Working Remotely During COVID-19

Remember when working from home used to be consider a privilege? Well, on it’s the new norm. And while some are loving it, others are finding remote work environments to create a challenge.

It’s Complicated!

I personally love working from home because cutting out my commute has allowed for some extra sleep, longer workout sessions, and more time to cook healthy meals. I’m thriving in this remote work environment. Plus, I feel like feeling restored is boosting my productivity at work.

#WorkingFromHome... Extremely convenient for me, a luxury for some, and a challenge for others.https://t.co/OhSQiV2i7U
— Bianca Reyes (@Bianca_718) March 31, 2020

Internal Comms

Emily Goodson is an HR professional, CEO

www.workculturesmart.com

Surveying your staff is crucial to prioritizing how your company can respond to COVID-19. Don't make assumptions on what people need or what you can do to support them. Gather data and use it to drive your decisions and actions.

Be emotionally aware and engage your empathy skills by asking questions. There are employees of all demographics and some might be lonelier than others or have a more stressful home environment than you know about. There are single people, parents homeschooling, people looking after their elderly relatives - and all of them have different needs and fears that need to be acknowledged.

There are two best practices for communications in crisis: be consistent and give context. Regardless of if you manage a team or a project, stick to a regular communication schedule and be as transparent as possible. Intentionally give more context when working remotely to ensure your teams have the support they need to move forward with the action or decision.

Meaningful Connections

I’ve actually been on the whole “internal comms” bandwagon since a few years back, despite working in law firms that may not have valued the need for internal communications, whether we were in the office or remote working during a quarantine. Internal communications is more than a newsletter full of baby pictures and happy hours that gets circulated around the office. Well, I think now is the moment for internal communications professionals to shine because we’ve never needed them more.

I recently read an article from a Manifest newsletter called “If the time isn’t now, then when?” Bec Chelin is the author of this article, as well as the Managing Director at Manifest, which is a brand communications agency by the way. And she said something that resonated with me and perhaps this statement right here captures the main point of the post.

For

“Engagement is a hugely influential factor in motivation, collaboration, innovation, productivity and, ultimately, the bottom line. And that’s the part we CAN influence. So that’s what we focus on.”

I had the opportunity to chat with several professionals, as well as Elsida, a NYC based HR professional in the finance industry, recommends “open communication with your manager to meet your needs.”

Learn the technology that you need, Become an expert in it. like zoom or Skype.

It’s all about your company’s culture.

Lots of companies have already set those expectations. So employees should also set those expectations too. Working from home looks different for everyone. Take care of family, home schooling, etc.

It’s not just about working from home, it’s about working at home.

Zoom Happy Hours and informal meetings. Virtual bingo, etc. Slack and Hangouts. Doesn’t have to be work related.

“I’ve been able to manage my time better, so I feel well-adjusted.” For other’s whom working from home is new for, it might be more difficult to unplug at the end of the day.