Have you ever had unexpected visitors? Who came to your home for an unspecified time uninvited? That’s what the Covid -19 pandemic has done to us. It has happened all of a sudden. It has caused us a lot without even having some sense of humanity. People have lost jobs, and schools have been closed. That is how working from home came into the picture.
Employers who don’t wish to shut down their companies have had to assign the tasks to do from home. It seemed impossible at the beginning. Having to consider that the kids are now at home, the distractions at home are unbearable.
However, with time, the employees got the hang of it. Below are some of the effective methods that you can apply when working from home:
1. Managing Your Family When Working From Home
As an employee, you should let your family know that you are still working. Choose a workplace somewhere in the house. Let your family know it’s your workstation. Make it your minor office.
Working from home may be challenging because of the family. Your family should assume that you have gone to work. They should, therefore, respect your work schedule.
Set boundaries during work hours. Your family should understand that even though you are at home, you are off-limits. It helps you maintain focus, and it enables you to deliver your work at the set time.
You may also employ someone to help you with the house chores. You can as well create a doorbell, and unless it’s urgent, ignore it. The family will get used to the schedule within a matter of time.
2. Going Digital
It’s high time the company goes digital at an extra level. Consider the fact that some employees are not capable enough to buy laptops and computers or even desktops. It will be hard for them when working from home.
The company should purchase laptops for their employees. It may be costly to have to buy each employee a laptop. You can lend the gadgets from a tech company then return when things go back to normal. However, it’s for the best. It comes along with its benefits.
One of them is that the input will be of high quality. Secondly, your company won’t have to shut down. Your company will establish meaningful progress. You can also apply strict instructions. Such as the employees paying for another one in case of damage.
3. Creating a Work Schedule
As an employer, create a work schedule. You can draw a timetable that illustrates the tasks to do. Assign duties to each employee.
Ensure that the schedule is simple to understand. Complicated programs may be hard for some employees to follow. Create a flexible schedule. Let it be considerate to those who have challenging situations such as disabled children.
Consider having a schedule that accommodates everyone. You can assign the job of the week then let your employees work on them in their own free time. Remember, some of them went to different parts of the country.
Some places have low reception and frequent blackouts. It’s also a rainy season, and some parts of the country are experiencing floods. Working from home should be at their own convenient time.
4. Organizing For Meetings
Ensure that you, as an employer, have regular meetings with your employees. It can be online. Employees can mention the challenges they have had. They can also account for what they have been doing. As an employer, you can be able to meet those issues before they get out of hand.
You can also assign other duties to those who have completed their work. Those who have an overwhelming workload can share with those who are free.
Meetings are platforms for the employees to share their ideas with everyone. Staying connected with your employees is very important. It reminds them that they are still at work. Make the meetings necessary by creating strict instructions and consequences.
Let everyone know that the meeting is crucial.
5. Setting Daily Goals
Working without a direction is very dangerous when working from home. Set realistic expectations. It can be daily goals, weekly, or even monthly.
When a goal is met, inform your employees. The information will motivate them. Celebrate your wins and encourage them to keep up with their excellent work. In case of a loss, let them know so that they can work harder.
The Verdict
Working from home may be new to some. It may seem impossible, but with the time you will get used. Stanford University conducted a study in the year 2014. It showed that the productivity of employees working from home was 13% higher than working from the office.
Organizations should try it. It improves the performance of employees. It also improves productivity with high-quality output.