So many people have had to adapt to working remotely over the last year without any manual or handbook to teach them how to do it effectively.

Remote employees are now responsible for figuring out a healthy work-life balance, they need to meet the goals set out by their employers, and they have to find ways to impress their managers so they can advance their careers.

We caught up with four company owners and leaders who are now having to work with a ton of remote employees. We asked them what advice they would give to remote employees to make sure they are doing all they can do to push their position forward. Here’s what these company leaders had to say:

(1) Be as communicative as you can.

“The biggest obstacle for working with remote employees is being able to communicate effectively and get an update when you need it. When you work in the office, you can simply walk up to an employee and ask for an update.

For remote employees, you can easily get in your employer’s good books by being as communicative as you can so they know what is happening and how you’re doing with current projects.”

-Jim Sullivan, the Founder and CEO of JCSI.

(2) Be responsible and don’t make your employer babysit you.

“Remote work can actually work great if the employee can be responsible and make it easy on the employer. If they can be responsible and dependable, then they will get more freedom and be able to run their shots a little more than they might be able to if working together in an office.

You shouldn’t need someone to hold your hand even if you’re working remotely. You should be able to run things on your own and not have your manager chasing you around to make sure you are working and meeting your goals.”

-Donny Gamble, a Serial Entrepreneur and the Founder of Retirement Investments.

(3) Try and be a bigger part of the team.

“Remote leaders love it when their employees take the initiative and show some spark on being a bigger part of the team.

I’m more than willing to grow with employees who show the desire to push things forward and will give them opportunities as they show me they can handle them. Join the conversation on messaging apps, share your ideas with the team, and take ownership of things so you can impress your managers and potentially move up within the company.”

-Sean Chaudhary, the CEO of Alchemy Leads.

(4) Be a sponge and learn as much as you can from your managers and coworkers.

“Every manager wants an employee who is willing to listen, learn, and grow. If a young employee can be a sponge and try to learn as much as they can while in that position, then I am more apt to look favourably on that employee.

It can be tougher to do this when working remotely, but there’s still a way for you to learn (even if you are separated from everyone). You can ask questions in messaging apps, ask people for advice in a private message, or even make it known on video calls that you’d be interested in learning more.

An employee who is interested in learning from others is an employee who has endless potential!”

-Christos Kritikos, a Startup Coach and the Founder of Emerging Humanity.