Five ways to work smoothly from home

Many start-ups with limited resources and information technology companies encourage their employees to work from home. Employees even stick their neck out to be in these new-age sectors for this flexibility. Still, working from home is not everyone’s forte. Prachi Verma takes you through the pitfalls.


1. Don’t be Unreachable

Be connected through the day, ensuring your cell phone and landline are always on. “Most organisations and the team expect you to be available on chat and the phone any time,” said Shiju Radhakrishnan, founder and CEO, iTraveller.com. The WiFi and VPN connectivity should be good throughout the day and back-up plans should be in place. You must always factor in a power failure. “Always follow a schedule of availability and avoid down time or being unreachable. Also have adequate infrastructure and connectivity in place,” said Tolexo's HR head, Shilpi Shukla.

2. Don’t be lax

Before working from home, one should clearly compartmentalise working hours, and not be sloppy during the defined hours. “It does not work in case one gets frequently distracted by family members or people around. One should also avoid taking frequent breaks,” said Shukla.



3. Watch your body language

At all times, be professional, and watch your posture. “The lack of a personal space to work can hinder productivity,” said Shukla. Have a reasonably fixed work time. This should be communicated well to the team members and leader. Don’t make the mistake of wearing a casual look. Always watch your body and clothes as this will impact your attitude towards work. “Inappropriate clothing impacts the quality and tenor of work,” said Ashwin Shirali, regional director (HR) at Accor India.

4. Don’t isolate yourself from the world

Remember, all the while that you are working from home, your boss, customers or team cannot see you. Hence, always stay connected. Let them not be forced to chase you. Instead keep track of communications from customers and the company. Make that extra effort to be updated about the latest events in the company and team, said Shukla. “Meetings in flesh and blood go a long way to retain the sense of ‘being real’ and adding to the excitement and successful outcome of work efforts,” said Shirali.



5. Don’t let productivity dip

Demonstrate your productivity and contribution to organisational goals while working from home. “You need a well-honed and perception-strengthening productivity measures that clearly indicate how successful you are even while functioning from the lap of a home environment,” said Shirali. But if you are a people manager it might be difficult to track team performance unless quantifiable, warned Shukla.