The traditional workspace that we have come to know throughout the 20th and early 21st century has become a thing of the past. More businesses than ever are transitioning to a predominantly remote workforce and moving away from buying or renting costly office space for employees.
Through the evolution of software and corporate communication capabilities, the need to interact in-person is becoming obsolete by the day. Although many industries still rely on face-to-face interaction when conducting business, advancements in e-commerce have enabled client-bases to grow worldwide.
Communication with customers and potential clients around the globe is now easier than ever, making remote work the new norm.
Staying productive as a remote employee can be more difficult than it seems. It’s important to stay on task if you have the advantage of working outside of the office. Since employers can’t physically see you working all day, proving that you are a responsible member of your company’s staff becomes more vital. Here are some ways that new remote workers can stay focused and eliminate distractions, all while getting the most work done throughout the day.
Track Your Activities
A smart way to keep yourself on-task and productive is to keep an in-depth record of each project you work on throughout the day. This will not only make tasks such as filling in expense forms and time cards easier but will also keep your mind focused on one task at a time.
Trying to multitask and accomplish several projects simultaneously can often result in subpar work. However, if you dedicate pockets of time during your day to specific projects, you can accomplish more, and produce higher-quality work.
You should also keep yourself accountable by assigning a certain number of projects to yourself each day. This will prevent you from overextending yourself and falling behind. The more strategic you are with your time on a day-to-day basis, the more likely you are to succeed as a remote employee.
Establish Check-Ins
As a remote employee, it’s important to schedule regular check-ins or meetings with a supervisor at least once a week to stay on track with the department and company-wide goals.
The best way to ensure expectations are clear is to establish regular communication with management. Barriers of communication are some of the biggest issues that arise when remote employees are integrated into a business. Overcoming these obstacles should be a priority; making sure there is a unified system in place for instant feedback will increase efficiency while simultaneously eliminating a large percentage of employee downtime.
Quarterly reviews are another great way to keep yourself and the employer accountable. Always know where you stand when it comes to your performance and don’t be afraid to ask about areas where you can improve.
Create Your Most Efficient Workspace
Working remotely without a home office can be difficult, as it often leads to countless distractions, which can make it seem impossible to reach your ideal production capabilities.
The key to avoiding distractions is to find a place where you can be your most efficient throughout the day. Typically this is a quiet, isolated space that will prevent outside distractions from interrupting your train of thought. This space should be fully equipped to make phone and video calls, along with any other aspect required of your remote work.
Although it may be hard to separate home life from work when you are a remote employee, it’s the key to ensuring you do the best job possible.
Automate Work Processes
Take advantage of services your employer may offer that can make your day-to-day workflow easier. Many companies are beginning to add process automation capabilities, which allows workers to skip the remedial, mundane tasks that take up hours of time throughout the workweek.
Instead, advanced software can be utilized to complete these job queues with little to no error in its task management. Tasks such as form-filling, job orders, and virtual filing systems can now all be done without human intervention. This gives employees more time to complete complex, knowledge-based projects that require considerable resources.
Automation is becoming the standard in a variety of industries from manufacturing to sales to health care. It allows those who use it to better prioritize and manage their time. Especially for those working remotely, automating aspects of your job requirements can relieve a tremendous amount of stress and headache from your daily workflow.
This is a guest post by Jeremy Heil
