BEYOND THE SCREEN: EXPLORING VIDEO COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND REMOTE WORK PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Remote work has become increasingly widespread, changing how remote workers communicate and collaborate in virtual environments. Due to this, virtual communication now plays an important role in supporting effective remote work performance. Although existing research has examined remote work performance and communication technologies, the contribution of video communication skills to improving work performance and building long-term client relationships has received comparatively little attention. Guided by Media Richness Theory, this study investigates how video communication skills help develop client trust, strengthen credibility, and improve work performance among Pakistani freelancers and digital marketing professionals. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology. A cross-sectional design was used to explore the experiences and perceptions of remote workers at a single point in time. Eighteen experienced remote workers were selected through purposive and snowball sampling for Semi-structured in-depth interviews. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis with the help of NVivo 15. The findings reveal that video communication offers richer verbal and non-verbal cues playing an important role in  strengthening client trust, enhancing perceived credibility, reducing misunderstandings, and supporting long-term client relationships. Remote workers also noted that the effective use of video communication enhances client satisfaction levels, encourages repeat business and positively influences remote work performance. The findings show that successful remote work depends not only on technical skills but it also depends on selecting and using rich communication media according to the complexity of task. This study provides practical guidance for freelancers, digital marketers, organizational leaders and communication professionals who aim to improve communication quality and remote work performance. This study expands the application of Media Richness Theory in modern remote work settings by showing how video communication skills helps build trust with clients , collaboration, and maintain long term relationships in freelancing and digital marketing.