Remote work continues to rise in popularity as more people look to achieve a semblance of work-life balance. While remote work definitely has its perks, there are a lot of factors to consider. This is especially true if you’re looking to keep your job and rise within a company. Before you consider working from home, review the following five factors.
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1. Access To Tools And Connections
In an office setting, the company is required to make sure you have the tools you need in order to efficiently do your job. If you’re working from home, one of the most essential factors to consider is your tools. Tools include a working computer and high-speed Internet access, which you can get from one of the nation’s most reputable Internet providers.
If you already working for a company and they move to a 100% remote work model, make sure you have everything you need in order to do your job well. If you need to contact the company regarding extra assistance in certain areas, make those requests known upfront. Otherwise, always keep a side budget for tools, tech services, and new technology that will help you to efficiently do your job well. Many companies actually provide the funds to cover all of those work necessities as well.
2. Privacy
If you live in a home with other people, have conversations about privacy and distractions. If you have a dog that barks incessantly, it’s going to be very difficult to maintain a serious video conference call with your employees. Therefore, make allotments for any distractions to cease while you’re working. Granted, people and pets aren’t necessarily distractions.
The requests that they make during your work hours can be distracting. Take your pet to a pet sitter during specific hours when you know you can’t deal with any interruptions due to video conference sessions. Get a nanny in order to help you with childcare while you’re in the midst of office hours. Otherwise, make sure there are clear-cut rules and boundaries that you set with yourself and the people who live within your home during the work day.
3. Comfort
When you’ve never worked from home, it’s easy to envision comfy days of loungewear and cups of coffee in your bed. However, working from your bed gets old very quickly especially since your bed is meant for sleeping. Create a designated workspace for focused work.
Remember to prioritize a level of comfort as well. Invest in a chair that supports your back. If you don’t like sitting for long periods of time, look for a walking pad or a standing desk in order to break up the monotony of sitting. Invest in office furniture that helps you to feel comfortable since you’ll be in this space for a considerable portion of the week.
4. Accessibility Vs. Set Hours
One of the tricky parts of working from home involves accessibility. Boundaries are important, and they’re easy to draw when you work in the office. Upon exiting the work premises, most employees don’t like to be contacted about work when they’re at home. When you’re at home, there’s a dilemma surrounding accessibility. Talk to your employer about when they can access you.
Understand when you are expected to be at work or on the clock. Set the proper boundaries so that you don’t have clients and employees contacting you past your hours of operation. You don’t want to run the risk of experiencing burnout because you’re constantly working around the clock.
5. Elevation
In addition to keeping your job, chances are you’d like to elevate within the company. In order to put yourself in a position to earn raises, bonuses, and promotions, consider the factor of strategic elevation. Regularly advocate for yourself and highlight the professional wins you’ve gained for the company within the past week or two. Take notes on everything that you’re able to provide.
Speak up more in virtual settings when it’s time for meetings. When you have goals to climb the corporate ladder, make plans to go into the office a few times each month. You don’t need to go multiple times a week. Just be sure that your company knows that you’re invested.
Conclusion
There’s less supervision when you work from home. It’s up to you to maintain a schedule. Thankfully, this also gives you an opportunity to build the muscle of discipline and consistency.
As you become more resourceful in the ways that you show up for your job in a remote manner, you’ll find a healthy balance that works for you.
