The number of people working from home instead of offices has increased dramatically over the past couple of years. The pandemic is the main cause for that, but as things return to the ‘new normal’, it is expected that remote working will remain.
In some cases, employees will continue to work solely from home, but for many a combination of home and office work is most likely. 85% of people currently home working expect to work in this hybrid way in the future.
But working remotely isn’t the same as working in the office. If you’re working from home, you may need to make changes if you want to keep up productivity and find the right balance between work and home life.
Here are our top tips to help you effectively work from home.
Recreate the office environment
When you’re at home surrounded by all your possessions, it’s easy to get distracted. Our advice is to set up a space where you can work, away from everything else. Make sure it’s well-lit and set to a comfortable temperature.
The idea is to set everything up like you’re still in the office. Make it look like a place of work, and you’ll find it easier to treat it like one. If you’ve got the TV blaring out next to you or you’re trying to work while sunbathing in your back garden, you’re probably not going to have a productive day.
Set goals for yourself
It’s easy to lose sight of things when you’re working from home. By setting yourself clear goals for the day, you’ll know what you need to achieve to make sure you don’t waste any time.
Maybe you want to complete a particular project? Or make a certain amount of phone calls? Whatever it is, have it planned, so you can tick it off when you’re done.
Don’t be a stranger
Communication is a big part of working with others, and it’s harder to do that when you’re working remotely. If you’re not going to see colleagues face to face for a significant amount of time, make sure to check in with them now and then.
Video calls, instant messages, emails, and phone calls are all perfectly good ways to keep in touch with your workmates. And if you spend a lot of time working from home, perhaps schedule a recurring meeting for the same time every week.
Be contactable
There are few things more frustrating than failing to get hold of someone when you desperately need their help. So think of your colleagues, and ensure your phone is switched on during standard working hours. Keep an eye on your email and instant messages too.
That doesn’t mean you need to be available all day every day. Or that you should drop everything immediately to take a call. But if someone does contact you, get back to them as soon as you can.
Take breaks
When you’re working from home, it’s easy to lose track of time and work straight through lunch. Don’t. It’s just as important to take breaks at home as it is in the office.
You don’t necessarily have to take a full hour. And you might find it more useful to take lots of smaller breaks throughout the day. However, you choose to do it, dragging yourself away from your work gives you a chance to refresh your mind and keep up your productivity.
Know when to stop
In the office, at the end of each day, someone turns out the lights and locks up for the evening. At home, no one does that, and you can easily find yourself working long after you’re supposed to have stopped for the day.
That’s bad for both your mental and physical health, and you risk burning out. It’s important to end your working day when it’s supposed to end, just as you would in the office.
Take advantage of technology
The right software and hardware can help make remote working a success. Video calling and instant messaging can keep you in touch with clients and colleagues. An internet phone service can give you one phone number you use both in the office and at home. And phone and computer apps can help you with everything from scheduling to data protection.
It’s important, though, to agree on what you’ll be using with your workmates if it affects them. As an example, you don’t want to be using different instant messaging applications.
Expect the unexpected
When you’re working remotely, you can expect there to be some challenges. Like your kids or pets coming into the room in the middle of a video conference. Or your home internet connection going down when you need it most. Or your laptop battery dying while you’re in the middle of a coffee shop.
Be prepared. Have a backup plan. And if all else fails, find a way to keep calm and carry on.
Hopefully, these tips can help you make the most of remote and home working. Remote working doesn’t work for all businesses or jobs, of course. But where it does, it can be an excellent way to boost morale and keep overheads low.
If you need help setting up remote working for your employees speak to one of our experts today.
