Getting the most from your remote working

This year has been challenging for individuals and businesses alike. Businesses up and down the country have had to absorb untold amounts of pressure regarding their future and make the decision whether they can continue trading. Unfortunately for some, they had no option but to close their doors permanently, others made the workplace safer by only allowing a limited workforce; those businesses in a dynamic position introduced a remote working infrastructure. Despite a team operating from a home setting, productivity levels can be maintained (or even improved) and are the option that can keep your business meeting its goals whilst moving into a new era of working.

These businesses, as difficult as it was originally, have discovered the benefits of remote working are many. It has revolutionized the way they run their business and put them in good stead to move into the technological future that is inevitable in the business and public setting.

Covid-19 has forced businesses to keep an open-mind to brand new and sometimes daunting operational tools and techniques for their business to survive and thrive. Although it was not solely Covid-19 that produced such an influx of remote working, popularity for the change has grown exponentially by 91% over the last 10 years¹.

Advantages of remote working

For employers:

• Fewer absences. Employees are not commuting on germ-ridden public transport, leading to less illness. Employees are also far less likely to call in sick if they are already at home.
• Productivity increase. Working away from office distractions can result in greater productivity.
• Employee retention. Employees can work from different locations meaning staff will not need to leave when their circumstances change.
• Fewer overheads. You can reduce office size with remote workers, saving the business money. By also allowing employees to use their hardware when remote working can further reduce costs.

For employees:

• No commuting costs. Working remotely can save a lot of money throughout the year, even working remotely part-time can relieve a substantial financial burden.
• Work-life balance. Flexibility can be life-changing and is a key part of remote working for employees.

Remote working can seem a daunting transition to make, understandably many business owners are apprehensive, but with the correct guidance and foundations in place, you can create a productive, functional working environment for you and your employees to make the most of remote working throughout the pandemic and into the future.

Your attitude affecting your remote working

Here are some ways to be sure you make the most of your remote work once you have made the transition.

Establishing boundaries with those you live with, so they know you are not available if at your desk or in your ‘workspace’. – This is important as distractions are a real problem when home working, especially if you have someone who is not working or on their break that is in your vicinity when trying to work.

Get dressed! Do not stay in your pyjamas all day – It is understandable to want to stay comfortable because you are at home, as many do not have that option when working in the office setting. But it is advisable for employees when working from home to go about their normal morning routine, shower, breakfast, etc. Not doing this can make the switch to ‘work mode’ more difficult. You also want to look your best when communicating with team members through video calls and pyjamas would not be appropriate for them.

At the desk

Have water and healthy snacks available at your desk – It can be easy to fall into a habit of eating unhealthy snacks all day, avoid this the best you can, it is too easy to develop a poor diet when working remotely. This also allows you to stay refreshed, focused and energised.

Keep a clean desk and workspace – At the office, most of us have a cleaner that goes around at the end of every day and cleans up our mess, empties our bins, and makes our desk presentable for the morning. Unfortunately, most of us are denied this luxury when working remotely, make sure to leave some time at the end of the day to do these tasks. As mundane as it feels, that bin can soon overflow and your desk can soon become cluttered, it can then affect the quality and productivity of your work. A cluttered workspace means a cluttered mind.

There are interactive tools that can assist you in ensuring you get the most from remote working and ensure that it is as business centred and as easy as possible to operate. One of which is Microsoft 365 and its ecosystem of cloud productivity, communication and collaboration tools. It provides an opportunity to consolidate internal service processes, documents, projects, and more. We will explore this in more detail later in the blog series.

Productivity when working remotely is of the utmost importance, keeping this information and tips in mind will set you up for a productive remote set up.

In the following blogs, we will explore how to gain the most from remote working and take your first steps toward interactive productivity.

Do you need help making the transition to Remote working?

We at Cloud Nexus can help you! We will make the transition to remote working as smooth as possible for you, saving you the drain on time and resources. Our expert team will learn and understand your workflow, and then go on to implement the best technologies and processes to get your team thriving. Beyond the technology, our team is on-hand to coach and support your users while they settle in and learn to make the most from their new ways of working. Book in now for a free, no-strings-attached consultation.

We’re Cloud Nexus

We’re Cloud Nexus and we believe that technology should make life easier, not harder.

We help people move to the cloud, secure their data and work with customers in awesome new ways. We’ll get to know your business and create the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost.

https://www.wrike.com/blog/remote-work-statistics/¹