24 Jan The 7 biggest remote work challenges and how to overcome them

Americans are free to step away from their desks at home to perform domestic chores or break a sweat at the gym. The financial savings are also evident for those opting to prepare their own meals at home as opposed to dining out daily. Moreover, the sudden push for remote work has thrust food delivery services, like Uber Eats and Doordash, further into the spotlight. Finally, a correlation exists between the level of an employee’s status within the company and the likelihood of making time for a lunch break. This one's going to take effort, especially if one of the reasons you enjoy working remotely is to get away from being around too many people.Industry professionals and peers can offer opportunities not listed on job boards.Consider higher-paying administrative roles, such as executive assistants or virtual admins.Small misunderstandings that could have been nipped in the bud with the wink of an eye or a certain tone of voice can quickly snowball into drama.For instance, if the schedule includes small group discussion and team activities, then Zoom’s breakout rooms arw best.However, this same unconscious reminder is not present when working from home. That means you have plenty of time to prepare and enjoy them before you have to return to work. And even with a decent internet connection, video conferencing apps aren't always reliable, so virtual meetings can be an exercise in frustration. The good news is, when you work from home, you avoid co-workers dropping by your desk and other office interruptions (it's someone's birthday! Let's have cake in the breakroom!). https://remotemode.net/ The bad news is you'll likely have to deal with other kinds of interruptions and distractions, whether it's the UPS delivery person needing your signature or in-laws dropping by unannounced. Turning your virtual lunch into a pizza party can really take the energy and enthusiasm up a notch. Everyone loves pizza (seriously– it's a fact), and buying lunch for the whole team can be a great way to show your appreciation. The Pros and Cons of Being a Remote-Friendly Company If some people don't have pets, they can share a picture of a pet they used to have or what their dream pet would be. Make sure you don't get so caught up filling the schedule with motivational speakers and icebreakers that you forget to let people enjoy their food. When you're team knows each other well, ordering some pizza might be the only step you need to take for a successful virtual lunch. If you want to show up to the virtual lunch with a fun but simple game, consider going with a classic. To hold a virtual book club session, first choose and announce a book a month or so in advance.I asked over four dozen remote workers to share their biggest challenges—and how to overcome them.With maple- and chilli-toasted chickpeas and walnuts and tahini yoghurt, they’re big on flavour but light on prep time.During this two hour event, a facilitator guides groups through a writing masterclass, sharing tips on how to make stories engaging and impactful. By having the ingredients delivered early, event attendees will have ample time to get their mise en place together prior to the function’s kickoff. When you’re bringing people together for the first time, it’s wise to plan the icebreaker portion of your lunch for the beginning of the event. By doing so, attendees can get comfortable with each other before they eat. Restaurant delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash are useful if you want to eat out but don't have time to step away from work. Some companies even offer food delivery credits to remote employees since they can't enjoy the occasional office potluck or Friday donut. When hosting in-person, you could just order food for everyone to eat. The Top 30+ Remote Companies Hiring in 2022 You will need to prove that you’re capable of disciplining yourself during working hours and that you have a good routine. Being able to communicate effectively is an essential aspect of working from home – you need to be able to use various communication methods to liaise with your coworkers and get your work down. To gauge how serious you are about a remote role, the hiring manager will usually pose this question. Having a modest showing for a lunch and learn is not necessarily a bad thing. Smaller groups can mean more intimate discussions and an audience more invested in the topic. Interested employees may not be able to attend a live lunch remote work blog and learn. Employees may get busy or forget, or may join the company long after the lecture. Luckily, recording virtual meetings is easy, meaning you can build a library of past sessions for staff to watch or rewatch anytime. Encourage Employees to Host Their Own Lunch and Learns The key to hosting an incredible virtual lunch and learn is to make it engaging and to keep it light. The concept of a virtual lunch and learn might seem counterintuitive. After all, asking your employees to sacrifice their lunch break to sit down and participate in a company-facilitated learning experience probably seems like a tall order. The path to a thriving career isn’t solely paved by a college education. You can arm yourself with real-world skills and experience that can help you stand out. ...