Katharine Spain holds an MS in biostatistics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a senior biostatistician at Rho and has been a full-time remote employee for the past seven years.
Remote employment continues to be increasingly popular, and with the COVID-19 pandemic closing offices around the globe, teleworking has become necessary for many. During this time of social distancing, it is important to find ways to extend the workplace community. Whether working from home is your standard or you are temporarily working from home due to COVID-19, here are tips for being satisfied as a remote employee and an in-office employee working with remote employees once the crisis ends and employees return to their offices.
Practice Intentional Communication
It is imperative, especially at the beginning of remote employment, to practice intentional communication. This is the most essential aspect of remote work. Communicate boundaries and work habits so other employees feel confident when contacting you without face-to-face interaction.
Ensure those you work with know your standard working hours and expected response time to emails, voicemails, and instant message chats. Sharing an outlined work schedule also eliminates the fear of interrupting a remote employee when they are not working.
As a habit, at the beginning of each month, update your out of office message. This clarity allows other employees to feel comfortable reaching out to you a second time if they haven’t seen a response to the email/chat/voicemail they sent in the timeframe outlined.
Create a Designated Workspace
If possible, designate a room in your house as your office and create a similar set-up to what you would have in the office building (dual monitors, phone, mouse, desk, etc.). Having a separate workspace helps to mentally separate work from home and gives the feeling of “heading into the office” every day.
If working from home is a temporary situation, it is still important to carve out a space to routinely work from, even if that space is the corner of a kitchen table. Having a designated workspace will create a boundary with any other people in the house to signal you are working when you are in that space and shouldn’t be disturbed.
Take an Active Role in Your Career Development
Without the daily face-to-face contact, you must advocate for yourself and express career aspirations and the potential for job growth. Schedule regular feedback sessions regarding your career trajectory with your manager so they are aware of opportunities you are interested in. When meeting, be specific about what you would like to work on, learn, etc. If possible, ask for an in-office mentor who can act as a conduit of information for remote employees with regard to training and growth opportunities. This mentor can keep your interests and career aspirations in mind and alert you to any in-office chatter you may have missed.
Find Personal Connections with Your Coworkers
A key component in job satisfaction is feeling connected to your coworkers, so make sure you are also setting aside time to casually check in weekly or monthly. Learn about their families, hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Think of this as the equivalent to popping your head into someone’s office for a quick question that then leads to a personal chat. These personal interactions allow us to feel connected to our coworkers and lead to stronger work as a team. When you feel invested in your teammates and vice versa, you are willing to go the extra mile, and this creates a more cohesive and productive team.
Taking this one step further, as an organization, consider sending out monthly emails of office information including new hires, employees leaving, and major business achievements. This will ensure those outside the office are receiving the same information as those in the office.
As a remote employee, it is also helpful to follow any company-wide forums to further guarantee you are receiving the same information as your in-office counterparts.
Use the Available Technology
With the advances in technology, working remotely can almost feel like being in the office. At the beginning of remote employment, I recommend video conferencing with your coworkers so they can put a face to a name and see your surroundings. This will help all parties involved feel comfortable as they get to know one another, and it is also good for in-office employees to see that remote employees are also working in a designated office/workspace, away from the inevitable distractions of home life.
Instant messages act as a virtual “pop-in” to a coworker’s office and allow a segue into a longer conversation, while easily allowing the in-office employee to respond that they are busy or to suggest a better time to chat. Screen sharing software allows employees, no matter their location, to virtually look over one another’s shoulders and assist with coding issues or review documents. Setting up a group chat with coworkers while on an external client call can allow discussions that may occur in a meeting room with the external client muted. Other technology tips when working from home include unplugging/covering your camera when not in use and muting your line as often as possible when on conference calls.
In these unprecedented times during which we find the entire family home while trying to work, acknowledge you may have background noise when you are presenting. All teleworkers are currently dealing with the same struggles and will be understanding of the situation.
Employers Can Help
While, face-to-face time may be limited with remote employees, bringing remote employees into the office for onboarding will help the team put a face to a name and allow all team members to experience one another’s personalities. To ensure one-on-one time with each team member, divide the company-wide training among the team members. Once onboarding is complete, provide training documentation for the remote employee to reference once they are no longer in the office.
Also, consider hosting remote employee–specific meetings when able. This allows for more candid discussion among remote employees and remote employment–focused feedback.
Finally, when possible, host employer meet-ups in areas where remote employees are co-located.
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