4 Biggest Challenges of Working Remotely and 13 Strategies to Overcome Them

You dream of the free-range, work-from-home life. You even have friends who work from home, and you envy the freedom they have. Remote work provides flexibility and freedom you may not find in an office. The truth is, 10 years ago most people had to go out of their way to nail down a career that allowed them to work remotely. But, times have changed. As we previously shared, A recent report from Global Workplace Analytics reveals: Regular telecommuting grew 115% in the past decade, nearly 10 times faster than the rest of the workforce. Forty percent more U.S. employers offered flexible workplace options than they did in 2010. Still, only 7% make it available to most of their employees. Employers can save over $11,000 per half-time telecommute per year. Across the existing work-at-home population, that potentially adds up to $44 billion in savings. But, before you spruce up your home office and pack away your work attire, you should know about the biggest challenges of being a remote worker and consider if it’s the right path for you. Here are the four biggest challenges employees face in working remotely and 13 helpful strategies that can help you overcome those challenges. Challenge #1: Lack of communication leaves you feeling isolated. As humans, we’re wired to connect. But what happens when you’re physically disconnected from your team? A 2019 report, shared that 70% of remote workers feel left out of the workplace. In fact, Buffer found that loneliness is the second biggest challenge remote workers are facing. The physical separation of coworkers has led to more employees feeling like they don’t have friends at work. This is especially true for young startups that have small teams.  New businesses can be lonely for both the owner and employees. As we pointed out in our guide on starting a business, There’s a time in almost every entrepreneur’s career when you feel like you’re going it alone. When you first start your business, there’s a good chance that you will be. For your business to scale and grow, however, you’ll need help. It’s not easy for entrepreneurs and employees, especially in young, small companies, to develop strong communication practices. This is especially difficult in fast-growing companies and during times when working from the office is either difficult or impossible, such as during pandemics. But without strong communication, it’s nearly impossible for either the employee or the company to succeed and create a sustainable business. Isolation Tip #1: Get out of the house daily. Working from home sounds great until you realize that you haven’t left your house in days. While working in your home, it’s easy to forget about the world outside your walls. Open up some of your windows, to let in sunlight and fresh air. Take time throughout your day to go outside, even if it’s just a 5-minute coffee break on your patio. A simple hello to a neighbor can go a long way in maintaining mental health and boosting productivity…

Read more: crowdspring.com


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