Working from home (WFH) isn’t a concept that has sprung up overnight, however given the current COVID-19 outbreak, the scale of it certainly has.
With more organisations enforcing WFH policies, we’ve compiled a list of our top tips to help you stay motivated, productive and social whilst at home and to make the transition easier.
1. Address what’s happening
It’s likely employees are going to be feeling anxious and uncertain about the current situation and what’s going to happen over the upcoming weeks and months. To approach this, transparency is key.
You need to be direct with your employees and let them know about your organisation’s plans. Leaving your team feeling like they’re in the dark is likely to make individuals speculate and panic.
While you may feel uncertain yourself, by being open at all stages during this period, it will be reassuring to your workforce that you’re all in this together.
2. Communication
This is fundamental to any successful organisation and team, but when you’re working remotely this is especially important. Employees need to have a clear understanding of what’s expected of them on a daily but also longer term basis.
Outline how your team will operate and what levels of communication are required. This could be through a variety of means including regular phone calls, video chats, and using specific collaboration and tracking tools (eg. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Drive).
It cannot be stressed enough how important maintaining regular and open communication is within your organisation. Ensure employees are kept in the loop and allow them to suggest ways in which productivity could be maintained and improved.
3. Socialising
Although you may be working alone and this can be highly productive and minimise distractions, it can get lonely. Ensure you set aside time to catch up with colleagues and this may not necessarily be work related.
You can do this through setting aside virtual coffee meetings, team lunches, or even having colleagues on video in the background so you don’t feel such a sense of isolation.
It’s also recommended to maintain exercise routines. Make use of your lunch break to get outside, even if this is just a walk, or engage with online workouts, which again is something that can be put in place by your organisation.
This will add some sort of structure to your day, make teammates feel connected and additionally boost morale.
Summary
Adjustment may be tough, and it will take time, but you must remember you’re not alone. Speaking with other friends, colleagues and managers who are more than likely experiencing similar feelings will keep up levels of positivity and productivity.
The term working from home (WFH), has certainly become a buzzword in recent times, but it’s likely this will alter the way workforces operate in the future. It’s therefore essential that your organisation uses this time to review subsequent plans and account for flexible and home working changes.
Here at Annapurna we are operating remotely using the innovative video recruitment tool, Hinterview, which allows us conduct interviews at anytime, anywhere, without meeting candidates or clients face-to-face. Find out more about how Hinterview is benefitting our remote working here: http://apr.dev.fhoke.com/about/hinterview/
