Remote work is becoming a massive wave in the global workforce- and for a good reason. Working remotely means that an employee is working from their home or another location other than an office while doing their work on a phone or computer. According to Owl Labs, “employees who work from home at least once a month are 24% more likely to feel happy and productive at work than their desk-bound colleagues”. We are here to provide you with some resources, locations, and tips & tricks for being successful in this alternative workspace style.
First, we want to give you a few resources that we find valuable to being a remote employer. Not every employer will give you or provide you a list of all of the resources you may need (or not need) to work from home. Here are some resources we think are valuable based off of information from Remote.Co!
Phone access
Laptop/desktop computer
table, coffee shop, public library, etc.
A planner- either digital (like Google Calendars) or a physical written planner
Printer
Internet access
Some kind of office set up location (even if it is just for a few hours)- your kitchen
Basic office supplies – pens, paper clips, sticky notes, etc.
Of course, you have to work somewhere! We have found a few location options from BlakeOliver.com for you to focus and be productive- just make sure they all have wifi!
Coffee shops
Public Libraries
Parks
Pubs/bars
College Campuses
Hotel lobbies/workspaces
Finally, (and possibly most importantly) we will give you some tips and tricks for working remotely. Working on your own can become difficult when you don’t have people to hold you accountable at all times, but with the help of Medium and Skill Crush, we think that we have compiled the ultimate list to help you find success in your workspace.
Find a Workspace
If you are working at home, just find a space to work from that is dedicated to work. If you work at a kitchen table, in your bed, etc. you will naturally want to use those spaces for their original purpose. It’s okay to change your scenery too! Sometimes simply changing your location can help you refocus and regroup to tackle your workload.
Schedule
Build yourself a schedule that is hour-by-hour that you can communicate to your coworkers and clients so that they know when to connect with you or expect work to be completed. It is also important that this schedule is somewhat consistent. Planning your schedule two-three weeks in advance then adjusting can allow room for both flexibility and consistency.
It’s also good to get as specific as you can or need to be. Make note of when you will take breaks or have lunch and create a daily list of to-dos/tasks you would like to accomplish for the day.
Example calendar based off a 40-hour work-week:
Communication
Be social! Make sure you remember to intentionally contact your peers, coworkers, or clients in order to stay connected and have some contact with people. You can do this by:
Setting up weekly connects with your team
Scheduling regular phone calls with clients to provide an update/check-in
Attend networking events to meet/network with other professionals in your community
Interruptions
Taking an hour or even a few hours to stay away from emails to find time to focus and get tasks done can be very beneficial. You could also try setting your phone to do not disturb to avoid interruptions.
Clothing
Although it may be tempting, try to stay away from staying in your pajamas and laying around the house during your workday. Getting up in the morning and getting ready for the day can boost productivity and lets your brain know that it isn’t time for rest and relaxation, it’s time to get things done!
Finding Your Process
Ultimately working remotely looks different for everyone. Fitting your schedule to your most productive hours in your day (morning vs. night people), building playlists that keep you motivated, or changes of location are all examples of ways you can utilize the flexibility of remote work.
There are a lot of different factors that go into being successful as a remote employee. Having the right materials, being in the right space, and ultimately building a process that works for you are all equally important to your success. As many companies try to navigate the uncharted waters of remote employment, we hope that our tips and insight provide a bit of guidance along the way.