As an organization, UnitedHealth Group strives to provide our employees with the best tools possible to encourage success. Through our technology advancements we’ve been able to provide care to thousands of people around the world, while also providing work/life flexibility via telecommuting to over 25% of our employees. While working remotely can provide significant advantages, it’s not for everyone. We want you to be prepared before you decide to choose a telecommuting career. See if these few things line up with your personality and goals as a professional.

Performance and responsibility
UnitedHealth Group’s culture promotes five core values that drive our success. Among those five is performance. This is the biggest piece of the pie when you’re considering a telecommute position. Ask yourself if you have what it takes to perform at the next level when working remotely. High-quality results are not just applauded, they’re expected. We provide care to thousands of people a day and in order to be successful in this venture, every employee must be performing at their best.

Discipline and focus
Discipline is one of the most difficult aspects of telecommuting. Discipline means you’re not doing laundry or taking care of your children while working from home. Discipline is about being present in your workday, be it meetings or emails. As human beings we are not wired for multi-tasking. This may be difficult to come to terms with, but knowing if you can work on one task and be fully present, will help you succeed as a telecommuter.

Organization and time management
If you’ve been complimented for your organizational skills, telecommuting may be a great fit for you. As a telecommuter, organization is a driver to your success. Simply being able to organize your time and prioritize tasks can make a huge difference between those qualified for telecommuting and those who are better suited for an office environment. Time management means you’re able to prioritize and complete tasks efficiently without the need to be reminded of due dates. If you excel in this type of organization, telecommuting may be a good fit.

Strong relationships and communication
In any and all careers you’ll highly benefit from building strong relationships with your co-workers and managers. As a telecommuter, especially at UnitedHealth Group, it’s even more important to create positive relationships with co-workers; in fact, it’s one of the top reasons to work here. When working from home, your communication skills will provide the resources needed to get the job done in an efficient and successful manner. If you have the drive to set up meetings and work through issues with your co-workers, you’ve got an important trait that is essential in the success of telecommuters.

Personal satisfaction
We each have different working styles, and we each succeed in different ways. Often telecommuters will get off track, or feel lonely when they are working from home. Some struggle with the need for face to face, while others succeed in working virtually. Maybe you feel lost after being out of the office for one day. This may be an indicator that a communal environment works best for you. It’s important to evaluate your personal style and decide if you’ll be satisfied and successful while working from home.

While it can be a struggle to be a telecommuter, it can also provide enormous benefits for your personal and professional life. Be honest with yourself when determining what’s right for you.