5 ways to master the art of remote working as a new starter
Anisha Pankhania | Content Designer at Purplebricks
The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a rise in remote working, and it seems to have left physical offices a thing of the past.
I was fortunate enough to land a shiny new role just after the easing of the very first lockdown, which meant that I’d be working completely remotely from the start. While it was exciting to think about my new opportunity, I also wondered how things would work in this odd new world of connecting through screens.
Almost a year on, and I’ve learnt a lot about our new normal; here are a few things I picked up to help me adapt better to working from home.
1. Set up your workspace
Remember when we all thought this pandemic thing would only last a few months? I put off setting up my workspace for this very reason, and boy was it a mistake. It didn’t take very long for the novelty of working on the sofa to wear off.
Working and living in the same area can create a giant mess for your work-life balance. I’ve realised now that having a dedicated desk set up is key to not only staying more focused throughout the workday, but also in creating clearer boundaries between work and home. It’s made it a lot easier to switch off and ‘leave work’ at the end of the day.
2. Prepare yourself for a different onboarding experience
Meeting the team and being shown around the office is a rite of passage for every new starter on their first day, so I found myself thinking about how my onboarding would be different to what I’m used to. And it was, but I wouldn’t class it as a bad thing at all.
Instead of the traditional office tour and quick hellos along the way, my line manager had helpfully set up introduction calls for me with numerous different teams and people to help me learn more about how things work, and who to reach out to for help if needed.
In a way, I found this to be a much better experience as I was able to have proper conversations with people that I might not have bumped into otherwise.
3. Learn how your team works
To get into the flow of things, it’s a good idea to get to grips with and understand your team’s ways of working. This is, of course, a lot harder to do when you’re sat at home alone with your plants, but I learnt quickly that communication is the key to success here.
If in doubt, ask! Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and put in some time in diaries just to talk through any questions you might have around ways of working, and how your team operates best. It’s always worth asking about what methods of communication people prefer, whether they work better paired up or individually, and any questions around the tools you’ll be using.
4. Get to know the people you work with
It can feel daunting to start a new role without being able to establish work relationships straight away. Gone are the days of grabbing a quick coffee, going for lunch, or just having a general chat throughout the day. Although organically building relationships has become more difficult while working from home, it’s still possible to do.
Virtual socials are a great place to start to break the ice and get to know people on a more informal level. You’ll also find that casual conversation will happen naturally at the start or end of meetings, so get involved! In some ways, video meetings can make it easier to get to know people in their everyday, home environment. You’ll find that little things can spark the most interesting of conversations.
5. Focus on the positives
If you’re someone that enjoys working in close collaboration with others, it can feel challenging at the best of times to be sat by yourself at home, especially as a newbie. While it’s easy to feel a little siloed now that we can’t sit near the people we work with, it really helps to stay focused on the positive aspects of working from home.
As well as the obvious benefits of not having to commute or wear jeans, I’ve also found that collaborating virtually has been great. In my team, we’ve gotten into the groove of jumping on calls as and when we need to. We’ve found it to be very productive when we’re all working together and focusing on the same thing, and it’s helped us learn more about what each of our roles entail. Although it’s not the same as being together in one space, it’s still enabled us to have fun while we work and get to know each other a lot better!
In conclusion…
Starting a new role remotely comes with its challenges, and it may take some extra time to adjust, but a bit of preparation and confidence can go a long way in helping you get settled in.
