A chief remote officer, or CRO for short, is responsible for the overall remote working strategy of a company. They develop strategies, tools, and processes to ensure that remote working is successful. The role of a CRO is still pretty uncommon in most companies but is one that is quickly growing.
What is a Chief Remote Officer?
A chief remote officer is a pretty new job role that requires an executive to be in charge of a team’s remote working strategy.
The notion behind this role was born in the midst of the pandemic when most workers were working remotely and companies quickly realised that they needed someone to assess workflows and employee needs. And that’s where chief remote officers come in. CROs are responsible for ensuring operational agility and durability for remote working teams.
As remote working continues to grow, companies are realising that remote and hybrid workforces run the risk of creating two opposing cultures and workflows.
As such, a C-executive leader needs to be in charge in order for policies and communication to permeate throughout a company and be prioritised.
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Responsibilities of a Chief Remote Officer
A chief remote officer sets up remote workers for success by creating an extensive and thorough remote working strategy.
They ensure that remote and hybrid workers have a seamless and positive working experience, identify and replace remote-unfriendly legacy systems, and direct training and upskilling of newly-remote managers.
These executives create and establish a company’s documentation strategy and ensure that any communication voids are closed.
What are the responsibilities of a CRO?
- Create an extensive remote working strategy
- Ensure that remote and hybrid workers have a positive working experience
- Train and upskill newly remote working managers
- Ensure that remote workers have equivalent benefits to those who choose to work onsite
- Help define and communicate an equitable framework for remote salaries and perks
- Work with managers to give employees the right amount of information
- Adapt learning and development initiatives for remote workers
- Identify and replace remote-unfriendly legacy systems
- Create and establish a company’s documentation strategy
- Ensure that any communication voids are closed
- Tackle challenges that come with remote hiring, remote interviewing, remote onboarding, and remote management
Get in touch with the right CRO for your business here
Skills of a Chief Remote Officer
This C-level executive has excellent leadership skills to start with. This is a must-have because not only is this a senior position, it’s a new senior position.
Additionally, chief remote officers have knowledge of business processes and policies and demonstrate excellent communication skills.
If a CRO is needed to improve the work culture of a company or upgrade cybersecurity behaviour amongst staff, some experience with HR or IT may be required.
What are the skills of a CRO?
- Excellent leadership skills
- Knowledge of business processes and policies
- Excellent communication skills
- Good organisational skills
- Knowledge of HR processes like onboarding
- Knowledge of IT depending on the industry
- Experience with managing remote teams
- Ability to set up frameworks for team and cross-functional collaboration
- Knowledge of remote management tools
Background and Education
To work as a chief remote officer, you’ll need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree and ideally a Master’s degree as well. This could be in Business Administration, HR, or a related field.
You will also need to improve upon your soft skills, especially that of being a leader. Here are a few examples of courses that can help you do just that:
- Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization
- Remote Work Master Class
- Leadership and Disruption
- Leading People and Teams Specialization
Salary of a Chief Remote Officer
Chief remote officers earn approximately $151,200 per year on average in the US. On the lower end, these executives can earn around $41,500 whereas on the higher end, they can earn around $269,500.
Keep in mind that these numbers can vary depending on a number of factors such as:
- Location
- Industry
- Experience
- Skills
- Company in question and more.
How much do chief remote officers earn in the US?
| Lower End | $41,500 |
| Average | $151,200 |
| Higher End | $269,500 |
How much do freelance chief remote officers earn?
Chief Remote Officer on freelancermap charge on average:
Rates in the Chief Remote Officer Industry range between $40 and $96/hour for most freelancers.
The daily rate for CROs (8 working hours) would be around:
