Work from home tips and tricks from our remote team

The last few years have seen the popularity of remote working rise and fall, coinciding with external factors and personal preferences of influential leaders. While the trend may ebb and flow, in our eyes remote working will continue to evolve as a fundamental aspect of modern work.

At Voyage, we’ve seen how having a diverse team that isn’t locked into one location can open up an abundance of possibilities, allowing us to tap into a broader array of skills and unique perspectives that make our work stronger and more effective. We also see how utterly crucial it is for all remote work to be underpinned by a strong culture of trust, emotional intelligence and initiative.

Here we’ll explore why we think remote working isn’t going anywhere, and how you can maximise your day working from home.

Setting the scene: remote work is here to stay

Advancements in tech have led to a steady increase in the number of people opting to work from home. The 1960s saw offices dominated by paper which significantly cut down the possibility of working from home. But even in the 1980s personal computers began to change the game, and by the 2000s, the internet and video calls made remote work even more feasible. As time has gone on this trend has only accelerated, especially following the pandemic, which spurred significant research and innovation in remote collaboration tech.

More recently, remote and hybrid working arrangements have led to boosted productivity, with many business leaders noting improved performance against workforce targets. Even so, there are challenges to address. For instance, fewer than one-third of leaders feel confident in their ability to build trust among remote teams. On top of this, while technological changes require new skills, only a quarter of HR leaders believe they can identify the necessary competencies for the future. (PwC)

As reported by Forbes, two studies in early 2022 validated the views of remote/hybrid work advocates. They showed that remote and hybrid employees report higher job satisfaction - 22% more than their in-office counterparts. These remote workers enjoy better work-life balance, lower stress levels, and improved mental well-being, the researchers found. In fact, 56% of employees cited mental health improvements, better work-life balance and more physical activity.

It’s clear that in order for us to maximise on the benefits of remote working, we need to take care of the basics, primarily a culture of trust and established, streamlined workflows with easy to use tools.

Maximising remote work: insights from our team

At Voyage we have several team members that work away from our Christchurch headquarters, both in New Zealand and abroad. The skilled and unique bunch have generously shared what works for them, how they maintain a healthy work-life balance, and how they stay inspired even working away from the bigger team.

Create or rent a dedicated workspace

Phillip Gray, our Senior Developer working out of Dunedin, emphasises the importance of having a dedicated space to focus.

“Having a dedicated space to concentrate is important. Whether that’s a room you can hole up in at home, or a rented desk somewhere else. I have both options, so if it’s cold, or I’m expecting a delivery, or the kids are sick, I can work from home and not be too distracted. Or if I miss being around other humans, I can head into my shared space and get that office vibe,” he says.

As Keziah adds, “Make sure you have a good remote working setup - ergonomic chair, a sturdy desk, a good monitor, etc.”

Jess shares, “It can get a bit lonely sometimes (I’m fortunate that my housemates work from home three days a week with me) so changing up your work environment, such as going into a cafe or a coworking space, is good.”

Prioritise regular check-ins

Staying connected is vital. Phillip shares, “Stay social. Make sure you see friends or go to groups regularly to make up for that lost office interaction. Human interaction is so important, even if you’re an introvert like me. Regular video chats with your team! Slack is great, but being able to chat face to face is much better and helps to cement your place within the team.”

Matt Lang, our Senior Developer, highlights the importance of communication, saying, “Regular check-ins with the team, clear communication of your availability, and reminding people that are colocated that any decisions should be captured in writing in the appropriate places (be that Jira tickets, slack channels etc) goes a long way.”

Deanne Alabastro, one of our tech-savvy Developers, suggests, “Biggest tips for working remotely would be to share as many things as you can on the online chat - it helps with building relationships and making your presence known since you can’t be in the office all the time. Also offer to get on a call, you can simultaneously fix bugs together and have a yarn.”

Establish a routine

Matt stresses the need for a structured routine. He says, “Strive for routine and set boundaries of where/when work happens, so you don't end up sitting in bed "just finishing" something at 11pm.”

Jess shares this sentiment saying, “Obviously the great benefit of working in a different timezone is being able to do your hours when you want more or less but I did often find myself working very late in the evening which made me sometimes feel like I was always working. It took me a couple months to get into a proper routine of doing 9-5.”

Deanne emphasises the need to have clear boundaries, saying, “I sometimes work a little overtime because it’s harder to disengage from work mode when your office is your home.”

As Keziah says, this can be helped with a clear list of priorites, “Keeping a routine and creating a to-do list at the start of every day is crucial for me.”

Take regular breaks

Matt advises leaving your desk or workspace regularly to refresh: “Get out regularly, whether that's the trip to & from where you work, or ensuring you schedule at least one walk/bike/whatever at some point in your regular day routine.”

Keziah reinforces this, saying regular breaks are essential for maintaining productivity and well-being.

Embracing the future of work

No longer do we have to live and work in the same location, but this new world of work requires a clear focus, even stronger company culture, and to leverage the collaborative tech and insights not from theory but life.

At Voyage we’ve been lucky to sync up with people who are both highly skilled and trustworthy. We’ve seen how the more we can support people to remain connected on a human level and keep up with practical tasks helps to improve our daily experience and what we deliver for clients.

We’re excited to be at the forefront of this ever changing web (pun intended) of interactions and technological evolution as we build and ship powerful websites, web platforms, apps and digital transformation projects.