Although it is already November 2021, there are a lot of companies who still have their employees working from home or have decided to allow them to work from home indefinitely. While technology has made the transition to working from home quite easy, it is essential to ensure employees are not taking advantage of being able to work from home.  

There are a lot of distractions that can come about when working from home, especially if their kids are home, too. There is laundry to be done, dinner to be cooked and of course, a nice, cozy looking bed in the next room. Employees have had to adjust to this new normal and so have employers. 

Here are a few ways to make sure people are getting things done while they work from home:

1. Start every work day with a mandatory morning meeting

In order to make sure everyone is up and ready to conquer the day together, schedule a mandatory morning meeting at the same time every single day. Use this time to get updated on what everyone is working on, answer any outstanding questions and take a look at what is on tap. This sets a positive and productive tone for the rest of the day. 

2. Maintain regular work hours, set priorities and a schedule 

Since employees are no longer having to commute more than 20 steps to work, many are starting their day later than normal. Making sure that they maintain a normal work schedule is important to ensure everything is getting done on time. 

Working from home can be nice, but sometimes it feels like the workday never ends. Some feel as though they must be working around the clock since they are at home. Setting a defined schedule allows employees to work more efficiently and feel as if they can clock out at a normal hour. Management and executives need to make sure they do this too. If they start sending emails all hours of the night and even on weekends, then their employees will feel as though they need to drop everything and respond right away.

Set a schedule, boundaries and priorities up front so everyone is on the same page, even if they are miles apart.

3. You have one new message!

New technology like Slack, Microsoft Teams and Zoom make it easy to communicate with your team members. It is almost as if they are in the room next to you. Chat services allow you to be productive in real time and respond faster instead of waiting hours to receive an email. It also keeps the team organized when collaborating. Conversations, files and other information can all live in the same place so it is easy to reference when needed.  

4. There is an app for that 

There are so many different pieces of software available depending on what type of field you are in. Whether it is project management, issue tracking, consulting or content creation, there is a platform available to keep you and your team on track, organized and up to date. 

These applications are also a great way for a project manager to see who is working on what, where they are in the project and if they are staying on the timeline. Have you heard about the HR Anew Toolbox™? Ramp up and maximize knowledge and productivity using technology working in the office or remotely.Package your company’s offline and online knowledge resources into a value add, easy to find, easy to use toolbox.

The HR Anew Toolbox™ enables high performance and productivity, effective collaboration, and just-in-time learning.Customized to your organization’s specific needs, it can be everything to get you to your most important purpose – client success – team success – business success.

5. Over communicate

It will never hurt to over communicate, especially when you cannot walk to the office right next to yours to check in and see how things are going. Over communicating, both as the manager and as the employee, is important to make sure that things are staying on track, running smoothly and being completed as expected. 

Over communicating is essential to building trust and respect with a colleague. Schedule weekly one-on-one check-ins to make sure your employees are staying on task and not overwhelmed. 

As an employee, it is also important to over communicate with your manager. Have three kids running around the house because they are home for the summer? Talk with your superior and let them know that you may need to work slightly different hours to get the work done. Over communicating is never a bad thing and can be extremely beneficial in the long run.

All in all, everyone is still trying to navigate this new normal, especially as more offices decide to close their doors and move forward with their employees working from home. 

Need assistance during this crazy time? HR Anew helps organizations solve their business problems by providing new ideas and solutions to optimize human resource management, human resource support, and professional services. Contact us today to learn more!