How To Beat Remote Work Isolation

Most of us have become accustomed to commuting to a work site surrounded by co-workers. Remote work is something new to most workers. Yet, we are fundamentally social beings.  So extended remote work isolation has affected many workers if we’re working at home for an extended period.  We can’t help feeling isolated. Isolation blues have become common, and it’s not something to simply ignore.

Beat remote work isolation

Cures for Remote Work Isolation

As you spend long hours and work from home, you need to take care of your mental health.

As much as I was happy to “get away” from my officemates,

I realized that I relied on colleagues to keep my mental health in check. Panion.com

Here are 7 tips to beat remote work isolation blues:

1. Step Outside Periodically

 Don’t stay cooped up inside your home. Step outside to get some fresh air and much-needed sunlight. If you have a garden, that’s great. If not, you can practice social distancing and other safety measures so you can take a walk at a local park or around your neighborhood. It’s even better if your location is surrounded by greenery and nature views, which can help relieve stress and loneliness.

Get outside to beat remote work isolation

 2. Reconnect With Co-Workers

 While staying at home, it’s a good time to catch up with friends from work or your boss.  Reconnect with those you haven’t seen for a long time. While you may not be able to invite them for a cup of coffee face to face, a lot of employees are setting virtual meetups to chat with peers outside the normal work day. If you can do Zoom calls for work meetings, why not try it to keep in touch with team members to socialize? It can be more fun than you expect.

How to beat remote work isolation blues

What’s good about being online these days is that you can reach associates from miles away that you haven’t talked to for a while. Many of them are also most likely at home and craving social connections.

 3. Maintain a Routine

 Being out of the workplace and staying at home may have thrown you off your routine. To beat remote work isolation blues, you should create a new routine and stick to it. That will help retain some sense of normalcy. Get up at the same time in the morning, preferably the same time that you woke up for work before the pandemic.

Plan your day and eat your meals on time. If you live with your family, having a routine helps everyone to know what’s going on.

4. Move, Move, Move

 Don’t forget to get your body moving. Be physically active as much as you can. Exercise will give you an energy boost and improve your mood.  That will help beat isolation and maintain your productivity.

Physical movement beats remote work isolation

For example, a neighbor of mine walks her dog several times per day for 10-minutes.  She does it at the same times each day.  That keeps her moving and maintains her routine. Even doing house chores is good while on work conference calls.. If you’re up to it, you can also join online fitness classes. You could also walk around your local area early in the morning before work begins.

5. Write a Journal or Letter

Get your thoughts out by journaling. You can journal about the things you’re grateful for, which will bring optimism and good vibes. When you focus on the good things that happen in your life, it boosts your mood and makes you less isolated.

Letter writing has also been revived during the pandemic. Why not send your prospects, customers or other employees a postcard to let them know that you’re thinking about them? Handwritten letters and postcards help promote deeper relationships.

6. Learn Something New

Sometimes you feel neglected when you’re bored. Find something to do to keep your mind busy. Learn a new skill or do a pursuit you’ve always wanted to do. Try to attend webinars, read blogs, or take an online course to boost your work skills.

When you’re doing something that you enjoy, you don’t notice how slow the time goes by, and you don’t have time to dwell on depressing thoughts.

7. Get Quality Sleep

Getting enough sleep (or not enough) affects your mood, so it’s important to have a healthy bedtime routine. When you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you don’t feel rested. You’ll wake up feeling more tired, and it makes you more vulnerable to stress or even illness. Sleep heals your body and keeps your mental well-being in shape.

beat remote work isolation

Wrapping Up

 Spending time working virtual doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Don’t let remote work isolation beat you. Instead, make conscious efforts to focus on bringing positivity to your situation. Use the time to reconnect with your friends, learn something new, and get your body physically active. Stick to a routine, and know that a feeling of isolation is only temporary. The situation will certainly improve or you will become accustomed to this new paradigm, so hang in there.

7 Keys to Impress Your Remote Manager

How to Impress Your Remote Manager When You Don’t See Him Often

We’ll highlight 7 keys to impress your remote manager.  But first, don’t ignore the 6 traditional keys we list for impressing your boss.

Studies show that often workers are not interested in returning to the workplace because of how convent they found working from home. They enjoyed many benefits by working remotely including reduced time spent commuting, lower expenses in meals and travel, and reduced childcare.  Also, remote work proved to be as productive as performance in the workplace.

Impress your remote manager

Wherever you work, impressing your boss is a necessary part of your job performance and getting ahead. You probably know what to do when your supervisor is colocated with you in the work facility, but you may need to be more creative to impress your remote manager if you rarely see each other.

Bridging that gap is a growing concern now that more employees work remotely or travel extensively for their jobs. Try these suggestions for hitting it off with your boss up close or long distance.

Traditional Methods for Impressing Your Boss

Some strategies apply in any context. Please your boss by excelling at your job and contributing to a successful team.

1.Take initiative. Identify needs and propose solutions before anyone asks you to look into a situation. Focus on areas that are essential to the company.

