Creating an Effective Work From Home Office

The Rise of Home Offices in the New Normal

Most people who have experienced working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic did not foresee that they will be doing it for a considerably longer period. As such, a lot of employees started working remotely, fully unprepared. Thrown into the situation with only a PC or laptop to get going, some ended up working in dining areas, taking video call conferences in the bedroom, and even had to resort to working on presentations in living rooms. Others, still, would head out to their car to have a quiet space for a call, avoiding screaming kids or other household sounds and distractions.

While the situation is seeing hope that soon things will somehow transition back to the way it was, a lot of things have changed, and this includes people’s perception of work from home arrangements.

Seeing how this workplace strategy can actually work for some businesses, and that it has the potential to be a permanent working condition option, more and more people are starting to adapt by creating a home office, or an actual workspace in a house where people can comfortably and confidently perform work-related tasks and become more productive. 

Importance of Having a Dedicated Office Space at Home

For employees temporarily working from home because of the pandemic or for any other reason, a dedicated workspace may not be necessarily a priority, and sometimes, may not be possible especially in a limited home space. However, for employers who plan to make this strategy a permanent working arrangement for their employees, then it is necessary to make sure that your remote program includes careful consideration not only of which jobs can function remotely, but also which employees have the space to work comfortably at home. 

Even when working remotely, work should remain as work and must be clearly separated from house chores and other responsibilities. This is one of the biggest challenges that remote workers face, and a designated home office space can greatly help with establishing this distinction. 

Having a dedicated work area is advantageous because it signals an employee’s mind to focus on work, and reminds others at home to give this person the privacy and respect needed so a focus can be placed on work-related tasks. Oftentimes, family members or housemates may act normally as they would during non-working hours, and might not take into serious consideration someone’s needs for focus and concentration, because after all, they are just at home and in their comfort zone.

This mindset will result in difficulties in terms of managing time and tasks, and when not addressed early on and assertively, could cause unnecessary stress and burnout on the part of the employee.

Setting up the Right Equipment for Your Home Office

The beauty of setting up a home office is in the fact that you can design it in a way that is most comfortable and unique to you. It can be decorated with things that inspire you, or be as plain and empty as one prefers. A worker can display his or her quirks and personality, without the worry of distracting coworkers — which is something that most traditional office designs try to avoid.

Still, even when it’s a personalized office space, it must remain an area that inspires productivity; a place conducive for work. As such, it is important to maintain a certain level of “office-likeness” to one’s home office. 

This importance is something that most workers might have realized during the early stages of the pandemic, when people were left with no choice but to stay at home, with little to no preparation. Many had to settle for using what space was available, and may have even had to share with other family members.

It took having to work on a dining table or on a bed to realize how office tools that employees were oblivious to, are essential to achieving productivity and quality work performance. Now that remote working is becoming a more permanent work style, people are starting to invest in office equipment that once was taken for granted — from ergonomic chairs to secondary monitors, from noise-canceling headphones to spacious work tables, and every other tool needed to be able to work well at home.

This is where employers play an important role. Just like how a company provides an appropriate work environment on-site, it is just as important to ensure your remote workers have the support they need to achieve a home office that allows them to perform optimally, without having to worry about the tools they need. 

Employers also need to take into account the available spaces in an employees’ home. Will they have enough area to set up a workstation? Or will they need to repurpose space if they live in a smaller house? The idea is, to not leave it entirely to your employee to take care of their home-office needs. Perform surveys and assessments to learn how best you can agree with how you can make sure your employees won’t be working on a bed.

Some organizations have taken the posture that home-based employees are now able to save significantly on the many expenses incurred by those who’d otherwise have to travel to the office daily. These employers position remote work as a perk to employees, expecting them to foot the bill themselves to outfit their home office appropriately.  

While this may be the case, and remote work can certainly be a great benefit to employees and employers alike, companies should strongly consider a one-time or even recurring stipend to remote employees. This tactic helps ensure that work from home employees are actually working safely and in a professional environment that allows them to shine in their job role.  Furthermore, it is something we’ve seen many top employers offer as a differentiator and can help in terms of talent attraction and retention of work from home employees.

Preventing and Overcoming Work from Home Distractions 

Another challenge when working from home is the fact that employees may be surrounded by family members or even roommates. This is especially more difficult when an employee does not have a dedicated workstation. That is why the importance of having one was raised earlier. 

Establishing a workspace is the first step to signaling family members that you are already in “work mode”, so to speak, and that your time while working should be respected. It is a way to tell people you live with that while you are inside the house, it doesn’t mean you are always available.

Creating schedules is also helpful in minimizing distractions from family. Set the date and time for personal errands and events, and request family members to lessen noise during your working time. Simply put, communicating properly with your family is key to making sure that you encounter little to no distractions when working from home.

There is also the allure of doing chores “for just a few minutes”. While having the autonomy to manage one’s workday is a significant bright spot for remote workers, it is important to be able to stay committed to the functions you’ve been hired for.  Remote workers should not feel guilty taking small breaks, just as one in an office or any other work site would do, but make sure obligations are being met.  Being able to juggle home-based responsibilities and work needs is a fine line, but one tip that may aid work from home employees is to ensure they’ve got a robust schedule they do their best to stick to.  Schedule in the start and stop times, along with breaks for tackling some of those “quick” home tasks that may be mentally preventing you from fully committing to your work.  By doing so, you’re more likely to be calm and successful on both fronts, which is a great way to prevent remote work burnout. 

How Employers Can Help Employees Achieve an Effective Work From Home Setup

As an employer, it is important to be aware of the working conditions of your remote employees and set a proper and considerable schedule with them. 

Adopt a mindset of flexibility and allow your employees to maneuver around this arrangement to provide quality work results. As such, great trust between employee and employer must be shared. 

For the employer, this means trusting that the employee will do well with less supervision (and training them to be successful as a remote worker!), while a remote worker should trust that his or her employer will be objective yet flexible (schedule-wise) in supervising work and output. This will ultimately result in an empowered remote team.

Employers must also still encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day. Just because remote workers are at home and presumably in a more comfortable work environment, does not mean they do not need to take some time throughout the day to mentally clear their head or even exercise. 

Remember that while there is a big difference between an office and at home, work is work, and taking breaks is necessary to avoid burnout. 

SCG’s Services to Help Achieve an Effective Remote Work Team

The success of a remote team heavily relies on how the company guides these workers to this new working environment. Carefully planned policies and standardizing remote operations and conducting tailored training for employees working from home will be crucial. SCG can help your business achieve a successful remote workplace strategy. Fill out the form below and learn how.