In a post-pandemic world, many of us have yet to return to our offices and are still working from home. Companies and businesses have latched onto this trend, as supporting remote workers is often much more affordable than running a separate workspace. Not to mention, remote work provides lots of benefits for employees, too. These include working in a relaxed and familiar atmosphere, as well as increased motivation and productivity. 

But, this doesn’t mean working from home is all sunshine and roses. Remote work poses unique challenges to any workers taking advantage of these job roles. If you’re planning on taking a position as a remote worker there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for this distinct situation. Below are 4 tried and tested tips, to make your life as a remote worker easy and effective.  

1. Make Sure You Can Rely on Your Technology 

Modern technology does come with its pitfalls, but for many of us, it is a vital part of our employment. At some point, most of our laptops or computers are going to give up the ghost, but investing in a good setup will reduce these occurrences to the absolute minimum. A good monitor and PC, or a reliable and up-to-date laptop, along with all the necessary HDMI connections are a great starting point. However, this tip doesn’t just apply to hardware either, so make sure to regularly update the software for any programs you use during your workweek. When you know you can rely on your technology, you’ll be able to focus more on the tasks at hand. There are a number of companies offering IT support in Doncaster that could help you. 

2. Familiarise Yourself with Your Workplace and Team

When you work remotely, you might only see your colleagues once a week, or perhaps even less than that. Make sure to take some time to get to know the people you’ll be working with, as well as any key figures within your organisation. Once you’ve committed this information to memory, you’ll know exactly who to reach out to when you need assistance, as well as who you’ve got to impress. In addition to individuals, it can be helpful to find out which teams are responsible for what. This is useful in case you ever need to communicate with someone from elsewhere in the business, or help direct customers to the best team for them.  

3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

If it’s not just you who works remotely, but your whole team, it can be very easy for important information to get lost in translation. Make sure to take advantage of any and all ways you and your team can communicate. If something is particularly important, don’t just include it in the body of an email, use Microsoft Teams or Zoom to talk about it ‘in person’, too. It might seem like overkill, but you really can’t communicate too much as a remote worker. This will help you discern exactly what you need to do each day, as well as highlight how you can effectively progress in your new role. 

4. Learn to Separate Work from Play 

Working from home can often lead us to blur the lines between employment and leisure time. If we can complete tasks at any time, it encourages us to work outside of our designated hours. This is great if you have a lot of tasks to complete before a deadline, however it can be detrimental to your work/life balance. Placing boundaries on yourself for when and where you can work in your home can be the hardest thing about remote work. However, it’ll also be the most rewarding, as you can shut your work brain off, spend time decompressing and relaxing, as well as prepare yourself for tomorrow.