“COVID-19 has been an accelerant to the adoption of remote work, but I foresee many professionals and companies embracing this way of working even after it’s safe to return to offices,” she said. “Workers have realized the cost and time benefits of not having to commute, as well as more freedom and flexibility to structure their day in a way that’s more conducive to how they work best.”
UpWork recently surveyed 1,500 hiring managers to best understand their plans for hiring have changed because of COVID-19. Van Brunt said more than half (56 percent) “feel that the shift to remote work has gone better than expected.
“As a result, 62 percent of hiring managers say their workforce will be more remote going forward,” she said. “Reasons for this shift may include increased productivity and satisfaction of workers in many cases, greater equality between remote and in-office workers with distributed teams now the norm, and occupancy cost savings.”
Though specifics can be a personal preference, here are some best practices to consider:
- Maintain a work schedule: Van Brunt said it’s important to “be explicit about when work stops and family/personal time begins.” Block off time for lunch and breaks, and when you find a routine, stick with it.
- Get ready for work: Productivity expert Holland Haiis in a HuffPost interview people should avoid the “trap” of waking up, not changing and starting the workday by maintaining “the same pieces that would go into the puzzle of our morning routine if we were leaving the house.” That means make your coffee or fix your breakfast, change into your work clothes and start work at your set time.
- Designate your work area: Many experts online and news articles have stressed the importance of having a good, comfortable chair and a work area. Van Brunt said a properly equipped workspace with good ergonomics will help with productivity.
- Don’t “go home” during work: Haiis said while It may be personally productive to do a load or two of laundry in, to do the dishes while you work at home, it’s counterproductive to your job. “You’re not managing your home right now, you’re managing business.”
- Overcommunicate: Jeff Robbins, a co-founder of Lullabot, a digital project organizational company, said peripheral communication happens in an office environment but not at home. That type of communication needs to be recreated, he said. “We usually know what our coworkers are doing because we overhear snippets of conversation, we celebrate triumphs, or we see them struggling,” he said. “[P]eripheral communication needs to be intentional in a remote working environment.”
While a specific work from home setups will differ from person to person, Van Brunt also encourages to get best practices from co-workers and friends.
“People have different styles and it may take some experimentation to find a schedule and structure that works for you,” she said.
FIVE WAYS TO HELP PRODUCTIVITY AT HOME
The internet is full of advice articles and columns about how to be more productive while working from home. Here are a few tips that might help (if they’re not already in practice):
- Maintain a schedule: Set start and stop times for work, and stick to it. This includes taking breaks as to not stare at a computer screen for hours on end, and to move. It’s not a bad idea to take a short walk.
- Overcommunicate: Office chatter and conversations are gone when working from home, but some of it’s important because it helps people avoid guessing at a task and making mistakes.
- Separate home and work life: This means maintaining a normal work routine, like dressing for work and starting on time. It also means don’t do the laundry or dishes. Work hours are for work, and home chores are for after work.
- Self-care: In addition to regular breaks, make sure the office space at home is comfortable ― especially a chair with good back support. A headset is also a good investment for long phone calls (assuming the speakerphone is not viable).
- Office space: Try to recreate a physical office space as much as possible which helps with the idea of “going to work.” This could be a corner of a room with a desk setup or a separate room. It’s not advisable, if preventable, from a communal place, like a kitchen or dining room table.
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