5 Things Nobody Ever Tells You About Telecommuting

Telecommuting or working remotely sounds a lot simpler than it is. Most people see it as a process of working from home without any challenges. However, if you’re familiar with remote working systems, you’ll know how there are some hurdles one may have to cope with. There are many things even experienced employees don’t expect when making the shift to telecommuting. If you’re considering a work-from-home job for yourself, here’s everything you need to know.

Working in Isolation can be Demotivating

Working from home or telecommuting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. When you sign up and qualify for a remote job, it’s crucial not to expect a typical work environment. It’s because telecommuting is very different than conventional employment. It requires you to set up your workstation at home without any assistance and manage your time and other errands according to your work hours.

While working from home might seem comfortable and convenient, it can often get lonely, making workers feel demotivated. That’s not the easiest when you’re working from home.

An excellent way to prevent your remote employees from feeling like they’re out of the loop is conducting regular opening and closing meetings to provide a reliable avenue to share their thoughts and what they think about their work. This will enable them to communicate with their employers better while getting clarity on the tasks they’re assigned to do.

Networking Can Be Challenging

Networking and creating professional connections is an essential part of every job. While employee resource groups have played a significant role in helping companies achieve this objective, many organizations still struggle to determine the best networking opportunities for their remote employees.

While physically interacting isn’t an option for employees working from home, they can always rely on modern technology for networking purposes. Online video meeting platforms such as Zoom and Skype are excellent places to organize virtual networking events. Similarly, social media platforms like LinkedIn can connect you with like-minded individuals who’ll help you grow and learn as an employee.

Higher Productivity Levels

The COVID-19 pandemic led a significant number of employees to start working from home indefinitely. While this was a new concept for many companies, recent surveys from this experience indicated that remote working significantly improved the productivity levels among employees.

It’s safe to say that when workers are more in control of their work environment and the strategies they employ to ensure that they handle their work-related tasks and home errands efficiently, they’re likely to remain productive throughout the day. As a result, potential remote employees can expect to feel more in charge of their day when working from home.

More Emphasis on Self-Directed Learning

Employment comes with a wide range of learning opportunities at every stage. You learn to connect with others and build meaningful work relations, negotiate with clients and superiors, use your skills to impact others, learn from other people’s work ethic, deal with complicated clients and customers, recover from a downturn, and so much more.

While most jobs conduct regular meetings, training, and workshops to provide an exceptional learning experience for their employees, many remote employees struggle to benefit from them due to not being physically present there. However, on the brighter side, remote jobs are an excellent opportunity for self-directed learning.

You can have more autonomy over your work-life balance when working from home. As a result, you’re better equipped to assess your strengths and weaknesses and employ measures to learn new things from scratch using digital tools and resources. Learning new things on your own can play a  massive role in enhancing your performance and getting you one step closer to the bonus you’re eyeing out for.

The Need to Develop Soft Skills

The process of working from home is completely different than that of going to a physical workplace to perform your tasks. It’s not all about starting the day with a cup of coffee with your colleagues or working in the same room or workspace as everyone else on your team. Therefore, remote work requires you to develop skills that you can efficiently use to cope with the challenges that may arise.

Some of the skills you need for remote jobs include time management, multitasking, open communication, and the ability to use digital resources and tools smartly. While your employer may provide you with the resources to learn these new skills, it’s always a better idea to seek assistance from online platforms and how-to guides to make the process easier.

Now that you know everything about what you sign up for when working remotely; don’t forget to check out the remote work vacancies available at Remote Gurus if you think you’re suitable for a similar job. It’s the ultimate platform to help you search for work-from-home jobs and find the best possible vacancy to meet your requirements.