Category: Covid 19
For some, working at home can be productive and enjoyable. But for many, working at home for the first time in 2020 has been a challenging thing to get used to.
Many businesses have had to quickly adapt their working processes to allow staff to work from home where possible and ensure that their businesses can continue to operate fully under the pandemic restrictions to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Some of the difficulties that staff may face include issues such as:
- Not having an allocated work space
- Time management
- Feeling isolated, when they are used to working in a busy office
- Communication issues due to gaps in equipment and technology
- Finding it difficult to differentiate between work and home
Improving Communications With Staff Working From Home
When working away from the office, it is essential that all team members can be contacted easily. With all the technology available today, it is easy to implement methods of keeping in contact with your team and even ensuring that they are available to take client calls from home via your professional business line.
Did you know there are apps available which help you manage your business calls on your mobile, no matter where you are? With a FutureTel hosted phone system, you can:
- Back up all your customer calling information to the cloud
- Utilise the mobile app to receive calls via your business phone number
- Transfer calls to remote team members even when you are working in different locations
- Manage calls via the desktop app via the internet instead of relying on traditional phone lines
- Utilise smart, automatic call diverting when one team member is busy so that you never miss a call
- Take advantage of music-on-hold and marketing messages for this to help reassure clients that are waiting on the line
- Reduce costs for calls and use of mobiles, as everything can be done via Wifi and use of the mobile and desktop calling apps that are all connected to your in-house system
There are so many more benefits to using the FutureTel Hosted Phone System and by doing so, you can ensure that your business continues to run smoothly. Following the pandemic, you will also find that this system allows for more flexible working in the future and generally helps your staff to stay connected, whilst also making your business appear to have the most professional set up even if you are a smaller business. It can suit any budget and we can include or exclude various features to suit your business requirements.
Tips For Working At Home
If you are struggling to work from home, follow our handy tips below to help you structure your day and build confidence with your working routine.
Take regular breaks
In the same way as when you are in the office, it is recommended that you try and step away from your desk at regular intervals, even just for 5 minutes to stretch and get a drink. We can often forget to stay hydrated and adjust our posture when we get stuck into a task so it is important to bear this in mind and ensure that you can break up your day and stay healthy.
Create a dedicated workspace
It is important to have a sufficient workspace to help separate work life from home life. Make sure your desk is ergonomically set up with a comfy, supportive chair and that your screen is positioned at the correct eye level to help prevent posture issues that can arise from long periods of sitting. It also creates a nicer back drop for your video calls and reduces distractions, by considering the placement of your workspace in your home.
Speak to your colleagues regularly
Staying in touch with the outside world when you work at home is essential for keeping you motivated and also to prevent you from feeling isolated. Use your remote working communication tools to stay in touch with your team, and you may also like to schedule allocated time for this if you find that your schedule is busy.
Take steps to manage your time
Make sure you have a daily schedule in place for your daily tasks and stick to it. It is easy to get distracted at home and without your colleagues there to keep you on track, it can be easy to let tasks over run and not be completed. Make use of digital ‘to-do’ lists and use your digital diary to plan out your week in advance, so you have a clear plan of what you need to get done whilst also scheduling time for breaks.
Find Out More About Remote Working Solutions
Speak to the FutureTel team to discover more about the benefits of using remote working software including phone and IT services that will provide cost effective and efficient home working solutions for you and your team. From disaster recovery plans and accessing all your files, to implementing a professional calling app which allows you to manage client projects from any location – FutureTel have got you covered. Call our team on 0333 220 0707 or get in touch via our online contact form.