees provide should be top-notch and free of typos or errors, even if they’re from another county. They should be able to follow directions and produce work that your company can be proud of.

Ability to work independently

Since they won’t be in the office, your remote worker needs to be able to manage their time intelligently. They should be able to motivate themselves without needing too many deadlines. “I don’t want to be looking over my virtual assistant’s shoulder all the time,” said Robert Nickell.

Reliable

Your remote workers need to get their projects done on time. While life can sometimes get in the way, you should hold them to a high standard. They should also be by their computer during the day and respond to messages promptly.