Question

Winning at Work: Working Virtually Takes Special Preparations

Advances in social networking, video conferencing, cloud storage, and mobile technology have enabled more and more employees to work virtually. A sizeable percentage of the U.S. workforce telecommutes from home at least part of the time. There are some challenges that can make it difficult for some people to work from home. One concern is that people miss the personal contact and social interaction that come with working in an office. Many people have difficulty creating boundaries between their work and home life. Finally, it takes discipline to work from home since there are no managers or colleagues around to motivate or prompt you to get things done. To work effectively virtually, you should have an effective work area that feels like an office; you should work specific hours and keep to your schedule; you should establish and maintain a morning routine; your family and friends must leave you alone to focus on your work; you should have a list of goals that must be accomplished; you need to maintain communication with your professional network; and take steps to ensure you get the desired level of human interaction. Not everyone is well suited for virtual work so it is important to know your true characteristics and strengths before beginning virtual work.

Discussion Questions/Topics:

• As a manager, what questions would you ask a job applicant to determine if the candidate is a good choice for a position that relies on telecommuting?
• If you have telecommuted for a current or previous job, what actions did you take to help you focus on work? If you have not telecommuted, what actions would you need to take to stay focused on work?
• What can a company do to create a sense of “community” when most or all of the firm’s employees telecommute?

Answer 1

Ans 1=Questions you can ask an aspirant to ascertain if he is a good choice for a post which relies upon telecommuting-

• Provide an instance of your time-management skills-

Time-management is a must in any remote workplace situation. You cannot hover around your staff members, ensuring all the tasks are getting done. You need to be sure about the persons you recruit to be self-directed & motivated to do projects.

Asking for an instance of time-management skills will compel candidates to talk about a situation from their prior work experience. This way, you can decide whether / not it sounds like they’ve what it takes to handle their own time.

• Tell me about an instance when you had a tight time limit & how you got work finished on time-

Not each employee responds well to time limits, yet these become more essential in a virtual work setting. Asking an open-ended question about adhering to deadlines will enable telecommuting aspirants to back up their qualifications with concrete instances of how they prioritize, organize, & finish their personal workflow.

• How do you stay informed on industrial news?-

Great virtual employees have a high degree of self-motivation & self-direction. Asking how an aspirant keeps up on industrial news will enable you to judge how motivated these aspirants are to stay up-to-date on the pressing concerns facing your sector.

• Are you at ease bringing up conflicts?-

In a virtual setting, concerns can fester & issues can go unsaid. This will ultimately result in things blowing up with little warning. Thus, you need to recruit good communicators who’re not shy about coming to supervisors in a professional & calm way.

During the interview, watch for how telecommuting aspirants react to this question. If they seem uncomfortable, they might not be able to talk about conflict whilst on the job.

• Give an instance of how you have worked before in a team setting-

Your firm requires a team player, not a loner. Just because your aspirant won’t be stepping foot in the workplace daily does not imply he won’t have to operate closely with team players . You require somebody who can adjust to a team-based setting, function with others, & add actual worth to a team.

Ans 2=The household commotions, together with the isolation which usually accompanies remote working, can cause one to lose focus  & to damage one’s productivity.

Here are 5 main ways to stop that from occurring:-

1. Motivate yourself- Self-motivational  techniques can aid you to foster your confidence, think positively, & establish clear goals.
2. Minimize distractions- Which distractions  tend to impact you the maximum? Maybe you get caught up in household chores, or suffer disturbances from family / friends. Beating these commotions could be as easy as shutting the door.
3. Reward yourself- Find ways to make every task more pleasurable & rewarding in itself, plus giving yourself ‘treats’ when they are accomplished .
4. Control on your social media- Think wisely about which notifications to keep on, & which to mute . Assign time for checking your mobile phone. And, if you are still struggling, see if some of the available tools can help you in controlling your time online.
5. Recognise your goals- Along with short run, task-related goals, make sure that you are also clear about the broader career goals & purpose  you are toiling to achieve. Bearing these in mind will motivate you to do put in your best , whatever your whereabouts .

A firm can do the following to develop a sense of ‘community’ when most / all of the company’s employees telecommute-

1. Make communication the topmost priority
2. Keep in everyday contact, but do not micromanage
3. Allot time for face time
4. Build morale to fortify the team
5. Stress upon work-life balance
6. Master the above strategies now to safeguard future success.