There are still a good number of business owners who are not keen on having their staff work from home despite the fact that the tasks that need to be done can be done via a computer and the internet. Many of these owners believe that remote workers do not really work much and just spend most of their time doing other things like sleeping or browsing the internet. They also believe that remote workers are not productive and may end up only wasting the company’s resources and time.
Remote working is where the future is at, thanks to technology. Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford professor, has discussed in an article that it is time for companies to embrace remote working as it comes with a barrage of benefits. Workers should be allowed to opt to work from home which is going to be good for businesses as keeping an office in big cities can cost a lot. Employees also would not be tired at the start of the day because they had to endure a long commute to work. These are strong reasons why business owners should understand that working remotely has benefits.
On the other hand, there are business owners who are already considering allowing their employees to work remotely. They should learn how they can keep their employees productive in such a setup. They can make a list of tips which they can share with their employees. With that, here are 10 tips that business owners can implement to help boost remote workers’ productivity.
Tip 1: Create a schedule and make sure to stick to it.
Remote workers should create a schedule and make sure that they follow it. This would allow them to have a routine so they would become more productive and motivated. The schedule would make sure that the person would have specific hours for work and the rest of the hours of the day would be personal time. A remote worker following a schedule would give them the mindset that for a specific period, all they need to focus on would be work.
Tip 2: Identify all priorities.
There are remote workers who have trouble prioritizing tasks. To counter this, they would set some time to go over their tasks and prioritize which ones should be completed first. By doing so, a smooth workflow can be achieved.
Tip 3: The right tools help a lot.
Investing in the right tools helps a lot and business owners should do this if they want their remote workers to experience a productivity boost. The right tools help employees be more efficient and effective in their jobs.
Investing in the right work equipment is also an important thing to keep productivity up. These should include a capable laptop, stable internet, and the right chair and table.
Tip 4: Be mindful of time meant for work and for play.
When people work remotely, they can get quite comfortable since they usually work at home or somewhere they feel comfortable in. Being comfortable can be bad though as they can be too focused and eventually experience burnout. It is not a healthy thing so remote workers should set time for work and time for play. It would also help to specify a specific area at home just for work which is not the bed or the couch. By doing so, they are able to know the difference between work and personal life.
Tip 5: Caring for oneself.
Most remote workers do not go out a lot and that makes them forget about themselves and their health. That is why it is essential for remote workers to make sure that they still prioritize their health. Remote workers usually do not get sick since they are not exposed to a lot of unhealthy factors outside the home but they should not be too complacent. It is important to give themselves time to do exercise which helps boost productivity.
Tip 6: More video conferences are better compared to more emails.
Email is the most common way of communicating between remote workers. However, it does not allow for actually learning more about the people on the other end and being familiar with colleagues is a good thing so communication can be clearer and better. Emails do not allow for that since it strips away emotions that face-to-face communication brings. Using technology for video conferences can be a great way to avoid confusion and get messages understood better which could help boost productivity.
Tip 7: Work hours that coincide with the work hours of your colleagues.
Many businesses that allow remote working do not set specific work hours for their employees. However, it does help with communication, coordination, and such if they all work schedules that coincide with the rest of the team.
Tip 8: After work, go home and enjoy your personal time.
While many remote workers do work at home, it is important for them to actually enjoy their own time after work. Think of it as how people would turn off their computers and clock out after work if they worked in an office. Do the same when working from home – put a line between personal time and work. This should help one be recharged and be ready for work the next day.
Tip 9: Let go of distractions.
Letting distractions go helps boost productivity. There are tools, apps, and other tech that can help block any distractions at work. The main goal of these would be to make sure that the person using them would not be able to access any distractions during their work hours, or would only be allowed limited access.
Tip 10: Make weekly updates and send them to the boss.
Requiring remote workers to send weekly updates to the boss or manager would be a great way to help with productivity. By doing so, the employee can actually know themselves what they have done for the week and what they are going to tackle in the coming week. It would also allow the employee and the boss to be on the same page.
These tips can prove to be useful for some remote workers while may not work for others. Doing trial and error on them may be a good idea to see which ones work for each person. Using a mail forwarding service from Company Address may also prove to help boost productivity as physical mail and parcels are sent to the right address despite not having a physical office.
published under Management
