Top 10 Tips on Working from Home

As COVID-19 continues, Driver Hire, like many businesses has adapted to the circumstances that we now find ourselves in, with many of our Franchisees and staff members now working from home. Whilst things may be slightly different for our network’s drivers out on the road right now, operational staff across the country have had to adapt from an office environment to home working quickly, which in itself can present its own challenges.

This way of working may be completely new to many of us too, with only 30% of UK employees saying the worked from home during 2019, according to the latest research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

We have found the following tips useful and they may help you maintain yours and your teams’ productivity during this time. So here’s our Top 10 Tips on staying productive and managing a team whilst working from home.

1. Stay productive by creating a task list, and setting and following a schedule.

Think back to your routine before and start with the simple tasks to begin your day. These might be things like getting up, taking a shower, making breakfast and getting dressed.

2. Dress for work.

You don’t have to get suited and booted, but getting dressed will certainly help you switch from home-mode to work-mode! It also looks a bit more professional if you’re invited into a video conference unexpectedly…

3. Start your working day with the biggest challenge first.

Starting with the more daunting task means everything else after that will be a doddle. Try not to multitask either, just focus on one job at a time, moving down your list of priorities.

4. Separate your work space from your home life, wherever possible.

Try and stick to your normal working hours and tell others when you’re planning to switch off – so you do. You may have to inform friends or family members what hours you’re working too, so you’re not easily distracted at home, or by personal phone calls or the constant ping of WhatsApps chat notifications. When you’re done for the day, turn off your work laptop. Keep it out of sight, away from your everyday living space.

5. Take regular breaks.

This sounds simple, but it’s really easy to plough through your working day without stopping to take a break. You cannot possibly concentrate fully without breaks and your productivity output will soon start to lag. Walk away from your computer to make a coffee, take your lunch break and if you can, pop outside for some fresh air. You will come back refreshed and ready to carry on with a clear head.

6. Take part in video chat whenever possible.

This helps with motivation, more so than a chat over the telephone. You’re able to bond with your team members better, and allows you to also chat about non-work-related topics that you may have done in the office kitchen, had you been there!

7. Stay in regular contact with team members.

Stay in touch with your team with regular check-ins, but also schedule daily or weekly meetings over video conference. If you’re managing a team remotely, plan regular calls and type up your agenda beforehand. Discuss current tasks and goals, and assign responsibilities to each team member. Agree who will do what, how often updates should be made and who they should be sent to when completed.

8. Keep your team up to date with business updates regularly.

Whilst all working remotely, it’s easy for miscommunication to occur. It’s much harder to stay in the loop in regards to what’s happening when you’re not in an office environment. No matter how small you think the updates are, still ensure they’re communicated clearly. Keep them involved at all times – the more communication, the better.

9. Reflect on what you have achieved everyday.

You could do this on your morning meeting calls if you have them set with your team. Reflect on what you all achieved yesterday, and then discuss what tasks you’re going to be on with today.

10. Make time for non-work-related conversations.

You would probably be doing this if you were working in your normal work environment, so use your online chat to replicate office communication. This may be as simple as asking what your team mates watched at the weekend, what they’re doing outside work to stay active or what new hobbies they’re discovering.

The top tips for remote working listed above, certainly apply to a Driver Hire recruitment franchise and many points can be transferred across other businesses working from home. Let us know if you have any other tops tips for success when it comes to running your own business.