Since the pandemic, working remotely from home has become the new normal and as a result, increasing productivity, stengthening innovative ideas, and having the potential to do more meaningful work from anywhere around the world.

The growing trend for remote jobs has shown that the world of work is not waiting for things to go back to normal. Just as you should not put your career on hold, if you are waiting until things go back to normal, you could be doing yourself a disservice.

If you are considering entering the remote workforce, you must go in with a good understanding of what the experience is all about to be sure it will be suitable for you.

Anita, a member of Latamforce was kind enough to share her experience.

Onboarding will be different

I was not sure what to expect with remote onboarding. In previous jobs, my first weeks was filled with meeting people I was working with, an introduction with IT, Health and Safety etc. Having this done remotely was quite different. My introduction was relatively simple, since at Latamforce, we were such a small team (back when I started a year ago). Just a few video calls and messages with different members of the team, and it was done.

It is also fundamental to consider the technology you will need to be able to do your job. There should be a clear and detailed plan for how the project will proceed and how your relationships with your clients and co-workers will develop in the future.

Meeting colleagues and making friends remotely can be challenging.

It is strange to think some of the people I speak to most I have never met in person, and I might never meet them, and I bet you have thought of that.

In saying that, thanks to Gonzalo, the founder of Latamforce, when he flew from the U.S. to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where many of us work from, and he organised a lunch, and we got to meet various members of the team.

When working remotely, you do not get to learn colleagues working habits (are they chatty? Do they arrive early or late?). However, you do learn different kinds of things that you would not necessarily learn face-to-face. We see each other’s pets, kitchens, and family members.

In some ways, it can help with building relationships as people are more relaxed in their home environment. On the other hand, I can see that it would be harder to make real work friends. With screen fatigue being a real issue, very few people want to have lunch together or hang out over Zoom.

With a new job, you want to make a great first impression, show you are capable, enthusiastic and a team player. It is a bit more difficult to do that remotely when people do not see what you are up to behind the scenes. You can go at your own pace with learning new skills, where someone might hover at your desk in-person, or you might feel embarrassed to ask something, you can send a quick message over your communications platform of choice (Slack is ours).

While it has been difficult in many ways, the pandemic has given remote teams a sense of community. Everyone is navigating remote work together, and that gives a feeling of togetherness. If you feel disconnected from your team, let someone know so that it can be addressed.

It is easy to work longer hours, so set working boundaries

It is easy when working remotely for work and home life to blur. Let your colleagues know when you are checking out for the day and when you are taking a break if necessary. You can also let them know if you need to get your head down for a few hours to avoid too many emails and instant messages when you are trying to concentrate.

You will probably feel isolated

Loneliness is a common fear for those who have never worked remotely before. Many people feel that if you are not in the office all day, you will not see your co-workers and will not be able to see you. Not only is this motivation-sapping, but it can also be hard to build healthy relationships with your team members.

So how do you combat this? Make sure you chat with your boss on a regular basis. Do not wait until the annual review to talk about your goals and the companies vision. You want to make sure they know what motivates you, where you want to grow, and how they can help you do that.

One tip that has helped me? sometimes working every day from your home can consume you, leading to unmotivation. Try going to a cafe once a week to have human interaction and feel more accompanied.

You will need to be a great communicator

Communication will be the essence of your job as a remote employee. It is the only way you can genuinely expect to be able to serve your team and meet your goals. It is crucial to get on the same page with your colleagues and effectively communicate what you do daily.

Find your flow.

It sounds simple, but find out your best working conditions and stick with them. Do you work best when sitting in silence or with people around, from your sofa or a desk? Do you need several short breaks or one long break? I have found my working from home habits to be quite different from my office working habits. Take some time to learn them and implement them so you can avoid unproductive days.

You can and will be able to do a great job in a remote role, just as you would in person. What is most important are the skills you can bring to the company.

You can search for part-remote and 100% remote roles with Latamforce. 

Book a call for more information if you would like to join the team.