Working virtually continues to be a popular job trend. Robert Half reports that, as of the end of 2024, 15% of new job postings are for fully remote positions, and 23% are hybrid. But most organizations are still not preparing people to succeed in these environments. Many assume that if someone can do the job in person, they will figure it out on Zoom. As someone who has taught thousands of online business courses, I’ve seen that working virtually is not necessarily intuitive. It requires different habits, clearer communication, and stronger self-management. Without specific training, people default to confusion, performative productivity, and disconnection. If companies want to make the ability to work virtually sustainable, they need to stop treating it like a perk and start treating it like a skill.
What Should Be Taught To Help People Work Virtually
In my classes, success always comes down to structure. When expectations are clear and students know how to manage their time and contributions, everything runs more smoothly. Employees need that same clarity, but most are left to figure things out on their own.
In virtual work, too many people are showing up to meetings without being mentally prepared, reading the agenda for the first time when the meeting starts, and unsure of what they’re expected to contribute. I teach students to come into discussions ready to engage, not just attend. They learn to prepare talking points, anticipate where the conversation might go, and adjust their tone depending on the setting. Employees need that same preparation, especially in virtual environments where meetings are shorter, attention is limited, and there’s little room for confusion. A five-minute planning habit before a call can save thirty minutes of follow-up afterward.
How To Use Team Charters To Work Virtually With Clarity
One of the first things I teach students working in teams is to create a charter. Without one, they end up frustrated by uneven workloads, missed deadlines, and unclear roles. The same thing happens in remote teams.
A good team charter should define each person’s responsibilities, availability, response time expectations, decision-making process, preferred communication tools, and how to handle problems when they arise. It should also clarify how urgent requests should be made, whether quick decisions require a group reply, and how to communicate if someone is unresponsive.
Creating a charter may seem unnecessary at first, but it prevents the kind of last-minute confusion that can cost hours of backtracking. In remote work, where spontaneous hallway conversations aren’t possible, these shared agreements keep people aligned.
How To Work Virtually Without Wasting Time on Communication
In an online environment, vague communication causes delays. That’s why I teach students to format their messages clearly, use proper grammar, and ask specific questions. In the workplace, those same principles apply.
Remote teams need clear guidelines for when to use email, messaging apps, or video calls. They should agree on response time expectations for each channel and define when it’s acceptable to pause notifications. I’ve seen managers use texting for non-urgent matters, only for employees to interpret those messages as requiring an immediate response. This is why it’s critical to clarify the level of urgency associated with each communication method. These agreements help reduce interruptions and protect time for deep work. Without them, people default to what feels urgent instead of focusing on what actually matters.
Why Time Management Must Be Taught For Employees To Work Virtually
Working from home eliminates some boundaries, which makes it harder for people to manage time. In my experience, most students don’t struggle with motivation as much as they struggle with structure. They don’t know how to set priorities, break large tasks into smaller steps, or separate work from personal obligations.
Remote workers face the same challenges. Companies can help by offering training on time blocking, task planning, and how to recognize signs of burnout. Otherwise, employees either overextend themselves or underdeliver, unsure of how to manage competing priorities without visual cues from coworkers.
What Tool Fluency Really Means When You Work Virtually
It’s easy to assume that if someone knows how to log in to a platform, they know how to use it well. But in reality, many people spend more time trying to figure out how to work in tools like Slack, Teams, or Asana than doing the work itself.
I’ve seen this firsthand with students. Without a walk through of how the tools connect to the course goals, they get lost. In the workplace, employees need real examples of how their team uses a tool, what templates to use, what needs tagging, where decisions get made, and not just access to a software manual.
Why Critical Thinking Is Essential To Learning To Work Virtually
One of the most overlooked virtual skills is critical thinking. In my classes, students sometimes answer without fully understanding the question. They repeat something they’ve read without paraphrasing or reflecting. That creates a gap in understanding.
I teach paraphrasing as a thinking strategy. If you can’t restate a concept in your own words, you don’t understand it. The same is true in the workplace. When people reply with recycled phrases or summaries they don’t grasp, it leads to misalignment and shallow decisions.
Remote work relies on strong thinking skills. When face time is limited, people need to speak clearly, make logical contributions, and ask better questions. Curiosity and reflection matter even more when you don’t have immediate feedback from others in the room.
What The Mouse Jiggler Tells Us About How People Work Virtually
The rise of the mouse jiggler is one of the clearest signs that people are reacting to poor virtual culture. These devices keep a computer active to make it look like someone is working. It’s a modern version of looking busy.
When people feel judged by whether they appear online instead of what they accomplish, they focus on presence, not outcomes. Meetings are held just to be seen. Tasks are over-documented. And actual progress slows down. Companies need to shift from monitoring time to measuring value. That begins with clear expectations and a culture that rewards meaningful contributions, not just responsiveness.
Why Working Virtually Isn’t The Same For Everyone
Flexibility is often cited as one of the top benefits of remote work, but it’s not always experienced equally. For example, many women have shared frustrations about being expected to appear camera-ready at all times. For some, getting ready might mean an hour of hair and makeup, and not a quick shirt change before a call.
When last-minute meetings are added and later canceled, that’s more than just a meeting slot lost. It’s the entire preparation window gone as well. If remote work is meant to provide balance and flexibility, companies need to honor that by reconsidering when cameras are required and how much notice is given for video meetings.
Why Organizations Still Avoid Teaching Skills For How To Work Virtually
So why aren’t more organizations offering this kind of training? Part of the issue is habit. Leaders assume employees will naturally adjust to virtual work because they adjusted to office life. Others underestimate how much structure remote work actually requires. And some simply don’t see the cost of not addressing it, including missed deadlines, unclear ownership, and disengaged teams. Avoiding the conversation doesn’t make the issues disappear. It makes them harder to fix once the consequences show up.
Working Virtually Should Be Treated As A Trainable Skill
Companies already have employee manuals. The question is whether those manuals reflect how people actually work virtually now. If organizations expect remote and hybrid work to be part of the long-term plan, it’s time to update the policies that guide it. Documenting things like communication norms, meeting expectations, team charters, and critical thinking standards gives people the tools they need to succeed without guessing. Virtual work can be thoughtful, efficient, and sustainable, but only if the foundation is clear.