Remote working is changing the world we are living in. Sooner or later, it will become a new norm, and businesses have to adapt to it.
Though the concept is new for many, the IT industry has taken advantage of it for years. With the flexibility to hire remote developers from anywhere globally, companies have been leveraging to find the best talent. And there are numerous benefits that employers enjoy of having a remote team.
Talking about employees, the majority of them would prefer working remotely. While the employees also enjoy some benefits, they are a few challenges that come along the way.
According to a United Nations International Labor Organization study, while workers are more efficient when they work outside of the traditional workplace, they are often more prone to working more hours, work-home interruption, and, in certain instances, higher tension.
This challenges our struggles can be affecting their personal life and their productivity. So, it is vital that we know how to deal with these challenges. In this article, we would discuss the challenges that remote workers face and how they can overcome them.
– Communication Issues
Communication plays a pivotal role in to reshape the future of your business. Without proper and effective communication, you would not be on the same page. In an office, it is much easier to simply walk up to your coworker’s desk to resolve any queries. However, that is not the case in remote working.
There can be times where the teams or individuals would be struggling to understand and communicate with others. Also, it can be demotivating, which can ultimately lead to a decline in an employee’s productivity.
Solution: In order to curtail this issue, it is vital that you use robust communication tools to chat with your team instantly. Emails are now in the past as they can be time-consuming and sometimes lead to confusion.
Tools like Skype and Slack can help you instantly chat with anyone. They are excellent for instant messaging. Moreover, they allow you to make groups to make an announcement to everyone collectively easily.
Also, it would be better to have video conferencing with your colleagues
regularly to reinforce your association with them.
– Overworking
A big issue that many people face is of overworking. Since there is no line between work life and physical life, you might find yourself working worldwide. Consequently, you appear to work more and eventually end up putting in more time and energy. And this can have a negative impact on both your mental health and wellbeing.
Solution: A simple solution to this problem is to draw a line between your workspace and your personal space. Separate your workspace from private space and leave your workstation when your work is complete. Though many people don’t like the 9 to 5 culture, it is still highly recommended that you make a work schedule that you follow.
Inform your team about the working hours or your availability to contact you within that time only. Also, make sure that you switch off your laptop and cell phones that will make you worry about any pending work.
– Dealing With Interruptions And Distractions
Though you do get away from the distractions of your coworkers, other distractions come with remote working. You’ll find yourselves doing the house chores and answering the doorbells. Also, if there are kids in your home, then good luck focusing on your work.
It is not just kids. Other family members can also contribute to these distractions that arise. You might find your parents dropping by to meet you or other family members. And these are just the few that we have mentioned here.
Solution: Though there is no concrete way to eradicate these interruptions entirely, you can set some ground rules. During your working hours, you can take breaks and then address these trivial matters. Also, you can inform your family not to disturb you during your working hours.
Moreover, You can also put a do not disturb sign on the door to make sure no one comes into your room when you are working. That might also bring down the distractions or the interruptions that you face.
– Lack of Human Interaction Leading To Loneliness
Working remotely can lead to isolation due to the lack of human interaction. Since you don’t have any coworkers to sit and gossip with, you might feel lonely. You won’t be able to have a small chat at the watercooler or lunch where you can talk about anything else apart from work.
Solution: The only way to overcome this problem is to go out and interact with people. You must maintain a balance between your work life and social life. You might not be working together, but you can occasionally go out for a drink or dinner.
Also, you can try going out to a cafe where you can work and interact with people. Remote working does not necessarily mean that you work from home. You can go to a nearby cafe where you can work and socialize with new people at the same time.
– Motivation
Self-discipline and self-motivation are essential if you want to work remotely. You won’t be having a manager supervising you or a coworker pushing you up. It is vital that you motivate yourself, or else you will find yourself procrastinating and unable to get any work done.
Solution: It is highly recommended that you create a to-do list to not go off the track during the middle of your day. With a proper schedule, you would have the motivation to get things on time. Also, it is important that you set the most difficult tasks for that time when you are the most productive. This will help you get through this difficult task without any issues, motivating you to get other more manageable tasks done as well.
Wrapping Up
Like every other thing, remote working has its own pros and cons. Implementing remote working can be a bit challenging for both the employees and employers. But if you can resolve these challenges, you can bear the fruit of your hard work.
Businesses around the globe now understand the potential that remote working is offering. Thus many are now rapidly adapting to this model. You can hire a remote team that consists of some of the most talented people across the world. And if you are still struggling or unsure what to do, then you can take the help of any remote agency. These agencies can help your business to build a robust team in no time.