Work From Home Tips From a Telework Pro

If you’re new to the world of working remotely, let me start by saying, welcome to the club! Those of us who have been working remotely for some time now can be a great resource for colleagues adjusting to their new work from home lifestyles.

We understand the difficulties and conveniences that come with remote work and are happy to help. Here are some things I have learned from working remotely for the last two years.

Your daily interactions are extremely important in any work environment, but these can be tough to create and maintain while working remotely. Learning how to do this without being face-to-face will increase your ability to work effectively within your team and organization.

When you are not in the office, you are missing out on those casual conversations that naturally occur while in the break room or passing by in the hallway. Working remotely, you now have to be more intentional with keeping in contact. Think through the daily interactions that you had in the office that were important to getting updates on work related items. Now you have to create a framework for those to occur.

Schedule time on a daily or weekly basis to talk to your manager and close teammates. Don’t forget about professional relationships with other peers outside your team as well. Sending them a quick message asking how they are doing or if there’s anything they need help with can go a long way in building or preserving a working relationship. Once you have prioritized who you want to have contact with and how often, consider the best way to make these interactions happen.

The majority of communication is nonverbal. Tone, facial expressions, hand gestures and body posture all play a role in communicating. When working from home, it is easy to just email or quickly call someone, but communication should take place over video conference when possible. Being able to see someone — even if virtually — allows colleagues to understand each other better. 

If you’re having a difficult time adjusting to working from home, you’re not alone. Find a colleague who has worked remotely before and use them as a resource. They likely have come across similar frustrations themselves and can give you helpful ideas.

This article was written by Lindsey Jonas, one of InMotion Hosting’s all-star recruiters.