Common remote work challenges and how to address them

Remote work is a growing trend in many workspaces as it provides many benefits for both the employer and the employee. However, there are some challenges that remote workers face on a regular basis.

Some people have a hard time working at home because they miss the social aspects of being in an office environment. Others find themselves struggling to keep up with their work-life balance or feeling isolated from the rest of the company. Let’s just say there is a host of problems that people face but the good thing is that each has a solution.

Here are some of the common remote work challenges and how to address them:

Communication 

The lack of face-to-face communication in a remote work environment can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication, which can be solved by having regular meetings or chats. Fortunately, these issues can be resolved with proper planning and organization skills.

As a remote worker, make sure to set up a system for communication from day one so that there are no misunderstandings or confusion about what’s going on with your remote team members. Make necessary calls to ensure that you iron out any work issues in case the need arises, this ensures that work is done well and you get all the necessary information to help you pull through. 

Time zone differences 

This is a challenge that comes with any kind of working remotely. It can be solved by using tools like Slack or Zoom, which allow you to have video meetings no matter what time zone you are in.

One of the best ways to deal with this is to ensure that any meetings are held at the right time, and consult your team or those you are working with to share the best times for your calls and meetings. Ensure you are available during those times so that no one calls you later in the night. 

Distractions 

Some people find it hard to stay focused on their work when they are alone at home all day long. To solve this issue, we recommend finding a place where you can focus on your work without being distracted (e.g., the library). To avoid distractions, ensure that you set a separate room to work in, and create a home office for yourself.

Again, turn off any music, TV, or anything that can cause you distractions as you work. Ensuring there is silence increases concentration levels that allowing you to do better.

Lack of social life 

Some people find it hard to make friends. To address these challenges, remote workers should first figure out what type of environment they need to be most productive in. Some people prefer to work from home while others prefer co-working spaces. 

After work engage in meaningful activities with your neighbors, and your family and this can be taking drives, going swimming, or even having a date night! Book clubs and events are another great way to have a socially inclusive life for any remote worker.

The lack of collaboration opportunities. 

Remote workers often feel isolated from their colleagues and they don’t have an opportunity to collaborate on projects with them, which leads them to feel unproductive and unfulfilled at work. 

This is coupled with feeling isolated from the office culture and being away from colleagues. As an individual, you can always stay in touch with your colleagues or department team and talk via Slack, Asana, Cubo or even zoom and Skype. 

Organizations can also help by setting weekly or monthly meetings for staff members to meet whenever there is an opportunity to just catch up. Especially now that Covid-19 transmission rates have gone down, it can be done with ease. 

No Perks

There are no office perks like free coffee or lunch breaks during working hours. Remote workers are often left alone at their desks for long hours without any distractions or social interaction with other people around them, which can be very exhausting over time. 

There are many things that you can do to address this problem but the most important one is to ensure that as an organization, the perks stay in place despite employees working from home. The perks can be in terms of monetary gifts like shopping vouchers, short trips or even paying for open spaces for these employees once in a while. 

Isolation within the organization

Another common problem is that remote workers feel isolated from the rest of their company or organization, which can lead to individuals feeling unappreciated or undervalued by their company.

To fix this, make sure to show appreciation for remote workers in other ways - for example, by sending them recognition emails or giving them more responsibilities out of work after they have proven themselves as reliable and productive employees.

You can send them to represent the organization in events or participate in competitions to make them feel included in what the company is doing. Ensure no employee feels left out as such a feeling demotivates them thus impacting productivity. 

All in all, the remote work trend is growing and we are seeing more and more people working remotely. This means there will always be problems that come with remote work, such as lack of communication, lack of collaboration, and lack of inclusion.

To solve these problems, it is important to make sure that the company has a clear remote work policy and set guidelines for how the employees should communicate with each other. It's also important to make sure that employees feel included in the process by having regular check-ins with them or inviting them to company events.

As an individual make sure you're organized with your time management so that you don't overbook yourself - Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it - Stay connected with your coworkers by using video chat or phone calls.

You can use Cubo to stay in touch and organize your work anytime. Click the link below to get started for free.

Link: https://cubo.to/register