![]() Some people thrive on it, many people hate it – but remote working has become more and more common across all types of organisations. Today’s technology makes it very easy for employees to work remotely but still remain connected via a variety of means.
By saving their employee’s time on the daily commute, bringing an end to useless, time wasting meetings and the ‘water cooler gossip’ remote workers make for a more productive workforce, enjoying a happier and healthier work-life balance. On top of this, organisations are also able to save money by using smaller office spaces and reduce spending on office supplies and benefits such as complimentary snacks – IBM reported saving over $100 million a year since beginning their remote working policy.
However, despite these big savings, some businesses have, in the last few years called their workers back to the office – IBM, Reddit, Bank of America and Honeywell are among employers who have ended or reduced remote working as managers demand more collaboration, closer contact with customers and more control over the workday https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-boss-wants-you-back-in-the-office-1500975001.
Rich
Here are some top tips to making it work.1. Exercise
2. Meet Others
3. Breaks and Time ManagementOne of the joys of working remotely is that you don’t have to strictly abide by 9-6pm working hours, however, it is helpful to some kind of routine to ensure that you get to the end of your to do list. Every morning, plan your day and schedule in some break time – half an hour for coffee and to catch up on the news, a proper lunch break, an afternoon walk around the block. 4. Housework is a no-no
Blurring chores and work is often a way of avoiding tackling those things that need to be done.
5. CollaborationContinue to find regular time to talk to your colleagues/manager/employees on a regular (at least weekly) basis. Use the various technical/communication tools out there to share work, ideas, brainstorm problems, share successes, remember you are still part of a team and support each other. We work better as a team and more likely to succeed if we share ideas. Also, find time to include social discussions, just because you are not in an office, doesn’t have to mean the end of office banter. 6. Embrace creativityIt may feel like an abuse of your position, but spending some time in quiet downtime allows ideas to flow, don’t feel guilty about time spent contemplating ideas or reflecting different approaches to your work. A few minutes gazing out the window or strolling round the park may inspire something you weren’t expecting. 7. Protect your weekendsIt is very easy to constantly be working and available when you’re a home-worker. But do try to keep some extended time that is completely work-free, put away the laptop, close the home office door and turn off email notifications otherwise we are no better off than the stressed-out commuters and office workers.
As mentioned above, technology has allowed us to do this. When Louise first started out in recruitment, logging in remotely to the company’s systems was unheard of. Now with Cloud-based technology, it has become the norm for many of our clients, and it’s a huge selling tool when attracting candidates.
Posted on Tuesday Jan 22
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