The State of the Remote Job Marketplace report from FlexJobs says there are now 3.9 million Americans or 2.9% of the total US workforce who work from home at least half the time.
With the number of remote workers only forecasted to increase in the coming years, it’s imperative for workers and employers to adapt to a changing work week landscape.
5 tips to help any worker be successful working outside of the office
1. Dedicated Workspace - Create boundaries at home with a dedicated work area. Allow yourself to tune out the outside world, and focus on your work tasks, by shutting the door and having very little distraction in your work area. Sure it sounds fun to have that Netflix movie on in the background you’ve been trying to watch for the last week, but your work productivity will slow.
2. Access - Be sure you have access to any servers, drives or files you’ll need while
working outside of the office. It’s always best to do a test run a day or two before you leave the office to ensure all your accesses are still working properly. There is nothing worse than being away from the office, on a deadline, only to discover you don’t have the needed server access to obtain that important client research folder.
3. Be Active - When sitting at home in front of a computer screen all day, it can be daunting to get your daily steps in. However, studies show movement throughout the workday increases productivity. So take a walk around the block at lunch, or even walk to your favorite lunch spot. Just remember to move during the day.
4. Communicate - It’s easier for office workers to have small talk with each other. Remote workers are left out of the watercooler topic of the day conversation and the Game of Thrones Monday recap discussion. Remote workers (especially full-time remote workers) have to go the extra mile to make connections with co-workers, to create bonds. No one wants to show up to the holiday party and have a co-worker say “who is that?”
5. Be a Team Player - Remote workers don’t see what is happening in the office on a daily basis. So you might not know your co-worker is struggling with a project, or close to missing a deadline. Reach out and ask if a co-workers needs any extra help – it will be appreciated and reciprocated in the future.
If it’s remotely possible, you can do it!
