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Telecommuting and working from home have become more popular and commonplace with today’s workforce. In fact, more than 5 million American workers currently execute their jobs from their apartments or homes. And now, with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, more and more employees are working from home to practice social distancing and help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Whether working from home is your normal routine or it’s a new adjustment, here are a few steps on how to work from home effectively and be a productive, responsible remote employee.
How to work from home
Working from home may sound like the ideal environment. You wake up, avoid traffic and rush hour and work from the comfort of your apartment. While there are many benefits to telecommuting, it can also be difficult to stay motivated and fully engaged when you’re not in a brick-and-mortar setting with colleagues.
So, how do you stay on top of your work game when working remotely? Here are 10 suggestions on how to effectively work from home.
1. Create a dedicated workspace
In an office building, employees have a dedicated workspace complete with monitor, laptop, keyboard and mouse. When working from home, you may or may not have a dedicated desk or office and all of the proper IT equipment, but to be effective, you need it.
Regardless of the size of your apartment, you can take the time to create a dedicated workspace. If you have a spare room in your place, you can make that your home office. If you don’t have a spare room at your disposal, you can simply take a desk, table or corner of the kitchen table and make that your dedicated workspace.
Place it in a quiet area in your home that’s free from distractions so you can sit down and go to work each day. It’s best not to work from the couch or in your bed because you’ll quite literally mix business with pleasure.
2. Invest in the right IT equipment
When you work in an office, you likely have access to an IT department that can set you up with all the gear, office equipment, internet speeds and technical support you need to fulfill the scope of your job. But, when working from home, you may not have access to IT resources.
So, it’s smart to create a list and inventory of all the items you need to do your job. These items could include:
- Dual monitors (monitor and laptop with HDMI cables)
- Standing desk
- Ergonomic chair
- Computer charger
- Strong Wi-Fi connection
- Pens, pencils, paper
- Keyboard and mouse
If you were in an office but have been asked to work from home due to the coronavirus, ask your manager if you can collect your items from the building or have them sent to you. If you can’t, consider investing in these items yourself as they’ll help you be more efficient in your job and give you all the tools you need to succeed at home.
3. Remove distractions
Once your desk is set up with the proper equipment, you’ll want to scan your apartment for any visible distractions and remove them. This could be anything from the TV, Alexa or Google Home, loud posters on the wall or even social media. By creating a distraction-free zone, you’ll be able to sit at your desk and focus on the tasks at hand instead of being distracted by the household to-dos.
It’s also smart to remove your phone and turn off notifications, when applicable. If your job relies on the phone, it may be hard to unplug. However, when possible, unplugging and setting “check-in” times can help you save time and increase productivity.
4. Keep your routine
When you work in an office, typical business hours are nine to five. When you work from home, that timetable may vary. Depending on the type of job you have, it’s advisable to keep normal work hours in place when working remotely.
This allows you to have a routine and find a new normal when you’re not driving to and from the office each day. Yes, your commute time will reduce drastically, but you don’t want to sleep in too late and start your day at noon.
You can also check with your team members to see how they are managing their schedules. This can also help you stay connected with your team and allow you to work similar hours so everyone can communicate with each other at the same time.
5. Dress professionally
In most cases, you wouldn’t show up to work in the same sweats and T-shirt you slept in. Getting up each day, showering and getting dressed professionally can help you feel like you’re still part of the business world.
How we dress can impact our confidence, so take the time to get ready each day. You probably don’t need to be in a suit and tie, but a clean, business-professional outfit can make a world of difference on your mood and even your productivity.
6. Be present during online meetings
This tip on how to work from home is two-fold. One, you want to be mentally present and alert during work meetings. Two, you want to actually be present and on-screen during online meetings.
It’s easy to turn off the video function during online meetings and let your avatar headshot show up in your place. However, by actually being present and seen in meetings, you’ll feel more included, connected and involved when working from home. Plus, it holds you accountable for getting ready and dressing professionally so your coworkers and boss don’t see you in your ratty T-shirt and baseball hat.
7. Stay connected to your team
One of the perks of going into work each day is seeing your coworkers. When you work from home, you miss out on those human connections. In today’s world where we’re being asked to practice social distancing, we need human connection more than ever.
While working from home, take time to check in with your team members and work friends and talk about things unrelated to work, just as you would over the water cooler. Set up virtual happy hours, pose daily icebreaker questions, schedule 15-minute chats and make a personal connection to at least one person every day. This will help you stay sane and feel connected when you’re physically removed from people.
8. Check in with your manager regularly
When you work from home, it can be hard to get face time with your manager and leadership. If your boss doesn’t check in with you regularly, take this opportunity to schedule weekly one-on-ones to connect.
Or send a daily or weekly email to your boss that outlines what you worked on, what went well, what roadblocks you faced, what you need from the team and anything else you need to address. The more you connect with your manager when working from home, the better off you’ll be!
9. Rely on your calendar and to-do list
Everyone stays organized in a different way, but organization and communication are key when telecommuting. Download time-tracking extensions or online to-do lists to help you stay in-tune with meetings and to-dos.
It can be easy to forget projects when you’re at home and thinking of your home routines and chores. So, create a work-related to-do list, schedule out time to accomplish each task and work with a project manager or project management system, if needed.
10. Take regular breaks
Just as you would in an office building, it’s crucial to take regular breaks throughout the day. Take a lunch break and eat away from your desk. Go on a walk and step outdoors. Stretch your body.
All of these small things make you feel physically and mentally alert and will help you learn how to work remotely, better.
Working from home is an adjustment
Whether you’re a seasoned work from home pro or new to the telecommuting gig due to COVID-19, you’ll need to learn how to work from home. It takes time to get set up, fall into a routine that works for you and execute it day to day. But, with these 10 tips, you’ll be well on your way to working from home effectively and efficiently.
