Gemma shares her thoughts on working from home!
With the World Health Organisation having elevated the Coronavirus outbreak from an epidemic to a pandemic, millions of businesses are now forced to contend with the prospect of managing a completely remote workforce.
We at Park have seen the majority of our clients send full teams home working and following suit, the Park team are suitably “tech’ed up” to be working from home.
So, week one- How am I getting on with this home working business?
The truth? Quite frankly, I am rubbish at it.
I had it all planned, I would be organised, I would stick to a routine, I would get up, dressed as normal. Ready to face the day (and had taken in all the advice given about getting up for regular exercise, take regular breaks etc etc…) However, I had forgotten one thing…. I have a baby…… And an inquisitive one at that. Suddenly the only thing in the whole house that my 10 month old baby wants to play with is the laptop cable, or the laptop keyboard or bashing on the keyboard buttons, absolutely nothing else will curb his curiosity!
We've all seen the articles on tips for home working, images of serene, calm working spaces with Scandi furniture with windows overlooking a park.... Not at my house! I am more likely to overlook the washing or ironing pile, which is a distraction in itself!
I have also discovered I am very easily distracted- My head is cluttered! My phone is constantly pinging with government updates/messages from friends and family and memes about home schooling/what we are all going to look like coming out of self-isolation and Brits singing Mr Brightside out of their bedroom windows!
Now I know that we are extremely lucky to have the infrastructure and support in place to have the opportunity to work from home and are we ever happy right? The grass is always greener on the other side. When you’re at work, nothing sounds more amazing than a toasty day indoors, when you’re at home, you reminisce about having banter with your co-workers and where you will be getting your lunch from!
Either way, it’s important to choose the environment you’ll be most successful in. As you begin to work longer and build more experience, learning to focus in any surrounding is a valuable life skill, and will only help your professional career in the long run — start by simply finding out where you do your best work and why.
Some important things to consider are what environment you stay focused in the longest, how long it takes you to get back on track, and how you best communicate. If you’re self-motivated, adhere to a routine well and enjoy minimal distractions, then working from home is the right choice for you.
If you thrive on social interactions, feel inspired by seeing others working, and stay on track best if others see you, then working from the office is the way to go.
Interesting read on the top advantages and disadvantages of home working – I would love to hear your thoughts on WFH or just share some funny stories to give us all a laugh! - I am not by any means trying to take away the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in, merely offering a light-hearted thought process during this strange time.
The most important thing is that we are all doing our bit to keep ourselves and others safe!
We at Park want to be in constant touch with our clients, temporary workforce and job seekers, we understand this is an unsettling time for all, so being able to communicate is essential for us.
Until we are all allowed back into our working environment, you will find me still working, from home, probably in my pyjamas, chasing a very active baby away from the computer - send help!!!
Good luck all!