14 Tips on How to Successfully Work Remotely
My team regularly checks in with new hires to make sure they’re settling into their roles and to find out if they’re experiencing any challenges. Recently on one of these check-in calls, an employee made a confession: “Working from home isn’t as easy as I thought it’d be.”
Though this was a candidate who’d been adamant about finding a fully remote position, I can’t say I was surprised to hear they were experiencing some bumps in the road. Going from working in an office to working at your kitchen table or a desk in your guest bedroom is a big transition, and it can be a tough one if you don’t have the right expectations and systems in place.
From the technology, like conference calls and file sharing, to the logistics, like sharing a workspace with a spouse or roommate, working from home can be a jarring change that’s not as easy of an adjustment as you might imagine. Whether you’re starting a remote or hybrid role for the first time or looking for ways to be more productive while working from home, here are 14 tips to help things go a little more smoothly.
Tips to Effectively Work From Home
Get clear on expectations
I can’t tell you how many workplace problems could be solved simply by having a candid discussion about expectations. Getting aligned with your manager and team about when and how you’ll work is the first step to a successful work-from-home arrangement.
It’s a good idea to review your job description and/or ask your manager about:
- The hours you’re expected to be online
- The preferred mode of communication
- How frequently you’re expected to check in or provide updates on your work
- How work or steps in a project will be handed off from one person to the next
- Who to contact if you run into a technical issue
Getting explicit direction on these items isn’t meant to box you in. Rather, it’ll allow you to take full advantage of the flexibility working from home affords while meeting your performance expectations.
Set up a dedicated workspace
The environment is the biggest difference between working in an office and working from home. When you arrive at work, it’s a physical signal to your brain that it’s time to go into work mode. When you’re still at home, though, you don’t have that same visceral cue.
Mimic the mental effects of going into the office by creating a dedicated workspace. Ideally, this will differ from where you spend the most time at home, like the couch, since your brain associates those places with relaxation. A kitchen table or spare room works well, but if these aren’t an option, pick a space you can use consistently from one day to the next.
Working from the same dedicated spot every day not only helps shift your mind into work mode but creates a place where all your work-related materials—folders, files, pens, etc.—can live instead of being strewn about the house.
Invest in good equipment
Some companies provide all the hardware you need to do your job remotely, but some don’t. If your employer doesn’t furnish equipment, now may be a good time to upgrade to a faster laptop or splurge on that ergonomic chair you’ve been eyeing.
Many employers will provide a stipend or reimburse you for a portion of the expenses of setting up a home office, so be sure to ask about this or negotiate it as part of your overall compensation.
Related: How to Negotiate a Job Offer
Look the part
When you don’t have to go into the office, it can be tempting to stay in your pajamas all day and forego all of your normal “getting ready” rituals like shaving or putting on makeup—after all, isn’t one of the biggest upsides of working remotely that no one can see you?
While taking a break from getting ready is fine occasionally, try to avoid making it your regular habit. Like physically going into the office, getting ready is one more way we signal to our brain that it’s time to kick into high gear for the day.
While it’s probably not necessary to put on a suit and tie or wear a full face of makeup (unless that is, you want to), one of our top tips for working remotely is to make yourself presentable the same way you would if you were, say, meeting a friend for lunch. A good rule of thumb is to be “video conference ready”—you never know when a colleague is going to want to hop on a call, and if everyone else is turning on their cameras, you don’t want to be the one that’s caught with bedhead and a five o’clock shadow.
Related: Business Casual vs Business Professional
Actively limit distractions
While you might assume that being at home, away from ringing phones and loud colleagues, would make it easier to focus, you’d be surprised how many distractions lurk around every corner. From the television to the refrigerator and even the front door, your house is full of easy targets for your attention, especially if you’re prone to procrastination.
Limit distractions by actively removing their source. Hide the remote and set a no-TV rule. If you’re someone who needs background noise to focus, try a streaming radio station at a low volume. Turn your personal phone on silent and put it in a drawer. Or, if you need to take calls for work, set a special ringtone for those numbers so you can avoid others.
Set boundaries with friends and family
An interesting phenomenon happens as soon as friends and family members learn you’re working remotely. Suddenly, relatives are calling to catch up at 10 in the morning, spouses are asking you to run extra errands, and friends are left feeling puzzled when you don’t text back immediately, even during work hours. Though your loved ones mean well, it can be surprisingly taxing to juggle personal calls, messages, and commitments while simultaneously managing your professional workload.
To successfully work remotely, you’ll likely need to set some boundaries with the people in your personal life. Gently remind them that even though you’re physically at home, you still need to be fully present and productive at work. That might mean only taking personal phone calls in the evenings, holding all text messages until your lunch break, or making a no-personal-errands-during-the-workday rule.
