What's Good For You Is Good For Your Employer.

The Christmas break has given many of us a chance to reflect and take stock of what happened last year, where we went wrong, and how we can improve going forward.

Given the situation we were all thrown into it's not surprising we stumbled through in a make-do kind of way in the hope that what was happening to the world was temporary. Alas, it would appear to not be as temporary as we first thought and a shake-up to the working world may not be such a bad thing if done in the right way.

I've harped on enough about the technology aspect of the new way of working, in regards to having an agile and adaptable approach with cloud-based solutions throughout your IT and Telephony infrastructure but the other important factor in all of this is how the employer and the employee approach working from home.

Trust

Trust plays a massive part in home working. An employer needs to be comfortable that a workforce can perform to the same levels when working from home as they do when in a monitored environment and staff need to feel comfortable they are not being overly monitored. This can be achieved in many different ways depending on your role but if you have a good level of trust between yourself and your employer these methods can be relaxed and the workforce will feel respected and empowered.

Time Management

If you are anything like me you will feel the need to prove yourself when you first transition to home working. Often not taking breaks/lunches etc can be the easiest way to prove you can work from home and improve productivity. Try not to set the bar too high as this style of working is often not sustainable. Make sure just like when you are in the normal work environment that you take regular screen/coffee breaks and your full lunch break. You will find that you get more done this way and don't suffer from burn out.

Work Space

Be fussy, if you are lucky enough to have an area of your home that you can dedicate as a workspace then do it and do it well. Ensure you have adequate lighting, it's quiet, and that you have space to move. Add plants to the area to give a more relaxed feel but don't forget your DSE assessment. Ensure your chair allows you to place your feet flat on the floor and your arms are perpendicular to your keyboard. Try to avoid working from the sofa as you will end up with terrible back and shoulder pain.

Dress to Impress

You may be able to wear your comfies when you are not client-facing but when taking a video call don't be complacent. Dress as you would in a face to face meeting. It will demonstrate professionalism and convey that you do care and that this meeting is important to you. It's often in these areas we need to overcompensate a little to balance the fact you are not meeting in person.

Prepare

You are in control of a lot of factors when it comes to online meetings so take advantage of that. Below is a list of points you can check ahead of any online meeting to ensure you make the most of the call and optimize the opportunity.

• Personal appearance - are you well-groomed and dressed appropriately.
• Lighting - can you been seen adequately by the person you are meeting with.
• Quality - is your internet connection performing as it should, ensure both voice and video is transmitted without interruption and at the correct levels.
• Noise - make sure there will be no noise interruption mid-meeting, ie washing machine going on spin cycle, family interruptions, etc.

If you can get to a place where you can perform your role as you do in the office but from home, everybody wins. Your employer can reduce their costs but reducing the physical space they need to house employees and will, in the long run, create a workforce of more trusted and independent thinking staff. You the employee will benefit from a more flexible working environment and reduce your commuting costs dramatically whilst also doing your bit for the environment.

Exclusion

We are not all wired the same and whilst most will see the real benefits in working from home for many this will not be a viable option or good for their mental health. Working from home does come with its drawbacks like minimal social interaction and lack of separation between home and work. It is vital to ensure that each employee's needs and personal situations are taken into account as what is good for some is not good for all.

The Future

In conclusion, no one currently knows how long working from home will continue for or if it is, in fact, the new normal but one thing is for sure is that it's here to stay for the foreseeable future. So let's make the best bloody lemonade possible from these lemons we have been handed and show the world that we can adapt and overcome.

Stay well and stay safe.