It’s easy to see why so many look on at our jobs with jealousy: we work whenever, wherever and, to a certain degree, on whatever we want. ‘Oh, you’re so lucky!’ we might be told, and it’s hard to deny… but it’s not without its own struggles.
That might be hard to believe, but when you’re working full time from home it’s not a simple case of just lounging around in your PJs pretending to be diligent; the tasks still need to be done. So, if you’re hoping to work remotely – looking for a job with clovio, perhaps? – then here are some of the biggest challenges you’ll need to be aware of and how to face them.
Beating the Feeling of Loneliness
Humans are social creatures and whether we’re working or out walking the dog, there’s always a desire to chat. Which is why loneliness is on the rise, with 21% of remote workers pointing to this as being the biggest struggle of such work.
To solve this it’s a good habit to simply say hello to one another when you start working, even if it’s just to have a conversation open ready for when something needs to be discussed. Sporadic small talk about your favorite music or asking “How’s your cat Patrik doing today?” helps not only yourself with your social needs, but your colleagues, too; together you’ll feel that you’re not alone and that there’s a team covering your back.
Remember to Leave the House
Remote workers are given a good deal of trust to get their work done and in most cases they will. The problem might be that they can quite easily fall into the trap of overworking themselves when there’s no set home time to leave the ‘office’.
While every business would like to see its employees working hard, dedicating too much to your work can eventually lead to burning out, and that has hugely detrimental effects on both your personal life and your professional output. Remember to take time for yourself, take a break if you’ve been at it for hours, and be sure to get regular exercise – even if it’s just regular walks around the block – to avoid falling into bad health habits.
Time Zone Considerations
As is similar to most companies relying on a remote workforce, at clovio we’ve got to be aware of our staff working from the UK, in numerous European locations, or even hours ahead in Chengdu.
It’s important to factor in these time zone differences when working, letting each employee know who is based where and roughly when their availabilities might be. When arranging meetings over Skype, plan around the time differences and settle on something to suit everyone. And remember that those working in destinations further afield might already be in bed when you send a message, so give them a little bit of leeway.
Being a Supportive Employer
At clovio we make sure to look after our new team members, especially if they’re new to the concept of working remotely. It’s important to be extra watchful for signals that may indicate a remote worker is struggling, such as if they’re having difficulties completing the tasks at hand. It’s good to be proactive as the employer to address this in an open conversation to figure out what the underlying issue could be. After all, even those who are confident about their work will appreciate feedback, positive or negative, for affirmation on how they’re doing in general.
Time Management
Being able to dictate when work starts and finishes is perhaps the biggest benefit of remote working, but it does have its downsides, too. Managing your workload effectively can be tricky, since it relies on your own self-reliant focus on avoiding distractions and effective time allocation for tasks.
At clovio we provide our staff with time management software to help them to not only keep an eye on how they’re own work is coming along, but to give them a certain motivation to focus on a task. This means that if a distraction does come about, sitting down to the task again won’t have been time wasted and the task can properly be resumed.
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