Of course, some companies are much more flexible than others; it might be perfectly feasible for you to chat with your great-aunt in between conference calls. If that’s not the case, though, you should feel perfectly comfortable putting the boundaries you need to be able to do your job in place.
Stick to a schedule
Humans crave consistency. In a study of retail workers, who typically have very inconsistent shifts, researchers tested the effects of providing more consistent work schedules. They found that not only did more consistent work schedules lead to a dramatic increase in productivity, but the workers were more enthusiastic and—get this—sales increased. Maintaining a consistent schedule even when you’re not working in an office helps you plan your day, get more done, and avoid getting overwhelmed.
You don’t need to schedule your day down to the minute; we’ve found it’s helpful to break time into blocks dedicated to specific tasks or categories of work. For example, maybe you answer emails from 9-10, take meetings from 10-12, take a break for lunch at noon, and spend the afternoon on client projects. Giving yourself some wiggle room and building in breaks ensures you have the flexibility to move between tasks depending on how your day unfolds while still fitting in everything that needs to get done.
Related: How to Improve Your Organizational Skills
Take regular breaks
Taking breaks throughout the workday has been shown to boost performance, and the need to step away from your work periodically doesn’t change just because you’re not in a traditional office setting. Taking a break every couple hours boosts wellbeing and rejuvenates your mind so you’re more productive when you come back to your desk.
While it’s tempting to reach for your phone, researchers say scrolling social media isn’t the best way to give your mind a rest. According to science, getting outdoors or engaging in light movement are the most effective types of breaks. Going for a walk around the neighborhood checks both of those boxes.
As for the best break length, longer breaks (20 to 30 minutes a couple times a day) and “microbreaks” (a few minutes every hour or two) both offer restorative benefits.
Communicate frequently
One of the biggest complaints about remote work I hear from managers is that they feel like they have no idea what their employees are up to. Get ahead of this and help your bosses feel confident about your assignments by communicating often. Check in on a regular basis to keep managers informed about the status of your work, pass on tasks to colleagues, and flag any challenges that are getting in your way.
Don’t neglect personal interaction
A major downside of working remotely is that you miss out on the creative collaboration that happens when you’re in a room full of people working together toward a shared goal. An important tip for how to work remotely is to strive for a healthy dose of human interaction each day.
Research has shown that collaborative work increases creativity, boosts individual team member efficiency, and leads to faster innovation, all of which are beneficial no matter what field you work in. So, it’s necessary to actively seek out opportunities to interface with colleagues and like-minded peers, even during this unique time when our ability to be physically face-to-face is limited.
Use video conferencing rather than audio-only calls when holding remote meetings. Instead of lunch dates, chat with coworkers via Facetime. Take part in one of the many virtual social gatherings being offered right now, like digital book clubs or fitness classes. It takes a bit more effort to have meaningful interactions when you work remotely, but it’s essential for both your motivation and your state of mind.
Seek feedback
Lack of in-the-moment feedback can put remote workers at a disadvantage. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest drawbacks of working from home. I advise remote employees to be proactive, seeking out feedback and constructive criticism. This goes hand in hand with our earlier tip about frequent communication; use your regular meetings with your manager to ask for input on how your work could be improved.
Document your accomplishments
When you work from home, you’re not as visible to company leaders. You might view this as a plus, but it also means managers don’t have a complete grasp of everything you’re accomplishing. It’s up to you to show how you’re making an impact, especially if you want to make a strong case when you’re up for a raise or promotion.
Document your progress and results every month. Keep track of things like the projects you’ve completed, metrics you’ve achieved, and positive feedback you’ve received. This record will help demonstrate your impact and may come in handy if you ever need to defend your ability to work from home.
Switch ‘off’ at the end of the day
Another downside of working remotely that many are surprised by is that it can be more challenging to disconnect from work at the end of the day. When you don’t have a clean break from work, like leaving the office and commuting home, it’s all too easy to stay in work mode even after the close of business. This is a surefire way to get burned out quickly.
To help set a healthy boundary between your work life and your personal life, create a new transition that signifies the end of your work day. Take your kids for a walk around the neighborhood. Pour yourself a glass of wine or tea. If you have a home office, shut the door and don’t go back in until the next morning.
Even if you continue to check in on emails in the evening, as many workers do, maintaining a concrete ‘end’ to the work day will help you decompress so you can show up fully recharged the following day.
Keep learning
Maintain forward momentum in your career by seeking out ways to learn new things and broaden your knowledge. Take online courses, attend webinars, and read publications that cover your industry to keep your skills sharp and expand your resume.
With freedom comes responsibility. By taking the initiative to prepare a work-friendly environment, communicating clearly with managers and peers, and staying on top of your schedule, you’ll be in a position to both enjoy and excel at working from home.
