Working from home can offer so many great benefits, no commute, freedom to make the office your own and more time to do the things you love.
Going from a busy office environment to remote working can take a little getting used to. But, with more than 1.5 million people with work from home jobs in 2019, it is becoming an increasingly popular option. With more people making the transition to working remotely, we share with you our working from home tips.
Working from home tips
- Remote working requires sticking to a routine
As mentioned, moving from an office environment to the comforts of your own home can take some getting used to. However, sticking to a routine can do wonders to help adapt to working from home.
By waking up and getting dressed at the same time as you usually would, this will set you off on the right path to getting work done. If you follow the same schedule as you do at work, this will enable you to become more disciplined with how you spend your time. Sticking to these hours will allow you to “switch off” and give yourself some down-time.
- Create daily to-do lists when working from home
Just as you would at work, outline your to-do list for the day. When motivation to work from home begins to slip, your to-do list will act as a reminder to help you keep on track. If you work as part of a team, it may be good to ensure your team has sight of your to-do lists and that you have sight of theirs. That way, you can keep up with where everyone is up to.
For online to-do lists we recommend using productivity tools such as Trello, Slack or Todoist.
- Working from home jobs need ultimate communication
Whilst you may not be with your colleagues physically to have catch-up over your break, there are certainly ways around it in working from home jobs. When you work from home, it is important that you take advantage of every form of online communication, whether that be video calls, messaging or voice calls.
Our working from home tips for communicating:
- Schedule daily 30 minute catch up calls with your colleagues to go over the to-do lists for the day
- Set up a group work chat with your colleagues
- Video call for project meetings and weekly run-downs
By keeping regular contact with your team and varying the communication types, this will help you to feel more connected with your colleagues.
Working from home in Customer Service
- Find out your most productive times for working remotely
Whilst working remotely can offer many great benefits, for those not used to working from home or with younger children, sticking to a schedule can be difficult. To help with this, we recommend working out when your most productive hours of the days are to help you schedule your high energy and low energy work times.
By using tools such as Rescue Time to track how you spend your time, you will be able to work more efficiently.
5 tips for staying productive whilst working from home
- Change your workspace to improve productivity
Since you don’t have the buzz of your colleagues in the background to help keep your work environment stimulating, it is a good idea to make sure your home office is.
Tips for remote working:
- Ensure you have plenty of natural light and have your desk facing the window as you will be 2% more productive
- Ensure your desk is away from any distractions
- Keep your workspace tidy as clutter will negatively affect your focus
Like anything, staying in the same place can get boring, so make sure you switch things up. For this, you could try moving the position of your desk, changing rooms or simply adding in new decorations to your office.
- Setting clear boundaries is key for remote work from home jobs
The lines between work and home can be very easily blurred. To prevent this, set clear boundaries for people living in your home (especially if you have young children), and boundaries for family and friends who may want to contact you. Be sure to make them clear of your work from home hours so that you are not disturbed during this period.
- Plan your meals ahead whilst working from home
In work from home jobs, lunch times can go one of two ways: endless eating or not eating at all. Planning your meals ahead will ensure that you think more carefully about what you eat and enable you to be more productive when working remotely. If this means packing your lunch in plastic containers like you would at work, then so be it.
How can we help you find your next job?
Whether you’re looking for remote work from home jobs, or are open to working in an office environment, we can certainly support you with this.
Check out our range of exceptional jobs or contact our team today!