The modern workplace is, for most of us, split between home and the office. Many of us like to also throw a local café or co-working space into the mix. The transition between locations needs to be seamless so that you can be as productive as possible. And your technology tools may well need a makeover by way of support.
Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal has published some great advice on this subject, which we’re pleased to deliver in bite-size version below.
- Keep an on-the-go bag at the ready by your front door to avoid last-minute oversights. Common items to be found in the remote worker’s on-the-go bag include:
– a laptop and mobile phone charger (plus the laptop and phone itself!)
– a long power cable (in case you don’t get a table by an outlet)
– a set of headphones (corded and/or with Bluetooth earbuds)
– a dongle that enables you to plug in headphones and power simultaneously.
- If you commute by public transport, it’s worth investing in a small laptop or tablet so you can work in transit. Consider using apps. that store your open windows or automatically open with your most frequently used programmes so you can jump straight to work mode on arrival at your workplace.
- Embrace time trackers to find out which apps and sites distract you from your work the most. Use parental controls to block your access to them during the workday. You can also use time-tracking to show how often you get interrupted while at the office, and use that to build a case for remote working.
- If you work remotely on a regular basis, a small tablet won’t cut it. Big screens can dramatically increase your productivity, as can having multiple devices up and running simultaneously. Think how much easier it would be to work on a shared document with a colleague if you could see and chat with that person on a separate screen at the same time.
- Brainstorming and note-taking tools that make it easier for you to follow up in-person meetings can be extremely useful. Cloud-based mind-mapping and virtual whiteboard tools
capture ideas from the room and project them onto the board within a connected tree or flow chart.
The downside of all this technology is, of course, the upfront costs. But with so much to gain in terms of flexibility and performance, the investment is worthy of serious consideration, for corporate and individual pockets of all sizes.
The rise of flexible working serves up challenges that go well beyond IT. For expert guidance with the recruitment element of the equation, please get in contact with ABL, your trusted multilingual recruitment partner. With a vast pool of qualified, talented job seekers on our books, we will find you candidates that satisfy all your exacting job requirements for remote, hybrid and fully on-site positions. Please get in touch!
