Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the whole world begins telecommuting for the first time.  But, if you’re working remotely for the first time, then be aware about the work from home challenges and know how to succeed as a remote worker. ‘Work from home’ is wonderful with the help of technological progress and digitization of business. Listed below are some common remote work obstacles with their solutions:

• Overwork

Work from home gives flexibility in working hours, but it will impact negatively for some remote workers, like lack of personal time, the feeling of exhaustion, etc. ‘Work overload’ results into a drop in productivity.

How to avoid overworking?

Set clear start and end time, take breaks!

Prepare and prioritize a daily to-do list, especially for office meetings, calls, etc.!

Use time tracking software to know how many hours your work. Inform your team when you shut down your system.

• Distractions

Avoiding office distractions is easy, but it’s really hard when you face interruption from your family, neighbors or pets.  Distraction can compromise team progress and make your work from home a nightmare.

How to handle distractions while working remotely?

Differentiate between avoidable and unavoidable interruptions!

Set up a home workspace equipped with the necessary tools for your work!

Let your family know about your working hours, especially about your meetings and video conferences.

Keep consistent working hours and stick to it!

• Team communication

Timely and productive communication is very much necessary to make remote work a success. Try to communicate and engage your team as much as possible else it may create misunderstandings.

How to have effective communication with teams?

Install best online communication channels for messaging and video-conferencing!

Discuss with your colleagues and seniors about task’s progress and future goals related to work.

Promote transparency and avoid assumptions!

• Feeling isolated

Getting over the feeling of ‘isolation’ needs more effort! When you miss the social interaction at work, then find it somewhere else.

How not to feel lonely during work from home?

Keep some time in your schedule for social breaks!

Reach out to nearby colleagues or friends for dinner.

Involve yourself in outdoor activities, like grocery shopping, gym sessions at the end of the day.

• Technology Issues

An ‘internet outage’ can create a big fuss for remote workers as it is your problem to solve. Fast internet connection, excellent communication apps or virtual meeting platforms are not always reliable.

How to deal with technical problems?

Have a backup plan and avoid delay in work!

Keep contact number for technical help ready.

• Managing performance metrics

If you are managing a team or remote workers, then tracking progress of each employee on a daily basis is a tedious job. Failing to set up a performance metric works in favour of lazy remote workers!

How to measure job performance of remote workers?

Opt for performance management system for help!

Attendance management software to track and maintain attendance of remote workers!

Timesheet management software helps you to keep an eye on project-wide progress.