Remote work has seen tremendous growth over the past 5 years. As companies realize the advantages of a distributed workforce, the demand for these jobs is expected to continue to grow. A recent Gartner research has shown that 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part-time after COVID-19 (as compared to 30% before the pandemic). Now that both employers and employees have seen the benefits of working from home, the whole concept of a working environment is beginning to change.
Key benefits of working from home
We’ve all had a chance to try working from home and have certainly felt obvious advantages of this policy: no more daily commuting, no more time wasted in traffic, more inclusivity and complete independence to work from literally anywhere. It appears that remote work ultimately benefits both employees and employers. However, switching to remote work can be challenging, especially if you have zero experience in telecommuting and don’t know where to start. For those new to WFH, enjoy some essential tips to keep your productivity and morale high.
There are many benefits to working from home, including:
- Increased flexibility and freedom: You can work when and where you want, which can be a great perk if you have children or other obligations that require your time during the day.
- Increased productivity: When you’re in an environment that’s comfortable and familiar, you may find that you’re more productive than when you’re in an office. There are many effective employee recognition examples you can implement to increase productivity, however, the most important is the only attention.
- Increased savings: You can save on things like transportation costs and clothing expenses if you work from home.
- Increased creativity: You may find that you’re more creative when you’re not confined to a traditional office setting.
- Increased sense of control: You’re in charge of your own schedule and work environment, which can be empowering.
What to consider before embracing remote work
There are a few things to consider before embracing remote work, especially if you’ve never done it before.
1. How will remote work affect your team’s communication?
If your team is used to having all of their communication happen in person, they may struggle to adapt to remote work. Make sure to set up some guidelines for communication, such as using a chat tool like Slack, and establishing regular video check-ins. In addition, utilizing VDI solutions can also provide a secure and efficient way for team members to communicate and collaborate on projects while working remotely.
2. How will you stay productive when working from home?
Working from home can be a great way to get more done, but it can also be easy to get distracted. Make sure you have a dedicated workspace, use a planners to organize your tasks, and try to stick to a routine.
3. How will remote work affect your team’s culture?
If your team is used to working together in person, they may struggle to adapt to remote work. Make sure to set up some guidelines for communication, such as using a chat tool like Slack, and establishing regular video check-ins.
4. How will you stay connected with your team?
Working remotely can be isolating, so make sure you have a way to stay connected with your team. This could mean using a chat tool like Slack, or scheduling regular video check-ins.
The Benefits of Remote Working for Employers and Employees
There are many benefits of remote working for employers and employees.
Advantages for Employers:
1. Increased Productivity – When employees are able to work from home, they are often able to be more productive because they are not interrupted by office distractions.
2. Reduced Office Costs – By allowing employees to work from home, employers can save money on office space and equipment. To effectively manage these remote customer service teams, businesses often rely on robust call center software that streamlines communication and enhances overall efficiency.
3. Increased Flexibility – Employees who work remotely have more flexibility in terms of hours and can often work from anywhere in the world. In today’s remote environment, IT asset tracking helps employers oversee company resources, such as laptops and other devices being utilized effectively, and promptly address critical IT issues to ensure their devices and teams are always operational.
4. Greater Employee Engagement – Employees who work remotely are often more engaged in their work because they feel more in control of their own schedule and work environment. This also helps the team to meet employee engagement goals.
5. Greater Employee Retention – Employees who are given the opportunity to work remotely are more likely to stay with their employer for a longer period of time. Plus, building a remote team with flexible work options can further enhance job satisfaction and loyalty, leading to even greater retention rates.
Advantages for Employees:
1. Increased Flexibility – Employees who work remotely have more flexibility in terms of hours and can often work from anywhere in the world.
2. Greater Engagement – Employees who work remotely are often more engaged in their work because they feel more in control of their own schedule and work environment.
3. Greater Job Satisfaction – Employees who work remotely often report higher levels of job satisfaction because they are able to balance work and personal responsibilities more easily. However, it is still essential to prepare awards with custom designs to celebrate their dedication and special success stories.
4. Increased Productivity – When employees are able to work from home, they are often able to be more productive because they are not interrupted by office distractions. Besides, with modern technology, employers can streamline different business operations. They can use any web app and deploy it in AWS, harnessing the power of cloud computing to enhance scalability, security, and accessibility. Additionally, leveraging AWS backup and solutions can further improve efficiency by ensuring critical data is protected and readily available, minimizing downtime and disruption. This comprehensive approach optimizes their digital infrastructure and overall business efficiency.
5. Reduced Stress – Employees who work remotely often report lower levels of stress because they are not dealing with the distractions and noise of an office environment.
First work-from-home experience
Although this may be a new experience for you, in many ways transitioning the bulk of work from the office to home is a relatively easy process. Combined with rapid advancements in digital technology, a wise team lead and successful time management should do the trick. Here are 4 simplified tips based on advice from geographically dispersed employees, which will help you embrace a different sort of workplace behaviour, wherever you happen to be.
Tip 1: “Go” to work — of course, figuratively
Remote work sounds like a luxury but still remains a double-sword. Although it might be tempting to lie in bed, especially without normal resources and routine, you need to make a real effort and stay productive. Whether you’re a work-from-home veteran or newbie, it’s essential to create an office environment, which helps to slip instinctively into work mode. But don’t let your dining room table become the source for stacked papers or folders — simply set up a dedicated “professional zone” and tape the “Do Not Disturb” sign to your door. If you are finding it difficult to create a barrier between your personal and professional life you can also opt for a cowering space close to your house using apps like NearU which can provide you with a comfort to stay close to your house and also allow you to increase your productivity.
Tip 2: Stay on track – keep approach in mind
Getting stuff done is hard, especially if you work remotely, and it’s important to accept the fact that there is no cookie-cutter method to improve the attention span. However, we recommend the Pomodoro technique. The methodology is simple: when faced with any large task, break it down into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. This trains your brain to focus for short periods as well as helps you stay on top of deadlines or constantly-refilling inboxes. Besides this, you can also use remote employee monitoring tool like WebWork to keep your teamwork on track.
Tip 3: Fight the urge for multitask
There’s nothing wrong with carrying out household chores, as a change of scene gives our brain a little break. But don’t let routine tasks distract you from being productive — keep them limited, thus separating professional and personal time.
Tip 4: Don’t lose touch with colleagues — stay connected
When employees are not physically in the office, they may begin to feel self-isolated. Just because you work remotely doesn’t mean you can’t have a great face-to-face meeting experience. In this case, a useful remote work tool — video conferencing — comes in handy, enabling long-distance interaction and promoting overall collaboration. One of the best benefits of working from home — you can have it all without leaving the house.
You can take daily check-ins or ordinary calls to the next level with TrueConf, a powerful video conferencing solution for increasing business productivity and making out-of-office mode a win-win option for both employers and employees. TrueConf makes remote work setup easier, and ready-to-use tools help replicate the in-person collaboration and maintain some semblance of the usual office routine.
Conclusion
There are many helpful tips that will help you change your daily routine without decreasing your performance and see all the benefits of working from home. Be positive, try various tactics to find the way which will definitely boost your productivity while working at home, continue communicating with coworkers, and give your daily tasks a 100% effort. Open up to this new experience, and who knows – maybe work from home will suit you better than any office job you have ever had.
