Remote working is here to stay for those who want it to. By that we mean employers who are open to continuing to offer it as a working practice and employees who want to continue to work from home/split their time between home and office.
Of course, the idea of working from home wasn’t created purely out of the pandemic, however it has absolutely fast-tracked the concept for many businesses and proven that it can be a hugely beneficial way of working for both employer and employee.
Now that people have had a taste of what working from home can offer in terms of flexibility and enhanced work/life balance there is an appetite for working from home to continue for the roles and professions that are able to do so.
So, in this article we wanted to highlight some key tips on how to be the best remote employee you can possibly be…
Communication
This is fundamental for remote working to succeed. It’s very easy to feel out of the loop or distant when working remotely and the only way to combat this is to communicate, be it via video chat, email or phone.
Book a weekly call in with your team/manager so you can update them on progress, ask any questions you have or just to check in. Even if you don’t have anything to update them with, just having a 20 minute catch up call can just help with feeling up to date with what is going on and part of the team.
If you are working on a project then a daily morning catch up will just help to kick start the day and help update everyone in the team. Plus, if it’s a scheduled meeting people will know to have questions ready for the call and will offer the ability to collaborate, rather than numerous calls during the day from multiple people, which can be very distracting and often unmanageable.
Be accountable
Working remotely or working in the office you should always be accountable for what you do. However, when working remotely it does become even more important, as it helps with your team/manager knowing what areas you are taking ownership of and what outputs are expected on a weekly/monthly basis. Know what your role is, take ownership and report progress.
Be organised
This is a simple point but having a daily and weekly plan or to do list just helps you to focus and know what you need to do that day/week. Simple but so important. Also, there is nothing better than ticking things off a list… so satisfying!
Don’t be scared to ask
The only big downside to working remotely is when you need help or information quickly. In the office you could quickly turn to a co-worker or your manager and ask and get what you need within seconds, but when remote working you don’t have that luxury.
It’s on you to get what you need, so ask for it. If you find yourself always needing information or advice then it would be a good idea to book in a regular call with people you work with, so you can run through the list of questions allowing you to get on with what you’re working on.
Summary
These may all sound like simple things, but you need to take charge and put these practices in place. Get these areas right and you will become hugely successful at working remotely.
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