2. Continue learning. Take advantage of opportunities to expand your knowledge and hone your skills. Sign up for a webinar on the hottest trends in native advertising or the latest news on health insurance requirements. Send your boss a summary about how you’ll use what you learn to work smarter.

3. Hold yourself accountable. Assume responsibility for your actions. Be prepared to explain your decisions and accept the consequences.

impress your remote manager even in your pajamas

4. Radiate enthusiasm. Go the extra mile with a smile. Empathize with your boss and colleagues. Cheer each other on during tough projects.

5. Network vigorously. Technology makes networking easier for remote employees. Professional associations and industry events can help you to show your boss that you’re engaged with the key players in your industry.

6. Deliver results. Meet and exceed expectations. Develop a reputation for high performance. Your boss’s confidence in you will grow as you prove that you can work independently.

Staying in touch to impress your remote manager
7 Keys to Impress Your Remote Manager

These 7 long distance methods are important to keep in contact with and impress your remote manager:

Now that you’ve covered the basics, you can take some additional steps. Skillful communications and sound work habits will help you to capture your boss’s attention and remain on his radar.

  1. Schedule virtual meetings. Dress up and arrange your work area to present a professional appearance to your boss. Prepare an impressive powerpoint presentation and hang around to eat a virtual lunch together.
  2. Master social media and collaboration tools. Flaunt your technological savvy and connect with your boss. Tweet an interesting news story. Make it easy for your manager to track progress on each project.
  3. Check your internet connection. Maintaining a stable and speedy connection keeps your good qualities on view. You’ll also want to assure your boss that you’re protecting network security.
  4. Watch the clock. Are you in a different time zone than the rest of the office? Adjust your timetable so you contact your boss during the most convenient hours.
  5. Say good morning. Simple office rituals can have a great impact. As a substitute for greeting each other in the break room, send an early morning email to wish your boss a good day and let them know you’re at your desk.
  6. Post your hours. Work at being accessible. Let your boss know when you’re quitting for the day and when you’re heading out for lunch. For the hours when you’re on duty, respond promptly to your boss and colleagues.
  7. Take a break. Resist the temptation to work excessively long hours. In the long run, a sustainable pace will make you a more valued employee. Keeping your life in balance enables you to remain friendly and productive, which are traits that your boss will appreciate.

Show your boss that she can count on you to offer solutions and make them look good. You’ll impress your remote manager, earn his trust and build a mutually beneficial relationship, even if you work on opposite sides of the world.

 

Boost Remote Work Efficiency – 4 Tips

Favorite Tips to Boost Remote Work Efficiency

This article will identify tips to boost remote work efficiency if your employer allows it or a hybrid approach during the pandemic.

While working from home, you have enough flexibility to complete your job in your own way. But this luxury sometimes kills both productivity and work-life.

A lot of people think work from home is a litmus test to your productivity.  And it requires significant amounts of motivation to perform tasks and complete them within your deadline while working at home.

Well, this is not true. You can only lose track and productivity if you do not form your basics right.

While you are working from home, you are less likely to step out of your home and follow a proper adult routine. Furthermore, you may face a lot of distractions.

This article presents some simple, but very effective tips to follow a well-organized remote work routine to boost remote work efficiency.

Boost remote work efficiency

1. What’s your favorite outfit when you are work remotely?

Pajamas, is it?

People always like to be in the comfort zone and you are probably not an exception to it.

However, you need to change that habit. You should be in proper work attire, even if you are working from home.

You need to get out of your sleep wear because it gives you the comfort and sense of freedom.

It’s not necessary to wear something formal but the act of changing clothes will give a signal to wake up and effectively get into the work mood.

2. Set up a proper home workstation:

What’s the best thing that you like about work from home? Comfort, right?

But the comfort can come at the cost of lost productivity, focus and work motivation.

Boosting remote work efficiency so you don't lose motivation

Dedicate a specific space in your home as your work station.  When you have workplace-like surroundings, your attention is bound to be in-sync with your productivity. Choose a corner of your room with natural light. Place a chair and desk there and make it comfortable enough where you can sit for long hours to do your work jobs.

3. Set Up quality technology:

Can technology boost remote work efficiency?

Maybe.

But poor internet connection or outdated systems can make your work from home experience frustrating. What happens if you are attending an important meeting via Zoom call and suddenly your internet goes off. You feel embarrassed and potentially miss out on a major discussion.

This is the reason why you should install a good internet connection and have a laptop or desktop with decent configuration. Make sure you have the latest version of the processor or operating system.

4. Maintain consistent working hours:

How often do you lose track of time while working remote? Almost everyday, right?

When your mind is completely into work, it’s quite natural for you to be unaware of how much time that has passed.

It’s not a right practice. Being a workaholic is good but make sure that you are a hard worker within your work time.  But overdoing it is not right.

You should always make a routine for your work days and working hours. You should build a routine that you can always follow.  This will generally boost your remote work efficiency regardless of the functions you perform.

To all, who are working remotely, we believe these tips would really help to boost your remote work efficiency and productivity.

Boost remote work efficiency

Flexicrew Support

Talk with the experts who have experience hiring efficient remote workers.

