Why Typing Skills Matter More Than Ever in Remote Work
How the shift to remote work has made typing proficiency a critical professional skill, and what you can do to stay competitive.
The widespread adoption of remote work has fundamentally changed how professionals communicate. In traditional offices, much communication happens verbally — quick conversations at desks, hallway chats, and in-person meetings. In remote environments, the majority of communication shifts to written channels: email, instant messaging, project management tools, and collaborative documents. This shift has made typing proficiency more important than ever.
The Written Communication Explosion
Remote workers send and receive significantly more written messages than their in-office counterparts. A typical remote worker might send 50 to 100 Slack or Teams messages per day, write 20 to 40 emails, update project management tools, and contribute to shared documents. The sheer volume of written communication means that typing speed directly impacts productivity.
Consider the math: if you type 200 messages per day averaging 30 words each, that's 6,000 words of typing. At 40 WPM, that takes 150 minutes — two and a half hours just on messages. At 70 WPM, the same output takes about 86 minutes, saving over an hour every day. Over a year, that's more than 250 hours — over six full work weeks — of time saved.
Beyond Speed: Quality of Communication
Typing proficiency isn't just about speed. When typing feels effortless, you can focus on crafting clear, thoughtful messages rather than struggling with the mechanical act of typing. This leads to better communication, fewer misunderstandings, and more professional interactions.
Slow typists often send shorter, less detailed messages to save time. In remote work, where written communication replaces face-to-face interaction, brevity can lead to ambiguity. The ability to type quickly allows you to provide the context and nuance that prevents miscommunication.
Real-Time Communication
Many remote teams rely on synchronous written communication — real-time chat conversations that function like verbal discussions. In these fast-moving conversations, typing speed determines whether you can keep up with the discussion or fall behind while composing your response.
Video meetings with chat sidebars present a similar challenge. The ability to type a quick comment or question in the chat while following the verbal conversation requires both speed and the ability to type without looking at the keyboard.
Documentation and Knowledge Sharing
Remote teams depend heavily on written documentation. Meeting notes, process documents, project updates, and knowledge base articles all require substantial typing. Team members who can produce documentation quickly and accurately become invaluable contributors to the team's collective knowledge.
The ability to take real-time notes during video meetings is particularly valuable. While some teams use automated transcription tools, these often require human editing and organization. A fast typist can capture key decisions, action items, and discussion points as they happen, providing the team with accurate records.
Investing in Your Skills
If you work remotely or plan to, investing time in improving your typing skills offers one of the highest returns on investment of any professional development activity. Unlike many skills that take months or years to develop, meaningful typing improvement can happen in weeks with consistent practice.
Start by assessing your current speed with a timed typing test. Set a realistic improvement goal — adding 10 to 15 WPM is achievable within a month of daily practice. Use that improvement to communicate more effectively, produce documentation faster, and reclaim hours of your work week for higher-value activities.