How To Stay Connected While Working Remotely

alli, HOW TO STAY CONNECTED WHILE WORKING REMOTELY Working from home can be both liberating and exciting. However, life without colleagues can soon become lonely and – with little social interaction and no office chatter - many remote workers often begin to feel isolated. BEING DISCONNECTED IN A CONNECTED WORLD Telecommuting is becoming a more viable option for many workers - figures from the Freelancers Union' show that 54 million U.S. workers did some form of freelance work in 2015. -1 MILLION U.S. WORKERS + AND, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST ANNUAL WORK AND EDUCATION POLL: 37% of U.S. workers say they telecommute frequently 9%* of employees work remotely more than 10 days a month of Americans think that telecommuters 58% are just as productive as office workers ((o) With technological advances having Working from home doesn't have to leave you isolated and alone. Utilizing networking apps, changing your location and embracing human connections will leave you feeling inspired, in-touch and in the best position to succeed. made telecommuting possible, there has been a noticeable surge in the number of people working remotely. HOW TO STAY CONNECTED 1 Say Hello In the office you get to say "hello!" to your co-workers as you stroll to your seat, but working remotely means you have no one to greet on the way to your desk. Use a communications app like Slack and start each day by saying "hi!" because nobody will know that you're working unless you tell them. 2 Create a Digital Office If you want to feel a part of the office, consider Sqwiggle. It enables you to stay in close contact with your team by providing instant video calls, team chat, presence and more. And, if you are a fan of being on camera, you can remain logged in throughout the day so that your entire team will be able to see you as the day unfolds. 3 Create a Chat Group If paying for a group chat service isn't in the budget, turn to Skype for a free but equally effective platform. Skype chats can be moderated and controlled by certain commands, which means they're entirely customizable to your needs. 4 Track the Time If you're working as part of a global or state-wide team, time zones can be problematic. Avoid trying to contact someone at an unsociable hour by downloading World Clock. Not only can you add as many time zones as necessary, but you can easily schedule meetings across time zones too. 5 Demonstrate Achievement It's crucial to know where everyone's at on a big project. iDoneThis makes accountability quick and easy - at the end of every day, each team member logs their achievements so that the next morning a digest highlighting the team's accomplishments appears in your inbox. 6 Find a Co-Working Space Unlike traditional offices, co-working spaces consist of members who work for a range of different companies and projects. They are often open 24/7 and offer you the chance to make new contacts and possibly even generate additional revenue. Furthermore, socializing isn't compulsory, meaning you are free to choose how and when to interact with others. 7 Go into the Office Although the point of working remotely is, well, working remotely, that doesn't mean you can't ever set foot inside the office. Making the effort to go in once a month will enable you to connect with your co-workers and find out about any social events that are penciled in to the calendar. SOURCES: HEADWAY CAPITAL. *Freelancers Union. (2015). Freelancing in America. freelancersunion.org * Jones, J. M. (2015). In U.S., telecommuting for work climbs to 37%. gallup.com CREDIT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Jesus, M. D. (2015). Hiring remote freelancers: what you need to know. allstate.com Linders, B. (2015). Staying connected when working remote. Infoq.com Marquit, M. (2016). 3 ways to stay connected as a remote worker. due.com Nickolaisen, M. (2015). 8 team tools for remote work. highfive.com Parris, J. (2015). New remote work stats show rise in telecommuting. remote.co Spreitzer, G, Bacevice, P, and Garrett, L. (2015). Why people thrive in coworking spaces. hbr.org Wilcox, R. (2015). How to work remotely and still be the best., toptal.com © 00 This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License - www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0