Remote working (also known as a work from home job) has become a huge part of the British economy. In 2022, an overwhelming number of people in the workforce are on the lookout for jobs that allow remote work or hybrid work models.
In fact, Business Leader UK found that 57% of office workers would prefer a hybrid work model, with only 5% preferring a 100% remote working job. This shows that remote working has changed post-COVID with many people craving the community of meeting and working with colleagues in person, but also the autonomy to fit work schedules into their daily lives.
People want control over when, where, and how they work, and business owners and employers need to understand this new need. Whether remote working locally or abroad, work from home jobs come with their own set of challenges and benefits.
For employers, it’s about ensuring communication, community, and the overall service or product offered doesn’t suffer. For employees, it’s about accountability, being your own manager, and ensuring that you create a clear divide between work and home life.
To help you better understand what makes remote work jobs locally or abroad; we’ve put together our top tips for remote work jobs and how to manage them.
Managing remote working teams
Managing a team remotely comes with its own set of challenges. From maintaining communication channels to ensuring projects meet deadlines; it takes a combination of trust and management to ensure your team performs to the best of their abilities. Here are our tips for managing remote work jobs locally or abroad.
Be inclusive
When it comes to communication, especially electronically, it is key to make sure you include the relevant people. With work from home teams spread out across towns, counties, and even continents; make sure you know who needs to be included in different projects and at what stages. This is key information and can make projects transparent and easy to manage digitally.
Prioritise tasks
Another task that is integral when not working in an office together is knowing what to prioritise. In an office, it can be easy to pop over and ask someone about a project, find out what a client needs immediately, and make quick-fire decisions.
Working from home jobs don’t have that same level of flexibility and require a bit more planning and foresight. Make sure you understand your team’s planning and task management systems and ensure that you keep your contributions, files, and correspondence up to date. Your team will follow your lead – if you personally toe the line, it’s easier to make sure everyone else follows suit.
Keep communication consistent and clear
This step is sort of included in the above tips but is definitely worth noting. Working from home requires a clear line of communication. Whether you use remote working software like Slack, Teams, or any other platform – make sure you fully understand the capabilities and limitations.
Doing so will allow you to notice any blindspots; whether it’s limited file upload sizes, an inability to track time, or integrating other messaging platforms. Once you have the opportunities and limitations identified, plan out how communication will work. Test it with your team and tweak it to suit everyone’s needs.
Recognise hard work and keep up morale
Last, but not least, working from home can be isolating. Motivation is deeply personal with some people preferring intrinsic motivation (internal) while others need extrinsic motivation (external).
People who need motivation and reward extrinsically are more likely to struggle with remote working as it’s harder to get the buzz of teamwork and motivation from your peers. If you manage a team, you probably have a good idea of what motivates them, so ensure that you recognise hard work – even remotely, and reward them in kind with shoutouts or little extras like gift vouchers, work socials, and the like.
These are just a few of the ways how you can adapt to modern workplace needs. There are plenty of ways to optimise your remote workplace, but if you focus on taking it one step at a time and start with the basics, you can create a work environment that is rewarding and engaging no matter where your team is in the world.
Working from home
The shift to remote work in the UK was sudden and unexpected with many having to shift to working in dining rooms, studies, bedrooms, and other ill-equipped spaces. By now; if you’re still working remotely, getting the physical space sorted is a top priority. A comfortable working environment separate from your home life is key to creating distance between work and relaxation. You should also make sure your office is set up to protect against injuries and supports you during the day, such as by investing in a desk with leg room or an office chair which supports your posture, and positioning your monitor at arm’s length to reduce eye strain.
With that being said; we’re going to look at business practices and how you can make working from home or a remote job effective and stress-free.
Manage your time
Managing time is crucial. Working from home comes with a wide range of distractions. Pets, family life, deliveries, unreliable internet, and house chores nagging at the back of your mind are just a few of the ways you can get distracted when not in the office. Time management is key to ensuring you stay on top of your tasks.
How you manage your time is personal with many people using different methods and techniques. The Pomodoro technique is one many swear by and is well worth a try, especially if you struggle to take breaks from the screen. You should also keep track of your time, even if your company doesn’t, as it makes it a lot easier to review projects and ensure you are not over or under-servicing your clients.
Manage your workspace
Your workspace determines your headspace. Wherever you work at home, try if possible to create a separate space free of distractions. This space should be exclusively for work, as it gives you time to create a ‘work’ area separate from your home. This is integral to training your brain when it’s time to work and when it’s time to relax. Failing to create this space can sometimes lead to issues with an inability to switch off, being distracted, and other time stealers that ultimately hurt your wellbeing and work performance.
Stay connected
Even though you’re working from home, forming bonds with your colleagues is important. Your colleagues are often your support network so having good relationships with your team can really give you the help you need when times are tough. Going the extra mile to socialise also helps you to feel less isolated and nurtures a sense of camaraderie between you and your team.
To do this, simply be considerate. Maybe plan some work social events, schedule a Friday afternoon Zoom quiz, or even just give your colleague a call instead of sending an email. These little touch points can really make you feel less alone when working at home and help keep you connected.
Searching for a remote working hire?
As leaders in the field, we take the time to understand both your organisation and our candidates in order to ensure the right fit – the first time around. We keep our ear to the ground and consistently look for ways to ensure that we keep up with modern business demands. Contact us today.
