5 interpersonal skills to add to your resume for remote jobs

Employers are looking for candidates who can bring more than just technical expertise to the table‌. Interpersonal skills are just as important as hard skills, as they help remote workers collaborate across distances.

Whether you're looking for a new remote job or refining your resume, showcasing your interpersonal skills can help you stand out to top employers. 

In this article, Remote shares why interpersonal skills are important, top interpersonal skills remote employers are looking for, and how to include them in your resume.

What are interpersonal skills and why are they important

Interpersonal skills are the abilities that help you effectively communicate, collaborate, and interact with others, both in person and in virtual environments. Employers look for these soft skills in candidates because they lead to smooth teamwork, conflict resolution, and positive professional relationships. 

Interpersonal skills are essential for long-term career success. 89% of recruiters say when hires fail, it’s often due to a lack of soft skills, including interpersonal abilities. That’s why employees should demonstrate their interpersonal skills not only on their resume but through their work for a successful career.

Why interpersonal skills are important in remote jobs

Strong interpersonal skills are even more important in remote work environments, where physical presence is replaced by virtual interactions. 

With remote teams spread across different time zones, communication delays, and fewer chances for in-person collaboration, misunderstandings can easily arise. That’s why remote employers highly value people with skills like active listening, empathy, and strong communication.

As remote work continues to expand, people with strong interpersonal skills act as the glue that keeps remote teams productive and cohesive.

Top interpersonal skills for remote jobs 

Remote employers seek specific interpersonal skills from candidates to make sure they can succeed in remote settings. Here are five interpersonal skills to add to your resume to land your next remote job.

1. Communication skills

In a remote work environment, communication is king. 93% of hiring managers say that effective communication skills are more important than ‌a college degree. 

Without in-person cues like body language, it’s easy for messages to be misinterpreted or overlooked entirely. That’s why remote employers look for candidates who can communicate clearly and concisely, whether it’s in a virtual meeting, email, or chat.

State you’re comfortable with tools like Slack and Asana to show you know how to navigate remote work setups. Also highlight that you can effectively convey ideas across written and verbal formats.

2. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions and the emotions of others. In a remote work setup, where interactions can feel more detached or formal, showing emotional intelligence leads to healthy work relationships and strong team dynamics. 

Emotional intelligence like empathy, self-awareness, and emotional regulation are crucial for understanding how teammates feel despite no physical contact. People with high EQ create a supportive work culture where teams can be more productive and resolve conflict easily. Seeing that 90% of top performers at work have a high EQ, it’s no wonder remote employers look for candidates who are emotionally intelligent.

3. Team collaboration

In a remote job, you may not share a physical workspace, but you'll need to work closely with others across various tools and platforms. Remote team members can align on goals, share knowledge, and solve problems together through strong collaboration. 

It’s easy to create silos in a remote environment if you’re unable to collaborate with others. Demonstrating that you're a team player who excels in virtual environments will catch a hiring manager's attention. 

By highlighting your collaboration skills in your resume, you show remote employers you can work with others toward common goals and create a strong remote work culture. 

4. Problem-solving skills 

Remote team members need to be independent and work with minimal supervision. That’s why employers look for people with good problem-solving skills who can overcome challenges independently without immediate access to colleagues or managers for support. 

Including problem-solving skills on your resume for remote roles demonstrates that you can overcome obstacles, handle unexpected challenges, and contribute to the team's success from a distance. Employers highly value candidates who can troubleshoot, manage crises, and maintain productivity when faced with difficulties, as remote workers often need to act independently.

5. Adaptability and flexibility

Remote employees need to be prepared to adjust to new communication tools, shifting priorities, and unexpected changes without the immediate support of an in-person team. Adaptability allows workers to stay productive even when circumstances change quickly, such as adjusting to different time zones or working across diverse teams. 

Including adaptability and flexibility on your resume signals to remote employers that you can thrive in dynamic environments where change is constant. For example, statements like "adapted to new project management tools with minimal disruption" or "flexibly handled changing client requirements across multiple time zones" show you have the interpersonal skills to thrive in remote work.

How to show your interpersonal skills for remote jobs 

Now that you have identified top interpersonal skills that employers are looking for, the next step is to showcase these skills on your resume. Here are three simple steps to demonstrate your interpersonal skills for remote jobs.

1. Tailor your experience 

Make sure your resume doesn't just list skills‌ — ‌it should demonstrate how you’ve applied your interpersonal skills in past roles. Instead of saying you’re “good at communication,” offer specific examples of how you’ve led remote meetings, handled virtual collaboration, or resolved remote team conflicts.

For example, you can offer bullet points to prove your communication skills, as below:

• Led cross-departmental meetings via Zoom, ensuring alignment across teams located in five different countries. 

• Briefed complex project updates to clients through concise and clear emails, improving customer satisfaction by 20%. 

Tailoring your skills in your resume like the above helps you pass applicant tracking systems and grabs the attention of human recruiters.

2. Quantify your skills 

Quantify your results for your achievements to make a strong impression on hiring managers. Use metrics to show how your interpersonal skills contributed to the success of a project, team, or company.

For example, instead of stating you’re a strong collaborator, quantify the results of your efforts, like: 

• Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration using Slack and Trello, which reduced project turnaround time by 20%.

You can also quantify how you improved internal processes, as below:

• Led virtual onboarding sessions for more than 50 new hires, improving team retention by 30% over 12 months.

By showing how your interpersonal skills contributed to solving problems and streamlining workflows, you demonstrate value in a remote work setting. These quantified results give hiring managers tangible evidence of your capabilities, making your resume stand out.

3. Highlight remote experience

If you have any experience in working or studying remotely, showcase the specific skills, tools, and processes you've mastered in a virtual environment.

For instance, if you’ve used remote collaboration tools, mention the software and how it contributed to your productivity. For example:

• Managed a fully remote team of 10 using Slack, Zoom, and Asana to coordinate tasks, resulting in a 25% improvement in project completion rates.

Additionally, emphasize the autonomy and time management skills you’ve developed by including statements like: 

• Took charge of five remote projects independently, meeting 100% of deadlines across three different time zones during 12 months.

By giving examples of your experience in remote work, you show prospective employers that you're well equipped for a flexible position.

Showcase your interpersonal skills with Remote Talent 

From communication to adaptability and collaboration, interpersonal skills can support your success as a remote team member. By effectively showcasing these abilities on your resume, you’ll put yourself in a stronger position to secure remote roles that match your skillset and career goals.

If you’re struggling to land your next remote job, Remote Talent helps you simplify your job search and connect with hundreds of remote-verified companies. You can select from fully remote or hybrid roles, view pay ranges upfront, and filter locations for hybrid roles to make sure you match with only remote employers you want.

Including your interpersonal skills on your resume is one of the many steps to stand out to remote employees. Secure your next remote job with Remote Talent without ads or fees. Create your free account today.

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