It is estimated that by the year 2025, the number of people working remotely will have increased to over 36 million—up almost 90% from pre-pandemic levels. Even before the pandemic, it was clear that remote work was becoming more prevalent. This is a positive change as it allows greater flexibility for employees and greater opportunities for employers.
But just because it is a step in the right direction, that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy. For many people, the switch to working online is fraught with challenges and difficulties. From technical issues to finding focus, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome.
This simple guide will help you learn some tricks and tips to make remote work easier and more efficient. Read on to find out everything you need to know about making a seamless switch to working from home.
Create a Designated Workspace
It can be difficult to separate work and home life when all of your work is done from home. This is an issue many newly remote employees report. The solution is to create a space that is specifically for work—and work only.
Even if your home is small, you should still try to carve out a workspace. Be it at one end of your dining table, a corner of your living room, or a café down the street. This will help you to strike an appropriate work-life balance.
Get the Right Tools
An essential part of any good workspace are the tools necessary to do your job in an effective manner. This might be a standing desk, an ergonomic chair, a powerful CPU, or a piece of software. Make sure you have the creature comforts of your office at home, so you can work online as well as you did there.
When something unexpected—like a broken MacBook or bad internet connection—arises don’t panic. Simply keep calm and deal with it as soon as you can. Remember: there will always be hiccups as you transition to remote work.
Communication Is Key
When working online, keeping in contact with your team, your clients, or your manager is of the utmost importance. In the switch to remote work, you may find you actually talk to your colleagues more than before. This is normal, as everyone adjusts to this new way of working, open communication is a positive policy to employ.
As well as professional communication, it can be good to arrange social video conferences every once in a while, to keep morale high and connections tight. This can also help to make new team members feel more welcome and bond with their new coworkers.
Master the Art of Working Online in No Time
For those who have no experience in this area, the switch to working online can seem daunting at first. It doesn’t have to be. The key is to try to take everything day by day, allow yourself to make mistakes, and communicate with your team about questions or concerns you may have.
If you’ve found this guide to online work from home helpful, be sure to have a look at the rest of our web-related content.
