7 Do’s and Don’ts for Driving Successful Remote Work: Expert Advice

Employees today have a wide range of digital communications and collaboration tools that allow them to ‘work from anywhere’ and build schedules around their specific needs.  With attitudes shifting towards remote work, Zack Schuler, Founder, and CEO of NINJIO lists down the do’s and don’ts to keep in mind while working remotely. 

Contrary to conventional thinking, “remote work”—otherwise known as not being tethered to a desk in an office space—has been around for centuries. In fact, before the Industrial RevolutionOpens a new window , everyone worked out of their homes: blacksmiths, potters, and carpenters all had workspaces within a few paces of their supper tables. Back then, it was just business as usual.

The remote work of yore looks very different from today, mostly because we now have communications and collaboration tools that continually break down barriers and make virtual meetings commonplace. Working from home, taking meetingsOpens a new window while on vacation, or sending a work-related email while you patiently wait for your daughter to finish her ballet lesson no longer feel like violations of personal time or hallmarks of the workaholic. 

Furthermore, we’ve developed socially acceptable terms like “fluid work” and “work/life balance” to help us adapt to the new normal that often has us working late and across time zones. Mobile devices give us the ability to pop in and out of professional duties without fear of getting too far behind everyone else attached to their devices 24/7. 

When remote work was fueled by technology in the early 90s, companies and individuals evolved to meet new standards. Remote work etiquette included things like not speaking too loudly in a public place while on a work call, asking what time zone the recipient was in to properly schedule a meeting, and treating a work call from your home office with the same professionalism as you would in the office.

Learn More: Permanent Remote Work Is Here: 5 UC Considerations for a Home-Office Setup

H2 Enter: The Novel Coronavirus 

In March 2020, remote work Opens a new window was suddenly the norm for anyone with a computer-enabled career. During quarantine, with screaming kids in the background and makeup-less CEOs fresh off their morning Peloton rides, many of us got an intimate peek behind the private walls of our bosses, colleagues, and direct reports. The new expectation was that everyone would use video conferencing for meetings. Devoid of the physical presence of fellow employees, many managers thought they needed to see faces to ensure that everyone on the call was focused on the task at hand (not secretly feeding their pet lizard or cooking dinner while speaking about the company financials).

Will the future of work require us to be camera-ready at all times? Will a new balance between physical and digital interaction emerge? NINJIO recently conducted a survey of American workers who have experience working remotely and in traditional office settings to explore these questions and discover how employees view the post-COVID-19 future of remote work. You’ll find the results of our survey and how they should inform decisions about remote work below. 

As the world continues to transform, our thinking about the “new normal” has to evolve. Whether you prefer remote work or not, it’s here to stay. That’s why we put together a few Do’s and Don’ts for making remote work as smooth and productive as possible.

Here Are 7 Do’s & Don’ts for Remote Employees

1. DO communicate expectations about working hours clearly and provide flexibility when you can. One of the biggest advantages of remote work is the fact that it gets employees off the antiquated factory model of rigid hours. The majority of respondents to our survey said their favorite aspect of working remotely is “more flexible hours” while 52% think remote workers should “always” or “almost always” be allowed to set their own schedules. However, 43% answered “sometimes,” which is why it’s essential to have an open conversation with employees about how to strike this balance.  

Learn More: 6 Essential Skills for IT Help Desk Pros to Work Smarter in Remote-First World

2. DON’T make video calls mandatory if they aren’t necessary for the task at hand. While you might want to see someone’s face, they may not feel comfortable with it. 

However, DO make video callsOpens a new window an option. They can be a great way to connect with colleagues during a time of isolation—our survey revealed that employees’ least favorite aspect of working remotely (by a substantial margin) is “less interaction with coworkers.” We also found that more than 61 percent of employees say video conferencingOpens a new window “always” or “almost always” enhances virtual meetings. Still, a not-insignificant 36 percent answered that video conferencing “sometimes” enhances virtual meetings—a reminder that video calls are situation-dependent. 

If you are communicating via video conference, DO dress appropriately depending on your workplace culture and the type of meeting you’re attending. If you work for a traditional company that emphasizes formality, dress as you would for a client meeting or any other event that demands some measure of decorum. However, if you work for a startup that prioritizes a more casual work environment, you might feel a little out of place if you show up to a virtual happy hour wearing your Sunday best.

3. DON’T use text messaging or personal email to communicate vital information. Even though things may feel more casual when you’re working remotely, you should continue using official communication channels for important company information. 

Learn More: 5 Steps for Successfully Transitioning to Remote Work

4. No matter where you are, DON’T work without observing the proper security protocols. Avoid public WiFi if you can and always use a VPN to protect sensitive company dataOpens a new window ; ensure that all your security software is up to date (including your operating system); and use multi-factor authentication as often as possible. It’s all the more important to be especially vigilant about security when you aren’t in close proximity to your IT team or working on secure internal servers. 

5. When things get back to normal, DO provide a balance of physical and digital work. While we found that significant proportions of employees prefer to work in the office or remotely (27 percent versus 33 percent, respectively), the most common response was, “I prefer a combination of office and remote work” (40 percent). As we’ve learned over the past several months, although we have more tools for remote communication and collaboration than ever before, there’s no substitute for in-person interaction. That’s why even companies that rely heavily on remote work should arrange periodic in-person meetings and events.  

6. DO be respectful of your workers’ need for flexibility, and don’t hold it against them if their child accidentally appears on the screen or their dog starts barking hysterically. This is particularly important during a crisis like the one we face today—employees are doing their best to adapt to unprecedented circumstances, and managers should be understanding. 

7. Having said that, DO your best to maintain a work space that allows for privacy and limited background noises. Almost a third of the respondents to our survey cited “too many distractions” as their least favorite aspect of working remotely. It’s much easier for managers and colleagues to look past minor disruptions if you’re clearly doing your best to respect their time by showing up to every meeting prepared and keeping distractions at a minimum. 

H2: Companies Need to Build a Culture of Remote Work

While COVID-19 has caused a massive amount of economic stress, dislocation, and alienation, it has also led us to question long standing assumptions about the nature of work. Employees now have a wide range of digital communication and collaborationOpens a new window tools that allow them to work from anywhere and build their schedules around their specific needs, and attitudes are rapidly shifting in favor of remote work. 

When we asked workers if they’re generally more productive when working remotely, 72% said “yes.” Meanwhile, 77% said they expect to do more remote work after COVID-19. It’s clear that the nature of work is never going to be the same, and this will require companies and employees to focus on how they can make the most out of this shift.
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