How to nail your working from home game in the long-run

For many, working from home is here to stay. Here’s how you can make sure you stay on top of your game. 

While flexible working arrangements have been on the rise for the past decade, the shift to working from home brought on by COVID-19 at the start of the year was unprecedented. 

For many workers, the adjustment was massive, and at times tricky. But a recent study found that most employees would be happier being in the office for only two or three days of a five-day working week.

So if the future of work means that working from home (at least some of the time) is here to stay, how do you make sure you’re ready for it? We asked Helen Green from Career Confident for some advice. 

Reflect for the future 

Take the time to think about what has worked well, and not so well during this COVID-19 working from home period. Helen suggests breaking this down into sections like productivity, daily routine, technology, office equipment, interactions with colleagues, and dealing with clients and stakeholders.  

“Through challenge comes opportunity, so think carefully about how WFH could work more effectively for you,” Helen says. 

Seek feedback 

One of the best ways to learn and grow is seeking out feedback, and setting yourself up for a long-term WFH arrangement is no different. So make a time with your employer to ask them about their expectations of you, any changes to your role, and how the organisation can better support you. 

“Establish how communications are going to work best between yourself and your manager going forward, just as you would in an office environment,” Helen says. 

Stay connected 

Without the office buzz going on around them, some people have found this time incredibly isolating. That’s why it’s super important to keep connected to your work colleagues via meetings, social work events, and focus groups. If you think these can be done better, or more regularly, you could even try starting one yourself. 

As well as this, Helen says you should make sure you’re keeping an eye out for networking and skill development opportunities to stay connected outside of your workplace. 

“Ensure you stay connected with industry groups and partake in professional development opportunities,” she says. 

Keep up a routine 

We’ve all had days working from home where putting on “outside” clothes is just not an option. While it’s fine to work from your PJs once in a blue moon, Helen says it’s really important that it doesn’t turn into a habit. 

“Stick to a routine, ensure you have adequate breaks away from your screen to stretch, get some fresh air and take a break,” she says. 

“Dress for work as this helps delineate work and non-work time. As you will be interacting with clients and colleagues remotely, think about the image you are projecting and what it says about your commitment to your work.”