Back in March, everyone was expecting to be working from home for a couple of weeks. It almost seemed like a refreshing break for some people to be out of the office. None of us could have expected that we wouldn’t be back for months, most not even returning in 2020.
We went from sitting next to the same faces every day, to relying on video calls to stay connected with our colleagues. Not only does work still need to be done, but work relationships need to stay strong. It has been a tough transition from in person interaction to staring at a computer all day.
Productivity at Home
A recent study conducted shows that as a whole, we seem to be adjusting pretty well to the concept of working from home. The study showed that the work day is actually lasting longer, the number of meetings is up 13%, and colleagues are connecting with each other 1.4 more times per day. The way we are used to doing business has shifted basically overnight.
Optimizing The New Way of Work
The best way to stay effective working at home, is to make sure that as an employer you are not overloading your workers with calls throughout the day. Make sure you are setting goals and targets that will keep everyone on track. Hours have also become a bit of a flexibility. We are seeing workers get on their computers much earlier in the morning, allowing them to easily take some time throughout the day to check on their family members or take some time for themselves outside. The work day has become a lot more casual with people dressing down, and frequent family interruptions. It could be said connections are becoming even stronger with such real life day to day experiences.
Make it FUN
Let’s be real, we are all looking for activities to keep us entertained these days. If you are an employer looking to keep your employees engaged and connected, try to liven up some of your video calls. Plan happy hours once a week where work is off the table or set up virtual game nights. While working remotely you can still create a bond that you may never have had in office.
We are getting through this together. Work is such a huge part of our lives, we should be focusing on fostering those relationships as well during this time!
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