If your firm’s workforce  is experiencing an efficiency deficit  among remote workers, you need to change what you have been doing to attract candidates. Rewriting your job postings, implementing programmatic advertising, and contacting former applicants are effective ways to find the candidates you need to fill your remote job orders.

 

Future of Work Post-2020

Survey: Did 2020 Change the Workplace Forever?

The survey was conducted online among 201 Human Resources executives from companies of various sizes and industries nationwide. Responses were collected March 2nd through March 12th, 2021.

Flexibility Continues for Workers beyond COVID-19

Over 84% of companies responded they are offering some flexibility to workers during this time. Of those, 64% report offering flexibility to all employees, and 40% are offering flexibility specifically to parents and caregivers. Nearly 13% report offering child care options during this time, and 23% increased paid time off offerings.

When asked if this flexibility will extend past the pandemic, 95% of companies reported some or all elements of the newly instituted flexibility will continue. Just 4% of companies reported they will eventually return to pre-pandemic routines.

Meanwhile, 6% of the 96% of companies that moved all or part of their workforces to remote work situations plan to return to their pre-pandemic remote work policies. Another 4% will not keep workers remote, and 5% are still determining what they will do. That means 84.2% of companies are retaining new remote work options for their teams.

“Remote work is the work of the future. Positions that were previously thought to be perpetually in person, such as customer service or other client-facing roles, were successfully converted to remote positions during the pandemic. This will continue with the adoption of artificial intelligence and robotics in the coming decades,” said Challenger.

Flexicrew Staffing

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way companies work and supervise workers.  Visit Flexicrew blog to keep updated on workforce trends and changes.  If your company is having difficulty recruiting all the quality talent necessary, contact our professional recruiters Today!

Hiring Remote Workers – 5 Essential Qualities to Seek

Remote work has been the trend even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.  It has increased since March.  And, it will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

Structuring a virtual team has been essential in maintaining many firms over the past six months.  If you plan to hire new employees or replace lost workers during Coronavirus, you will likely have at least some of them work from home.

remote workerFive Remote Worker Qualities

If so, some rules of thumb regarding the five qualities you want to look for in your remote workers are:

1.Pleasant and Friendly

You might believe if someone performs competently at their job, it makes little difference whether you like them as a person – especially if they’re working remote. That may be true until you hire member of staff you can’t stand.

A great worker at what they do, however, presents a dilemma. Do you keep them on board because of their skills, even if they get on your nerves when you interact?

Co-workers who are negative, complain excessively, and act negative toward you will poison communication with them or dealing with them in any capacity.  Releasing them will frankly be a massive burden off your thoughts.

Clearly there are candidates you can find who possess both talent and don’t drain your work enjoyment.

It’s even acceptable to employ a person who’s just reasonable in performance but has an inspiring outlook. If they’re teachable and willing to be trained in the way you company handles things (see point number three), then you can help them develop into their role.

Teaching someone to be more pleasant to work with, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as easy.

2. Proactive

You need remote workers who are going to take action on their own or take the initiative to come to you when it’s appropriate like when they:

  • face a technical issue
  • need guidance or clarification
  • have a suggestion for how the process could be improved

Ideally, they should report the problem to you so you could address it. They shouldn’t ‘fly blind’, and then you have to redo their work.

When you’re interviewing and hiring remote workers look for people who come across as slightly more aggressive and outspoken. These are frequently people who tend to be more proactive.

3. Open to Being Taught

Your business evolves over time so your remote workers need to be willing to adapt and change. That means they have to be willing to be trained.  If not, then they’re not going to be able to continue to perform effectively.

A remote employee that refuses to accept teaching and is complacent about absorbing changing practices can’t continue producing high quality.

4. Timely Communicators

When your staff is not collocated, communication can slow down. Instead of face-to-face meetings, you send emails, or maybe make phone calls.

But there’s no guarantee when you’ll get a response.

Willingness and ability to communicate in a timely manner is an important quality – especially in remote workers. But emails that go unanswered for days or messages that don’t get returned can’t be tolerated.

In these uncertain business conditions, quick communication could be absolutely vital to the success of a project or even survival of your company.

5. Receptive to Feedback

You hire people to boost your business and to take pressure off you. When you offer them feedback and constructive criticism, they should respond positively. Plus, they should use these comments to put them into practice and improve their skills.

So, if you offer a virtual worker constructive criticism and then you see they don’t apply it – they’re not qualified.

Additionally, keep in mind the added cost of team members who won’t relate to feedback. When you pay someone to complete an assignment, and then you have to spend extra time fixing their work, it eats up your hours and your budget.

However, if a remote worker ignores feedback, gets defensive, or doesn’t use criticism to improve their ability- – Bye, Bye!

Summary

Hiring and training remote workers has a learning curve. Look for candidates who are proactive, receptive to feedback, open to learning, quick to communicate with you and pleasant to work with. If you can do that, you’ll build a team that will help you take your business to the next level.

Want to improve your team recruiting strategy even further? Call Flexicrew to help you attract talent who can effectively work remote as long as this pandemic lingers.