While Ergeon has been all remote from the start, many of our staff were working from coworking spaces and coffee shops. As 2020 brought us COVID, however, we have all transitioned into a long term work-from-home model. Recognizing that different roles might have different perspectives, I have asked our staff to share their tips and tricks for home office setups to span a range of budgets and space.
Ensure you can focus
For remote work to be successful, you need to have space where you can focus. Here are some must-haves regardless of your role.
- Quiet: You should find a space in your house that’s separated from any heavy foot traffic areas. Most of us don’t have the luxury of a whole room, but you can use furniture or screens to set-up an office in the corner of a room. Some of the more creative solutions leverage a utility or a walk-in closet.
- Wifi and power: It’s important to check wifi signal strength before you start setting up. Also, locate a spot where you have easy access to electrical outlets so you’re not having to drag extension cords around or move constantly.
- Noise-canceling headphones: Noise-canceling headphones are essential to keep your meetings productive and not lose time engaging in “I can’t hear you” banter. We provide this Jabra headset to all our staff.
Establishing a dedicated place to work (even if it’s in your bedroom) will help you create a divide between your life and work. This separation is critical to get the most out of your work hours and ensure that during your non-work hours you are genuinely “off”.
Choose your tech based on role efficiency
Home offices are not one-size-fits-all, so think through the demands of your role as you choose your personal tech:
- What is the standard OS for your work? Your laptop or computer should be compatible with the work getting done (i.e. Mac for graphics, PCs with specs for coding, Excel and CAD).
- How often are you on calls? For meeting light roles, any noise-canceling headset may be sufficient. However, for meeting heavy roles, the battery life of your headphones and their comfort for long term wear are important. If you like to pace around while thinking, then a bluetooth design is an important consideration. For cord-free roaming, we recommend these bone-conducting Bluetooth headsets with long-lasting batteries to our team.
- Is your job high interrupt? The majority of our customer-facing roles like to have multiple screens to better monitor inbound communications while they’re on the phone with a customer. The same is true for roles involving complex data models, many metrics, or heavy video editing/rendering. In contrast, our developers find a single screen to create more focus.
- Do you participate in recorded or external video calls? For external facing (e.g. Growth, Enterprise Sales, Recruiting, Execs) and roles that create video-based content, how you appear in videos is important. In order to look your best, have your desk face a bright window and an adjustable webcam that is set-up for eye-level.
Geography can also play a role in your personal technology choices. For example, over the ear headphones can be uncomfortable very quickly in hot and humid weather. As another example, if you live in an area with low sunlight, investing in a light source that simulates natural light can truly improve your mood.
Invest in ergonomic comfort
Sitting in one position for 8+ hours becomes painful for most people after working for a few years. The best set-up gives you the opportunity to vary your position throughout the day between standing, sitting, and / or walking.
- Primarily standing: You can make any desk convertible by placing a stack of books or a cardboard box on top. The best standing desks are manually operated to last longer than those that are electrically operated. Be sure to have the desk at elbow height while you’re standing or sitting so that you have good wrist support. If you choose to stand most of the time, having an anti-fatigue mat (or rug or slippers) can really help your feet from getting too tired too quickly and an active stool can be a good option for the periods that you’re sitting.
- Primarily sitting: For those who find standing too uncomfortable, then definitely invest in a chair that is sufficiently adjustable to truly support your back. There are many great options at all price ranges and ideally you should sit in them to choose which one you feel most comfortable in. If you are primarily sitting, you should take a 10 min break several times a day to walk around to avoid circulation issues, a timer works great to remind you to talk short breaks.
Investing in a good desk and chair can get expensive, but when you add up the money you’re saving on recurring physical therapy, it’s a genuine steal! In addition to the bigger investments, you can also consider a number of smaller items that can make a big difference!
Inspire your passion
Having a great home office is not just about creating a space where you can be focused, efficient, and comfortable. Your space should inspire you to work. It’s highly personal what inspires you, some examples from our team:
- Jose: I am a tech geek and I love being surrounded by cool, up to date technology (fun fact: I own 2 Macs, 2 Chromebooks, 4 Win10 devices)
- Mariana: my FAMILY is what inspires me to work hard, also I found out that work has been my “Mind Gym” especially during these 7 months of quarantineSue: I surround myself with plants and photos of my family for motivation
- Wali: My only motivation is to spend time with my team and customers — nothing else!
- Dauren: Working in a quiet place and having a set-up I love keeps me motivated!
It is important to create a space that allows you to focus, be efficient, be comfortable and inspire your passion. At Ergeon, we aim to provide resources to all our staff to create a home office that they truly love. As one of our staff says, investing in your home office is the same as investing yourself because it directly affects your well being.
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