Staying Part of the Team When Working from Home

“Working from home can have some huge advantages – no time spent commuting, more flexibility, independence and family time. However, even something as innovative and seemingly ideal as remote working has its downsides, the main being feeling left out. When you’re not in the office every day, you have fewer opportunities to socialise with your co-workers, and can easily feel disconnected. So much of our satisfaction with our job depends on the social interactions that come with it and with the sense of being part of a community, and it’s easy for a remote worker to feel alone. Here are some tips that will help you stay connected with your co-workers when you’re working from home so that you will always feel part of the team. Stay connectedFrom Skype to texts to emails, make sure you are in regular communication with your team. It’s important that your colleagues feel that you are accessible when they need you, and technology offers us countless ways so be in constant touch with each other. Also, schedule in regular voice or video conferences to check on how everything is going – it will help keep you involved and build a more solid relationship with your co-workers. Visit when you canWhenever you’re able to, go and visit the office. You will get a chance to talk to your colleagues face to face, build camaraderie and be part of the team dynamics. It’s important that you are aware of the vibe in the office, of how people generally feel and interact, and scheduling regular visits is the best way to do that. Also make sure to attend important meetings, lunches and big social events, so that you don’t feel left out and create a much stronger bond with your team. Make your needs and accomplishments knownIf there’s something you’re not sure about, or you need more information on a project, don’t stay quiet, but make sure you do ask your co-workers for help, like you would if you were in the office. Similarly, if you have any good news to share, email everyone and let them know, being direct about your accomplishments but minding not to brag. This way, your role will not be forgotten, and the relationship between you and your co-workers will feel a lot more natural. Behave as if you were in the officeIt’s easy to feel disconnected if you’re working from your sofa in your pyjamas, so make sure that you behave as if you were an on-site employee – get dressed in the morning, sit at your desk and try not to get distracted by what’s happening around you. A good way to achieve this is by creating a professional environment around you. Keep your working space neat and tidy, and, if possible, create a home office in a separate room. This way, you will recreate the office experience, and you will feel much more connected to your team. Take a look at some of the home office furniture that we have available online.
“