Work at home can ruin your career?

When Ian Wright started working from his London home, he thought that in his life there were ideal circumstances. He could spend time with his two-month-old child and at the same time work for his company, which compares prices for services of energy and gas suppliers. Right at his home in Greenwich, he sat at the dinner table, thinking up big plans: he wanted to be a father in a decree and at the same time an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, his ambitious plans did not come true. As Ian himself realized, from the very beginning, the difference between dreams and reality becomes visible. And he quickly came to the conclusion that nothing would happen in life so he decided to change the situation.

Chain of problems

Career was of paramount importance for Iain, so he decided to identify the child in the nursery and returned to work at home, thinking that he would now cope. Nevertheless, home affairs, postman's visits and other trifles still prevented him. Constant interruptions did not allow you to tune in to the working mood. At the end of the day, he suddenly noticed the time and began to wonder why he did not work. A month later, he realized that he could not work productively at home. He rented himself a desktop in the office and finally began to move forward in his work. In some cases, this is the only way to make progress.

Features of work at home

Studies have shown that work at home is notable for its advantages. This organization of work increases the level of satisfaction with life and helps to increase productivity. Nevertheless, this is possible only if we take into account some details. Otherwise, it is better not to abandon the office, because the presence in it will provide you with far more impressive results.

Flexible Graphics

The flexible schedule has become more common recently. Many companies use offices with fewer desktops than the number of employees, which saves on rent and encourages remote work. Employees can agree on flexible schedules, and more and more businesses all over the planet use an approach that allows them to work at home. But do not think that it is enough to open the laptop and start the tasks. The problems start from the very beginning and concern almost everyone, since they are not related to the level of qualifications and similar nuances.

Problems with work at home

Problems with remote work can appear from the very beginning. All because we think that all aspects of work can be implemented at home, and this is not so. Recently, a study was described, in which 514 employees took part. As a result, it was established that remote workers did not receive any training or guidance about how to organize their work. At the same time they worked at home always or part of their time. The lack of special training was the reason for the difficulties in moving from work in the office to work at home. Firms simply do not have knowledge about how to manage employees with flexible schedules. In this case, the lack of active control destroys the system.

Required Management

So how should correct management look in the life of a person with a remote job? First of all, the employer must warn that a person should have a special place reserved for work, in which there will be restrictions for relatives and other distractions. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. In addition, there are other problems that can harm the career or simply cause a pause in it. If you are not in the office, your contribution becomes less obvious. You are less likely to be invited to a new project and can not take advantage of the opportunities available to those who see the boss on a daily basis. You are isolated professionally and personally. This situation for many may be too serious.

Feeling of isolation

Recent studies at the University of Arizona have shown that forty percent of people working from home feel a lack of connection with the company's strategic direction of development. One third feels that they do not receive sufficient support from their superiors. Workers from home become isolated professionally and personally. No one thinks about them, which is the source of the problems.

Little steps to flexibility

Nevertheless, work at home is convenient, your productivity is evaluated by the result, and not by the fact of having you in the office, besides, you do not need to spend two hours on the road. The conclusion is that you just need to cope with the shortcomings of remote work, and not give up on it. If the firm decides to move to a flexible schedule for its employees, it should act gradually. In this case, work at home will be comfortable and profitable. It will just require preparation and awareness that not everything always goes smoothly. Do not focus only on the productivity of employees, not assuming how to achieve it.

The right approach

It is best to make the transition lasting. Let the workers start working at home several days a week and then move on to a full-time job. In the process, it is necessary to constantly analyze the productivity. If it suffers, it is necessary to change something, rather than wait for the discontent of the authorities and the complete loss of potential. In addition, a remote employee still needs to have ways to participate in the life of the office. For example, it is possible to hold meetings with video broadcasts for remote workers to help them feel involved. You should also use general chat rooms that help all employees participate in discussions. From time to time, you should come to the office, attend major events for employees. If you remain just a voice in the tube, you lose your involvement in the life of the company. This can not fail to affect the state of your career.

Mistaken perception

Do not be fooled by the opinion that a person working at home represents for the firm the same employee as in the office, just in other conditions. You can achieve this, but only if you make serious efforts for this. You must take into account all the specifics of the remote schedule and constantly make conscious efforts to remain tightly involved in the life of the company employee.

Potential difficulties

Some people simply can not unite the house and workplace. You can try, but sometime, sooner or later, comes the realization that distractions are too much interfering with your work. All these little things that make up the day at home are completely absent, if you are in the office. That's why sometimes it's better to prefer a workplace there. This does not mean that it is not worth working at home at all. Just schedule should be as flexible as possible. What can be done at home, you can do at home. Other employees can do this better, and they can be on a completely remote schedule. This is an individual issue, which should be addressed in detail. Evaluate your own productivity and think about where it will be better for you to work. If you are a manager, you need to learn flexibility in finding employees. It is necessary to understand who will be able to cope with their tasks at home, and who would still better stay in the company of colleagues.