Like many national permanent placement firms, we are remotely based, working with Clients and Candidates throughout the United States. While we eventually meet all our Clients, and many of our placements in person, the bulk of what we do occurs remotely.
Here are a few steps to making remote work a success:
- Create a routine as similar to the one you had when going to the office this will help create better focus.
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- Start your remote day at the same time you usually get to the office or the project.
- Dress the same as you do when you go to the office.
- Make sure the people (and your pets) in your remote space are aware when you have an important phone and/or video calls in order to minimize background noise.
- Use your calendar to block out time for regimented tasks and activities. Share this with your work Team. It will keep you focused and lessen interruptions.
- Do you go to the gym (probably now closed) before, during or after work? Substitute a bike ride, walk or run during that same time.
- How does your remote/home office represent your Company and you?
- Check for lighting and pictures in the background.
- Practice your video presentation skills.
- Make sure you are proficient at using your video conferencing technology including how and when you screen share.
- A practice example could be doing a Proposal Presentation with a co-worker or someone who knows you well. This will help with body language and spacing with the camera.
- In general, try to have all formal and informal meetings that occurred in person done through video conferencing. Avoid reverting to phone, text, and email. This will help keep the human connection, allow you to better understand how others are feeling and lessen isolation.
I was recently moderating the weekly sales meeting of one of our Clients as everyone video conferenced in remotely (mostly from home) for the first time. One of the salespeople on the call said that working remotely this past week had been one of the most productive he could recall, even closing a 6-figure proposal.
Most Integrators have traditionally had everyone come to, or work from, the office. It makes you think will these new remote working conditions cause many to reevaluate the physical working environment of each of their employees for productivity, efficiency, health, and quality of life reasons?
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