Working from Home - A sort of how-to guide

Today I am working from home.

I always thought that working from home would be a highly productive yet freeing experience; my creativity bursting forth in a Jerry Maguire meets J.K Rowling kind-of-way. I imagine myself at a large desk surrounded by matching stationary and a scented candle in the corner as I type furiously and complete everything on my to-do list.

This is far from my reality. I live in an apartment. No fancy home office, no large desk and certainly no ‘aha!’ moments. I am also struggling to focus. One would think that being on my own in the comfort of my own home, I would get more done.

Wrong. Have you ever noticed how many distractions there are? How hard it is to mentally ‘switch on’ in a place where you are so used to ‘switching off’? The fact is, I feel more focused in a suit and heels and at my desk – the clear distinction between home and work allowing my mental mindset to change accordingly.

A survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last year revealed that approximately 3.5 million people in Australia now regularly work from home. Half of these do so to catch up on work, the other half because they have chosen to or their personal circumstances require them to. Advances in technology have made this a totally viable option, allowing people to work anytime, anywhere. Of course, the downside for this is that we are contactable at all times and so switching off is becoming more and more difficult.

There are huge benefits in offering employees the chance to work from home. By doing so, employers can tap into a far greater talent pool and secure candidates who otherwise could not work for them due to location-based or personal circumstances. Allowing staff such flexibility increases motivation and staff retention rates but also reduces money and productivity losses due to absenteeism.

The benefits for employees include reduced travel time and costs (and probably increased mood as they haven’t had to spend time in peak traffic / public transport), more time to spend with family and an increased work / life balance.

The downside to this however, is that employees who regularly work from home may feel isolated from the workplace and subsequent team culture – it can be difficult to build relationships with colleagues if you are rarely there in person. Likewise, employees may also feel a more uphill battle when it comes to advancing their careers or achieving promotions.

Another concern is one that I have experienced today – balancing home and work-life at the same time. Whilst few of us will have our kids burst in during a live video interview with the BBC (if you still haven’t witnessed this viral video, do yourself a favour), it is difficult to ignore all the responsibilities you have at home when they are surrounding you.

Employers may also find this arrangement difficult as they have limited access to staff and therefore cannot monitor or develop them as effectively.

I am fortunate to work with a company that values work / life balance and respects the responsibilities that staff have, with several employees spending at least half of their time working from home. When managed well, a working-from-home arrangement can indeed be an excellent differentiator to attract new talent and retain the staff you already have.

From an employee perspective, here are my tips to make working from home work for you:

1.     Have a designated work space

Whether this be a large library with a mahogany desk, leather-bound books and a whisky cabinet* or a more modest arrangement, a more professional set-up and change in scenery can help get you in the right mindset.

*Not suitable during work hours

2.      Schedule, schedule and schedule some more!

Start and finish work at the same time each day, and take a standard lunch break. This will prevent you working longer than you anticipate – something easy to do when you are already at home! A more regimented “clock on, clock off” approach is best when in a more relaxed environment.

3.     Do not become invisible

Whilst the cloaking device assisted James T Kirk and the rest of the Starship enterprise many times, it will do you damage. Even those with the best intentions can fall into ‘out of sight, out of mind’ thinking patterns from time to time. To prevent this from happening ensure you attend office meetings as frequently as possible and work in the office from time-to-time.

4.     Network!

Perhaps the most obvious of all – LinkedIn! Connect with people, engage in industry-related conversations and just be digitally present – this will build credibility and give you a feeling of being connected to your professional community.

Today I am working from home.

How about you?