Over the last year, millions have made the shift to WFH. Although benefits are aplenty, a fully remote workforce has its share of problems. But did you know you can overcome all of them with a solid work-from-home strategy?
5CA has championed working from home since our humble beginnings. But, while seeing other companies get on board with remote work has been great, we know it has its problems.
Not everybody thrives when they work from home. Generally, those with an aptitude for remote work learn on the go and can manage their time. But there are dozens of reasons why it might not be the right choice for people.
With that in mind, we built a WFH aptitude assessment into our recruitment model. That way, we can screen our CXperts, ensuring everyone thrives in a remote environment and those who thrive provide the best results.
Having worked remotely for 18 years, we can identify problems and do our best to defeat them. Because, as with everything good in life, there are plenty of challenges to address along the way.
And while we believe remote work is the future, we know it isn’t all sunshine and roses. Organizing and maintaining a remote workforce is hard, and there are no Matrix-style contortion tricks to get around it.
But every issue has its solution.
We know it because we’ve been there and have worked hard to foster the best WFH environment for our CXperts: by identifying problems ASAP and solving them with a solid work-from-home strategy.
If we had a cent for every time somebody has said somethingis the new normal since 2020, we’d have more money than Mario on his way to the castle. But they also aren’t wrong. Thanks to the pandemic, working from home had to be the new normal.
With everyone stuck at home, companies of all shapes, sizes, and niches had to go remote. There was no better time to work from home. And the stats prove it. Microsoft Teams, for example, saw a boost in users, rising from 20 to 75 million in just five months.
People were using software they had never used before, and others were using software they hadn’t even heard of. Zoom memes became commonplace, and older generations learned the value of a well-placed gif.
While many enjoy the benefits of working from home, the same isn’t true for everyone. Many still prefer a desk over their kitchen table and water cooler chatter over the freedom to use the WC without drawing the attention of coworkers.
At 5CA, we’ve been a pioneering force for work-from-home life from the beginning. We know its ins, its outs, and its challenges — and we also know how to solve them.
Whether 2020 was your first foray into remote work or it’s just not for you, you might prefer being in the office for plenty of reasons.
In ways, it’s like going to the gym vs working out at home: some of us like having someone telling us what to do; others want the freedom to figure it out themselves. And, like exercise, both work.
But some people want to work from home and get tripped up. With so many challenges to overthrow, it can feel overwhelming. So we want to cover some of the most common problems you might encounter when working with a remote team — and tell you how we overcame them ourselves.
Believe it or not, plenty of bosses think their remote workers are slacking off. It couldn’t be more different.
People working from home are likelier to overwork from home than in the office. Having work and home lives collide leads to burnout. As a result, they feel overworked, overstressed, and have no time for themselves.
When in charge of their hours, many people forget to eat, don’t get to exercise, and spend at least 3 hours more on the job. To curb this, ensure your employees stick to a routine.
Average working hours have decreased in the last 30 years, but that isn’t bad. After all, working too much is one of the biggest productivity killers. f you’ve ever sat around in an office watching the clock tick by, you’ll know first-hand.
Having longer working days means there are more hours to fill. And unfortunately, when you have too many hours, getting side-tracked is easier. Even more so when you’re at home and surrounded by distractions.
Feeling uninspired is like throwing a wrench into the works to get anything done. But there are ways to avoid this and keep people feeling motivated.
Thanks to COVID-19, even introverts felt isolated. As a result, loneliness is at an all-time high. Yet, for many, going into the office to see your colleagues is essential to being human. We are social creatures, after all. And while many people find the idea of becoming a hermit enticing, it can get old fast.
No matter what software captures the social aspects of work, there’s a difference between sending gifs in Slack and telling Elon Musk he’s muted over Zoom.
We can link so much of our mental health and wellbeing to being around other people. Whether it’s morning commutes, coffee-buying, or water cooler gossip, human interaction can lift spirits — even if you can’t wait to get home at the end of the day.
Loneliness can be a big problem when working from home. What people don’t realize is we need social contact to satisfy us. Not unlike the way we need food to stave off hunger.
Truthfully, maintaining a successful and happy remote team isn’t unlike romantic relationships. Communication is key. While this is true for all work teams, it’s even more important when working from home.
When you see somebody in person or sit across a table from them, you can pick up on social cues. But, unfortunately, if you’re working virtually, it isn’t as easy.
Text doesn’t read the same as body language, and video chats make it so people must look at themselves as they speak, which can be distracting if you’re not used to seeing yourself talk.
Miscommunications will happen, and without a clear line of communication, people will be more inclined to sort things out themselves.
Implementing a strategy can make working from home more fun. Not only that, but you’ll get the most out of your workers as a result.
Even the biggest freedom-seeker needs some form of strategy if they want success. Of course, there’s a thing such as too much freedom, but not in the way most of us think. With strategy, Into the Wild would have turned out much differently.
And while your remote team might not be parking a bus in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, there’s a lot to be said for giving them some guidance. For many of us, WFH is the future of work, but it’s only going to be successful if you keep fostering those working relationships, too.
Forming a well-thought-out work-from-home strategy means supporting your team through the fog. You’ll get the best results by ensuring they don’t work too much, feel able to communicate with their coworkers, and effectively manage their time.
We founded our global remote operating model to empower and engage our CXperts. With it, we’re able to work together seamlessly and bolster productivity. And in doing so, you foster a work-from-home environment people from all walks of life can love.
Staying updated on technological advancements is essential for customer service professionals navigating the rapidly evolving field of automation and AI. At 5CA, we’re committed to integrating innovative solutions into our services while exploring the future of AI-driven customer experiences.
