By Joel Sanchez Melendez, QA Engineer at Baires Dev.
Over the years, we have seen that the way of working evolves across generations. However, this has been accelerated by the pandemic. The changes that COVID left us have been plenty, but among them, one stands out, and it has to do with the way companies do business and operate, regardless of the industry. Although remote work has always existed, without a doubt, it is only recently that it has been widely adopted by a large number of companies.
Certain advantages have been found for both the employer and the employee. For companies, some of the benefits are lower absenteeism, greater productivity, and a reduction of costs associated with offices and their upkeep. In parallel, employees’ autonomy increases to handle workflow in a more flexible schedule, as well as to better reconcile the balance of work and personal life, not to mention saving commuting costs. These advantages have an impact by increasing employee satisfaction and, eventually, increasing productivity. But what does the transition from a totally on-site position to a totally remote one look like?
Adapting to a new work culture
How do you feel about it? Anxious? Frustrated? Bored? Perhaps it’s hard to target just one sentiment, and that’s because it’s never just one. When working remotely, we do not have the advantages of seeing deliverables immediately, reading the team’s body language, or doing a visual recognition of who is “present.” There are also no cafeteria chats, brief conversations, or spontaneous jokes that may arise among workmates that lead to bonding.
We can develop emotional skills stemming from this change that allow us to stay connected in spite of the distance. Personally, empathy helped me connect with others and understand other people’s positions and points of view. Emotional self-regulation helped me be more conscious of my emotions in order to cope with high-stress situations and keep a professional attitude. In addition, these skills will be essential in the way the team manages communication, handles disagreements, and focuses on concrete achievements.
Now that working remotely is a standard reality, it is essential to make some adaptations to your physical space, and also to the way you create a mental space for any upcoming changes.
Be aware of where you are
When you’re working outside the office, pay attention to what’s going on around you. If you’re in a coffee shop, don’t leave your laptop open and unattended on a table when you get up to order a coffee or to visit the restrooms. Passerbys could see your screen and take a photo or, worse yet, steal your laptop! Keep in mind the importance of confidentiality. If you don’t want someone hacking into your computer to steal your data, don’t video chat about confidential matters in a restaurant or use public wireless networks that aren’t password-protected.
Useful tools you still need when working remotely
- An internet connection of at least 20 Mbps.
- Messaging tools like Slack, Teams, or Zoom to host virtual meetings and facilitate communication.
- Google Drive and Google Docs, or another method to share documents between different computers.
- VPN access to connect to company/client servers.
- A laptop with all the applications used by the company/client.
- Headset for calls and video conferencing.
If you want to enjoy an internet connection at home that works as well as possible, consider the number of connected devices, how big your house is, how far away the router is, or if there are obstacles in the way. If you can, work where nothing will affect the wireless signal.
Flexibility and structure
In the traditional work model, it seems that the routine is already established, and we all know what we have to do, from clocking in early in the morning to clocking out in the afternoon and coming back home. However, the transition to remote employment requires extra effort on our part.
Now that you have greater flexibility, you must be very mindful of the structure of your schedules, especially in the beginning. You are about to build new habits and routines, and distractions abound. I recommend setting up your own schedule. Get a calendar, either digital or physical, and start defining the most important activities to be carried out on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis, establishing the amount of time you dedicate to them. Routines and habits are likely to change as you explore what feels most convenient for work duties and for personal plans.
Social interactions
As you transition to working remotely, it’s time to say goodbye to those small but valuable social interactions that naturally happen at the office or that daily face-to-face contact with colleagues. It may be tough, particularly when you’re now the only person working at a specific location or region. In this case, the company may arrange face-to-face reunions to endorse integration at least once a year if possible. You may even, from time to time, miss the chance to go out for a drink with teammates after working hours or clearing your mind for a few minutes while chatting at break time. Another way to address the distance is to schedule a time for social activities over a video conference call that aren’t related to work. Maybe you can share a recipe and cook together, maybe you can organize a toast, or perhaps play online games.
As in any other team, managers and employees who work from home must strive to create an environment of trust and open communication with room for both recognition and constructive feedback. Fortunately, there are multiple techniques to learn to communicate effectively with remote teams or clients, either in writing or verbally (in case video conferences are held), synchronous or asynchronous, in order to avoid misunderstandings, confusion, or redundant conversations.
A very simple but powerful technique that I have applied and keep using is listening. Listen carefully, even before you start to think of an answer. Really listen to what the other person is saying. Give yourself room to think before you speak. Sometimes the first thing you say is not the best, so take a moment to choose your words. While chatting or even mailing someone, also practice being concise—brief, yet specific enough to provide enough information to the other people to understand what you’re trying to convey. This will save you time from going back and forth with messages or calls, particularly when your team isn’t in the same time zone.
In conclusion
Remote work represents something different for everyone, depending on how it is approached. To me, remote work represents freedom—freedom to choose where I work from, freedom to look after the people who are important to me, being with them in important moments, and being able to organize my schedule in a way that all my personal, family, and work aspects co-exist in one single place. Some people are more productive in the morning, others in the afternoon or evening, some feel comfortable with synchronous communication, and others asynchronous, and so on. Remote work can be as personalized as you want it to be, working from your dining room with only a laptop, or setting up a super setup with several monitors, lighting, gaming chairs, and so on. You could work from the beach or take your calls in the heart of a big city. If managers emphasize results and performance, and if they make a special effort to mentor employees and train them well, a virtual team can work like a charm.
