As well as in other countries, sudden changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic also have had an impact on the Slovak working environment: practically, from one day to another, there has been a number of employees working from their kitchens, living rooms, terraces, or balconies. At ManpowerGroup, it was not different. Our company prioritizes the health and protects our employees, which is why many of us started working from home. In this way, we managed to protect the health of our colleagues and candidates. Most of the activities continued in the online world (online interviews, meetings, mail communication).
And in this way, from one evening until another morning, occasional benefit became an everyday reality.
How to manage work from home? How to feel well, without any feeling of isolation or doubts about your work results?
Read few tips from our own experience.
Gain maximum out of each day by creating a daily routine
This tip might seem boring but you will definitely find out that spontaneity can be your enemy making you feel dissatisfied with your work. For some of us, it might be automatic while for others, it might take a bit more time which is alright as we are all different.
If you have children, you will appreciate the time schedule even more: it will help you go through the day with a limited number of unpredictable situations that could potentially take your time. Even if there was any kind of unpredictable situation, you would be able to cope with it easily. Moreover, children will get used to the daily routine and will require it which will not allow you to leave your daily routine.
Consider not only your duties but also your skills: if you know that you can be more effective in the evening when the children are sleeping, or that you can do something better during the weekend, feel free to do it later and don´t be afraid to play with children during the day.
What should be a part of your daily time schedule:
- Morning rituals – morning hygiene, breakfast, change of clothes – this will help you switch into the working mode
- Keeping your workplace clean
- Making notes and ticking off completed tasks – you will see the progress
- Combining work and regular breaks
- Move during your break – move your body, check your mailbox, take out the trash, hang clothes or make some tea, coffee, eat an apple, water the plants…
- Don´t forget to drink enough water and to have a lunch
- Turn off the computer after work and relax
Keep in touch with your colleagues to avoid feeling isolated
Family relationships are important. However, you might miss the contact with your colleagues. To avoid it, they should become a part of your „working from home environment“. You can also ask your colleagues to meet regularly and make it a part of your daily routine. You don´t have to talk about work. Have small talks about your day, what you cooked and what you do in your free time. Don´t be afraid to talk about your feelings, moods, or fears.
Relaxation is a must
What are the activities that make you happy but are a perfect opposite to your work? If you can, do the activities every day. If possible, spend time on them with your partner, children, or pets. Don´t forget that working from home still means working. It is up to you how you relax and let your mind rest. You will only succeed at work if you balance it with relaxation. Even though active relaxation would be the best, even a passive one is better than nothing.
With the gradual easing of government measures, the number of people working from home is declining and this trend will certainly continue. However, we assume that working from home will stay with us and this „benefit“ will become a common part of our working life in the modern world of work.
At the same time, employers, who choose to meet the needs of their employees, will strengthen their chances of keeping the best talents in their company. The balance between personal and work life is an important factor that influences emloyees´satissfaction. Together with time flexibility, the balance is one of the three most in-demand preferences of candidates.
If you want to know more about Working From Home, check the interesting findings of the survey that ManpowerGroup conducted in 2017. Few interesting facts:
14.000 respondents from 19 countries state that flexibility is the third factor that has an impact on the decision regarding taking the job. Even in 2017, 2/3 of respondents thought that the nature of their work doesn´t require their presence in the workplace. 26% of respondents required flexible working hours, 22% wanted to work from home only, 15% were interested in the decision-making regarding their shifts at work.
