CPD tips - How can CPD help with remote working skills?

In recent years, remote and hybrid work has become increasingly common across industry sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this movement as many organisations required employees to work remotely and recognised that often the same level of productivity could be achieved outside of traditional working environments. Studies show that between January and March 2025, at least 28% of employees in the UK hybrid worked1, and further research suggests remote work will become more prevalent in the future2.

Although there are many benefits to remote working, it can also present unique challenges which require individuals to continuously develop their skill set. This article will explore how remote working can benefit the workforce, and provide tips on how a commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can help professionals adapt to this new working landscape and build the skill set to work effectively in remote environments.

What is remote work?

Remote working refers to any work done outside of an organisation’s main office space. This can include, but is not limited to, working from home, co-working spaces, and working abroad. Remote working often creates more autonomy for the individual to structure their tasks in a way that is most beneficial to them. However, with this autonomy comes a responsibility that some may find challenging. This is why it is important to develop new skills and methods to support existing traditional skills. CPD activities can help educate and inform learners on how to effectively work remotely.

What are the benefits to remote working?

Remote working can offer numerous benefits across different industry sectors. Although by no means exhaustive, the following identifies some of the key advantages of remote working:

  • Flexibility – remote work can allow individuals to have more authority in how they structure their day. This can be particularly useful for freelancers or people with families and other commitments.
  • Build a global team – remote working means not everyone has to be based in the same area; this can create opportunities to widen recruitment and build a talented team across the globe.
  • Employee wellbeing and retention – Remote working has been associated with reduced emotional exhaustion and stress 3. Improved employee wellbeing is likely to lead to less burnout and ultimately higher employee retention.
  • Reduced costs – By implementing remote working, the employer reduces overhead costs such as maintaining large office space and associated utilities. Employees can likewise reduce costs in areas such as travel.
  • Productivity – Working remotely can remove distractions and give individuals the freedom to decide what environment is most advantageous to their own needs. This can result in increased productivity.

Importance of CPD for developing remote working skills

The average worker in the United Kingdom spends 1.8 days working remotely each week - the second highest hybrid adoption globally, with only Canada surpassing this4. The statistics show that some form of hybrid working is now common worldwide.

It is important for organisations and individuals to actively evolve with this changing professional landscape to maintain productivity and effectiveness in the work environment. Engaging with ongoing CPD can help professionals adapt to these changes.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the term used to describe the learning activities professionals engage in to enhance their abilities and knowledge throughout their career. At its core, CPD is a commitment to ongoing lifelong learning.

CPD recognises both formal and informal learning activities. It combines different methodologies to learning, such as training courses, seminars, workshops, conferences and online eLearning, but also recognises the value of self-study, peer discussion and networking. These different learning types offer opportunities to enhance and build remote working skills. 

cpd-focusing-developing-digital-literacy
Focusing CPD on developing digital literacy

How can CPD help develop effective remote working skills?

While successful remote working requires a broad range of skills, the following are some tips on the key skills required for effective remote working - and which relevant CPD learning can help develop:

  1. Digital Literacy

Digital collaboration tools are often fundamental to remote roles. By focusing CPD on developing digital literacy and gaining more proficiency with these technological tools, professionals can become more productive whilst working remotely.

  1. Communication and teamwork

Clear communication can become more challenging when interacting virtually. CPD in developing written proficiency can be invaluable in building the skills and confidence to actively participate in online communication. Equally, management can benefit from learning how to organise meetings and online training in a productive and logical manner.

  1. Time management and productivity

Remote working means that you are unlikely to have immediate supervision from any other staff member. This places more onus on the individual to self-regulate and organise their day-to-day tasks. CPD training in time management can help learn to organise individual workload whilst working remotely.

  1. Adaptability

Remote working often involves frequent changes. This can be physical location, changing technologies, or even working across different time zones. It is therefore important for remote workers to be highly adaptable and embrace change. Ongoing CPD in new technologies and concepts can help individuals build adaptability and embrace change.

  1. Engage in CPD training

One of the most common negatives of remote working can be limited opportunity for face-to-face training. Utilising CPD as an organisation ensures that every employee is receiving the same structured training to recognised industry standards. This can also help alleviate time pressure put on management to conduct training alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.

  1. Understand remote training environments

When working remotely, training may be conducted via video calls or email. Some studies have found that this may be less effective than in person training 5. CPD can alleviate these challenges by helping organisations create a more engaging training environment. This can incorporate various methods, such as developing an understanding of webinars, online coaching techniques and effective self-study.

Where to find CPD courses to develop remote working skills

Within the CPD Courses Catalogue, there is a range of beneficial CPD learning that can help build and develop remote working skills. These include educational events, eLearning programs, conferences, workshops and seminars – all of which have been formally CPD certified. To find out more about a particular CPD course listed on our website, complete an enquiry form and the details will be sent directly to the relevant CPD provider.

How to become an accredited CPD provider

We hope this article was helpful. Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service has over 30 years’ experience providing CPD accreditation. With members in over 100 countries, our CPD providers benefit from the ability to promote themselves as part of an international community where quality is both recognised and assured.

If you are interested in offering training or events suitable for Continuing Professional Development, please visit the Become a CPD Provider page or contact our team to discuss in more detail. Alternatively, if you are looking for a free online CPD record tool to help manage, track and log your ongoing learning, as well as store your professional training records and attendance certificates in one simple place, go to the myCPD Portal page.

REFERENCES
1.    Who has access to hybrid work in Great Britain? https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/whohasaccesstohybridworkingreatbritain/2025-06-11
2.    The Rise of Remote Work: Evidence on Productivity and Preferences from Firm and Worker Surveys  https://www.scribd.com/document/824194995/20-138-eca954c7-dde8-4154-8d7b-5688fd5caf94
3.    Remote Working and Employee Wellbeing https://www.enterpriseresearch.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SOTA64-Remote-working-and-employee-wellbeing-Wishart.pdf 
4.    Hybrid working and UK Government Policy https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/hybrid-working-and-uk-government-policy/#:~:text=The%20UK%20has%20the%20second%2Dhighest,Global%20Survey%20of%20Working%20Arrangements. 
5.    Online vs. face-to-face: a long-term study on the effectiveness and essence of learning https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2554314