Is Remote Work Here to Stay?

Remote work, working from home (WFH) - these are phrases that have grown to become especially popular since the past year or so. The global panic brought on by the Covid-19 virus has yet to leave. It has also brought about some serious implications on the global economy and its driving factors.

Businesses all around the world had taken quite a hit with this overnight, unexpected change. This has also resulted in individuals finding alternative ways to conduct their business so as to ensure stability.

Employers and employees, as such, were forced to convert from their pre-existing working styles to work-from-home arrangements in a matter of hours and days. This shift was brought forward so that individuals can remain safe at home but still go about their work routine, somewhat normally.

All that said, work routines have shifted in ways few had imagined and productivity levels when working remotely were something that needed to be discussed. As time passes, some companies have adopted a remote work routine whereas others are thinking of ditching it.

And so, in this article, we will be trying to understand whether remote work is here to stay.

A word of caution before we delve into the article: the following mentioned tips and tricks are information that has been generally observed across numerous work sectors. There may be instances in which specific advice may not match or suit what is expected for a specific firm, industry or job role.

As such, this written piece aims to function as a guide and should not be read as a comprehensive or exhaustive list of advice for a working individual. The best way to find out what may work for your success would be by conducting ample research. Browsing through this article could function as the first step you take into exploring different modes of work style - whether it be work from home, remotely or in the office. After all, you know yourself the best.

Without further ado, let’s get right into the article!

What is remote work?

According to an online article published by OwlLabs, work from home a.k.a WFH refers to when an “employee is working from their house, apartment, or place of residence, rather than working from the office". Many companies have a WFH policy, or remote work policy, that allows their employees to work from home either full-time or when it’s most convenient for them” to do so.

It comes as no surprise then that remote work arrangements come with their own host of benefits for both employees and employers. It allows individuals to break away from the mundane routine of transportation to get to the office.

Instead, the time invested into travelling to and from the office can be better utilised for so many other purposes! Anyone up for some morning yoga, a more fulfilling breakfast or more time with their loved ones at home?

Kudos to efforts that push for good mental health and one’s well being! While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, we think that remote work is here to stay for sure.

But of course, distractions persist and that can hinder our work progress. There are tricks to get around this problem, though. Keep reading to find out how!

3 Tools To Help You Work Remotely

1. Team Chat Application

Perhaps, one of the biggest needs when working remotely is the ability to communicate with one’s teammates. Checking in with others about the progress of a project or clearing your doubts when one suddenly arises are things that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

As such, emailing your colleagues and waiting for them to get back to you via a reply to your email can be a cumbersome process. Imagine doing that for every query you have with numerous colleagues, clients and business partners!

Things can go awry really quickly. As such, one of the tools you need to succeed when working remotely is a team chat app. One that allows instant messages to be sent but doesn’t meddle with your personal social circle messages either.

There are many platforms out there that serve this purpose. Some popular choices include Slack, Microsoft Team, Google Chat, Chanty, Facebook Workplace and so on.

Find one that best suits yours and your organisation’s needs. Then, start incorporating the tool into your work routine!

2. Good old-fashioned pen and paper

One can succeed at his or her job when working remotely by simply making use of those sticky note pads lying on your desk! Oftentimes, an individual loses his or her focus from work when they’re not able to get a clear picture of the tasks waiting for them.

In order to ensure that you’ve got a proper hold of things, take a minute to jot down the projects you wish to get done. This could be done on a daily or weekly basis. You could also write things done for both the short-term and long-term goals.

Don’t forget about contacting your colleagues, clients and business partners for other information as well! Make some notes as to when you wish to contact and meet up with them. Then, set aside some time on a weekly or monthly basis to share any updates with your teammates or work partners.

As you complete each task, tick those items off your to-do list too! That’s one way to stay on track at work. It can help you gain a clearer picture of the work you’ve completed thus far and identify what’s still pending.

Thus, to-do lists are a great way to become more productive when working from home. Good old-fashioned pen and paper to the rescue!

3. Focus tools

With the number of distractions rife around us when working remotely, the struggle to stay focused is real. As such, there are some solutions out there that can help to overcome this problem that many face.

If you have the tendency to open up another tab to visit YouTube and watch the suggested videos to no end, concentrating at work can be hard. Netflix and PrimeVideos calling out to you to finish watching the next episode? Can’t help giving in?

Perhaps, you may want to consider installing softwares like Freedom, Cold Turkey Blocker and LeechBlock. These apps can help to stop you from opening up another tab while you’re working. Some apps may allow you some time before the software reminds you to get back to work. Great motivators, indeed!

And there you have it - a guide on whether remote work is here to stay and 3 tips you can adopt to make your remote work routine a much more comfortable and productive experience.

With all that being said, we have to come to the end of this article! If remote working is your cup of tea, we hope this written piece has provided you with some insights as to what sort of tricks you can implement at your home office or remote work space so as to boost your productivity levels when working.

In the meantime, if you’re on the lookout for job opportunities at organisations within Singapore that may tap on these trends to march ahead, read on! ;)

This article was provided by GrabJobs

GrabJobs is an efficient recruitment platform that connects thousands of job-seekers and employers around the world on a daily basis. Individuals can rely on the platform’s free job search functionalities to receive job matching alerts, access the career resources library and online courses to build their career.

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