Tips To Be Engaged As A Remote Worker

by Gabby Davis May 16,2017
Engagedly
PODCAST

The People Strategy Leaders Podcast

with Srikant Chellappa, CEO

As a remote worker, not only are you responsible for your own work and time but you are also responsible for your own engagement and motivation.

And we do understand, it can be hard for you to motivate yourself or be engaged consistently, especially when there is no HR or manager to guide you. This is why we at Engagedly have compiled a list of tips that can make your life easier.

Create your own workspace

A workspace of your own makes it easier to get in the ‘zone’ to speak. Don’t fall into the habit of working anywhere you like at home, because it will become harder for you to develop a routine. A work desk or space solely intended for your work will also make it easier to organize your work schedule and work materials if you have any.

Maintain a schedule for yourself

As a remote worker, let’s face it, you are partly your own boss. That means you are responsible for creating your own work schedule, based on the work assigned to you. If you know that you tend to be sluggish in the morning, schedule your routine tasks for them and save your more engaging work for then you find yourself raring to go. Alternatively, you can block off times during the day where you can attend to different tasks. Either way, create a schedule that works for you.  Schedules are a great way to ensure that your work process is streamlined and they keep you from falling off the tracks as well.

Be conscientious

The temptation to play hooky can be really great, especially if you know that there’s no one who is going to be looking over your shoulder (like it sometimes happens in an office) but you have to resist! One of the benefits of remote work is being your own boss and while this means greater flexibility for you, you shouldn’t also let it get to you.  A consistent work ethic will greatly benefit you in the long run.

Communicate and then communicate some more

Your manager and teammates need to know that you are there. Therefore, you’ve got to make your presence known to them and even engage in some chit-chat. As a remote worker, unfortunately, you are going to have to work a little harder to engage with your colleagues, because you are physically present in the office. A good communication app can help you converse freely with your colleagues and lessen some of the distance between you and them.

Don’t work in your pajamas

Get up every day and get dressed like you would do so for a day at work. See, you don’t need to walk around in a three-piece or trouser pants, but neither can you settle down to tackle the day’s work in your night clothes. Working in your pajama pants lends remote work a sense of casualness. And that makes it a lot harder for you to motivate yourself. Getting into the spirit of work not only involves settling down in your workplace but also dressing like you’ve got a hard day’s work ahead of you!

Behave like you would in a real office

If you were physically present in an office, you wouldn’t allow your work to be constantly interrupted by personal phone calls, visitors, breaks etc. The same goes for when you are doing remote work. Put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign if you need and let friends and family know you cannot be contacted during certain hours

Set clear boundaries about work timings

As a remote worker, you might think that because you aren’t physically present in the office, you will have to make up for it by putting in longer hours than usual. That is not how it works. Work, whether done remotely or while being physically present in the office holds the same value. You need to define clear work timings for yourself and you need to let your colleagues and managers know about those timings as well. Once in a while, there might be an overlap between work and home, but for the most part, do not let the boundary lines between home and work blur. Remember, you are under no obligation to be available 24/7, whether you are a regular office worker or a remote worker.


Engagedly is a performance management application with elements of employee engagement. And near or far, we make it easier for employees to communicate with each other. To see how Engagedly can help you!

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Gabby Davis

Gabby Davis is the Lead Trainer for the US Division of the Customer Experience Team. She develops and implements processes and collaterals related to the client onboarding experience and guides clients across all tiers through the initial implementation of Engagedly as well as Mentoring Complete. She is passionate about delivering stellar client experiences and ensuring high adoption rates of the Engagedly product through engaging and impactful training and onboarding.

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