Tag: Working from home

  1. Home working and how to keep motivated

    Millions of people across the UK and the rest of the world have swapped their office desk for their kitchen table in order to work from home during the lockdown.

    Even after stay at home restrictions are eased its likely that many people will continue home working in the future. Now that so many people have realised the obvious benefits (including no travelling time and no travel costs for staff and lower overheads for organisations) we predict a much bigger trend for more home-based roles going forward.

    However, despite the obvious financial and logistical advantages there are certain challenges to overcome when homeworking. Some people genuinely miss the regimented schedule and social interaction of going into work every day. It’s important for staff at all levels to keep motivated and stay productive, which can be especially challenging for those sharing their new ‘workplace’ with small children and noisy pets!

    Here are our top tips to help you get the best out of your home working experience (and advice if you are trying to manage a team of staff remotely):

    Set goals
    Struggling to stick to the same hours and level of output now you’re on your own at home? Set yourself (or your team) goals to reach in a certain amount of time. This will give you a purpose and provide you with something tangible to aim for.

    Have a daily schedule
    Sketch out a daily schedule including time slots for working, eating, exercising and relaxing. It’s unrealistic to sit at your laptop from breakfast until dinner; breaking up your day will help to keep you focused and motivated. You will be much more productive and feel engaged if you put energy into working at specific times. It’s essential to take time out for coffee and snack breaks and to enjoy fresh air and physical activity. Exercising is not only essential for your mental wellbeing but will help to fire your brain and give you boosts of energy to improve your motivation and discipline. So, follow an online home workout programme to get moving or simply run up and down the stairs or in the garden to help improve your fitness and your work levels.

    Keep professional
    Resist the temptation to lounge around in your pyjamas all day, looking smart will help you feel ready for work (and won’t leave you in an embarrassing situation if you receive a unexpected video call from your boss). Set out an area of your home where you can work and receive video calls in peace and ask the rest of your household to respect that space.

    Continuous Professional Development
    If you have any down time during your work slots why not look at ways to further your skills, knowledge and development? There are lots of free tutorials and training resources online that will help with your professional development during this period of lockdown. Talk to your employer about options for further development, and if you’re a team leader encourage your staff to discuss their training needs with you to help them achieve their goals.

    Stay in contact
    Keep morale up by staying in contact with colleagues. We’re all in the same boat at the moment and others will be struggling to balance home working and family life as well. Just because you can’t chat with colleagues face to face in the office, it doesn’t mean you have to deal with work related queries or issues on your own. Keeping in contact with others is essential for mental wellbeing so take the time to call or video chat with colleagues on a regular basis.

    For more details about how we help our clients to adapt to ways of working from home, or if you’re looking for a new role please contact us at Ocean Edge by calling 023 8000 1153 or email info@oceanedge.biz

  2. The benefits of flexible working for employers

    It’s widely recognised that flexible working can benefit everyone, not just employees. So it’s important that organisations not already offering it as standard consider adding policies that offer greater work-life balance into their business model.

    Common types of flexible working involve working from home, working part-time, job sharing, working compressed hours or a combination of these things.

    Here are some of the benefits of flexible working for businesses:

    A boost to employee morale

    Giving your staff flexible hours or the ability to work from home could be a real game changer for them. It will allow them to: better meet the needs of their family; reduce the costs of commuting; and feel more empowered about their professional life.

    All of this will have a positive impact on employee morale, which in turn will mean a boost for productively within your business.

    It reduces employee turnover

    Staff will be more inclined to stay in a job where they have the flexibility to work in a way that suits them. This means you, as the employer, retain top performing employees and spend less effort on training up new recruits.

    It increases diversity

    Flexible working will help you grow a more diverse work force. Employees with family or health conditions that mean a nine to five job is impossible for them to hold down will find they have a place in your business. With them they will bring a mix of skills and experience that will enrich your workplace.

    It enhances your reputation as an employer

    The best job candidates look for employers who can offer them something more than a stable job and a decent wage. They want to know your flexible working policies and whether these can help them balance work with their personal life.

    Promote the fact you allow flexible working and your reputation as a good employer will attract top candidates.

    Save resources

    If you manage it correctly, offering flexible working to your staff will mean long term savings for your business. Employees who work from home for a few days a week could share a desk and the costs of heating, lighting and equipping a large office with IT could be reduced.

    What about the disadvantages?

    Of course, the benefits of flexible working have to be balanced with a few disadvantages:

    • Some employees may not work well without supervision
    • There are jobs that can only be done in your usual place of work
    • There will be some initial cost implications for setting up IT for remote working.

    All of these things will be specific to your individual organisation but are worth bearing in mind when setting up flexible working.

    If you are looking to recruit within your affordable housing business then we can help. Ocean Edge has nearly 20 years experience helping the affordable housing sector find the top candidates.

    We have teams in Southampton and London who are ready to help you recruit to your organisation. Find out more about our recruitment consultancy services or call 023 8000 1153 or email info@oceanedge.biz.

  3. Is an ‘Office Job’ a thing of the past

    Before the days of the internet, going to work meant sitting in an office 9-5 to use a computer and a telephone that couldn’t be moved from the desk. Nowadays, thanks to the power of online communications, staff have the freedom and flexibility to work just as effectively away from the office.

    With increasing numbers of people working productively each day from home or in coffee shops, is a traditional office working a thing of the past? Richard Branson has said that offices are out-of-date environments and many would agree with him. But is an internet connection all that is needed to produce successful individuals and give them satisfying and rewarding careers?Desk with bits on

    The benefits of non-office working are definitely apparent. Removing a daily commute to the office saves time and money, enabling employees to spend more time with their families and leads to a much healthier work-life balance. Plus fewer commuters on the roads and trains has obvious environmental benefits too.

    Recent research also suggests that home working is more productive. Without co-workers to chat to or a lengthy commute, employees actually work more productively and for longer hours from home. And with less sick days, all these factors contribute to a greater sense of employee satisfaction and could increase the output of any business.

    However, it’s worth noting the concerns about home working. With no fellow workers to talk to and socialise with, home working can be lonely and may in time, affect face to face communication skills. Also, with performance judged on results instead of merely turning up at the office each day, it could ultimately place more stress on workers and lead to staff feeling they must work longer hours.

    Our professional view is that, whilst there are clear advantages to home working, an equal split between being based at home and in the office would be the ideal solution for a business considering the idea. This approach combines the flexibility and work-life balance of home with the day to day social interaction in an office that is so important to the happiness and satisfaction of a working individual.