Even before the global pandemic made remote working a temporary routine for millions of people in the country, increasing numbers of people have been bidding goodbye to their work commutes in the last few years. Fortunately, with ever-evolving technologies like Facetime, Skype, Slack, Google Hangouts, and Zoom, you no longer need to actually be in the same room as your co-workers in order to be able to work productively. In fact, in many instances, working from home can allow you to work more productively than if you were to commute to the office.
But, as appealing as working from home is to many employees, it also has certain challenges. That’s why we’ve put together a few tips to help you work from home effectively.
Understand the Ground Rules
Does your employer offer you flexibility in terms of work hours or are you required to be online and available between 9 to 5? Are you allowed to work on public WiFi or do you need to work from home on your own network? When you work for someone else, it is important that your employer has spelled out all the rules and guidelines to help you work remotely without any hassles. If you have any questions, make sure to consult your manager.
Set up Your Workspace
Not everyone has the space to set up a designated home office, but it’s important that you have a private, quiet space to work out of. If you can, try to separate your work area from your personal space and use this dedicated area for just work, and not for other activities.
Get High-Speed Internet
If you have children, their gaming and streaming habits could slow your internet connection considerably. That’s why it’s important that you upgrade to a high-speed internet plan and move your router as close as possible to your device. If you still can’t access high-speed internet, you can use an Ethernet cable.
Use Smartphone Apps
If your job requires you to make long-distance calls, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and Skype all let you make phone calls over the Internet without spending any money at all. So, make use of these apps to work more efficiently.
