Despite its growing prominence, there are many challenges of telecommuting. From feeling isolated to struggling to cope with technical problems, working from home isn\u2019t always a breeze.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, the difficulties presented by telecommuting hold true whether you\u2019re a veteran remote worker or a newbie freelancer<\/span>. The same goes if you\u2019re managing a team of digital nomads<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As telecommuting increasingly becomes the norm, it will continue to pose frustrations for employees and employers alike.<\/p>\n Read below the 10 biggest telecommuting challenges, as well as how to overcome them – so you can sustainably reap the benefits of today.<\/p>\n A remote work policy sets the stage for what\u2019s expected of your telecommuters. Without it, employees are more prone to the difficulties of working from home, while companies are ill-equipped to manage their telecommuters.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>:\u00a0If you haven\u2019t already, establish a remote work policy. An adequate policy sets some basic ground rules to enable effective management of a telecommuting staff,\u00a0determine clear communication and collaboration<\/a> channels, and put in place a course of action in case of tech-related issues.<\/p>\n [highlight_block title=”Need help creating a policy for your telecommuters? Use this remote work policy template and craft the ideal policy to keep your team aligned and productive.” link1=”https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/remote-work-policy\/” link2=”” link3=”” ]<\/p>\n Isolation is an often-underestimated telecommuting challenge. While 42% of remote workers feel as connected as their on-site colleagues, that\u2019s still less than half. That\u2019s a lot of isolated telecommuters. With no office chit-chat or shared coffee breaks, telecommuting can get lonely.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>:\u00a0You have to take steps to fill the void left by a lack of social interaction. Use a video calling app<\/a>\u00a0to regularly touch base with teammates and also carry out shared tasks like meetings or the daily stand-up. Set up a group chat<\/a> for sharing team successes and casual conversation.<\/p>\n And consider using instant messaging instead of email<\/a>. Email may still be your method of choice, but IM is faster, more personal, and more effective at building team relationships.<\/p>\n Not equipping your telecommuters leaves them empty-handed and incapable of delivering the results your business needs to thrive. On the other hand, too many tools can cripple workflows.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>:\u00a0First and foremost, craft a toolkit that reflects your telecommuters\u2019 and team\u2019s needs. Beyond that, a good rule of thumb is to choose the fewest number of tools to get the job done.<\/p>\n In many cases, you can get the job done with a robust team chat app<\/a>, project tracking software, sound knowledge management, and a productivity app<\/a> or two. Good collaboration tools<\/a>\u00a0should feature all-in-one capability, providing a range of functionalities on the same\u00a0platform.<\/p>\n Security concerns are a fact of life, but more so with telecommuting. When employees are no longer in the secure confines of the office, but rather in their homes – where they\u2019re more relaxed – the potential for careless behavior increases.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>: To address these concerns, mitigate the potential of sensitive information leaks, data breaches, and snooping before they happen.<\/p>\n Use a VPN to establish a more secure connection with your business network. Have a secure backup of all data and information. Furthermore, make sure all internal communication<\/a> is encrypted end-to-end. Encrypted, peer-to-peer communication on a fully private team network<\/a> diminishes the risk of internal negligence or misbehavior while protecting you against snooping or man-in-the-middle attacks.<\/p>\n [highlight_block title=”Remote work doesn\u2019t have to mean unsecure communication. Explore these encrypted chat apps and guarantee data security and privacy while increasing teamwork.” link1=”https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/encrypted-messaging-apps\/” link2=”” link3=”” ]<\/p>\n Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges of telecommuting is technical problems. IT glitches, hardware problems, and app and software issues can halt productivity in its tracks.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>: You can\u2019t prevent software bugs or hardware malfunctions, but you can try to stay one step ahead of them. Have a backup plan in place for when the wifi goes awry or you\u2019re met with a barrage of error messages.<\/p>\n In many instances, remote troubleshooting can diagnose and fix technical problems. Many screen-sharing apps<\/a>\u00a0feature remote desktop control capable of running remote diagnostics, investigating errors, installing programs, and configuring settings and software.<\/p>\n Telecommuting presents many challenges. But one difficulty that\u2019s often overlooked is the impact it can have on your daily routine and diet. Working in your pajamas<\/span> from home can blur the boundary between work and leisure. What\u2019s more, when the fridge is always within reach, the lure of snacks can be hard to resist.<\/span><\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>: Just because you\u2019re working from home doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t take breaks. Make them meaningful, though. Take a walk, read, do some yoga, or check in with family and friends.<\/p>\n When it comes to your diet, have in mind that there\u2019s a direct correlation between your diet and productivity<\/a>, sleep cycles, and self-control. Avoid binging on carbs and empty calories and go for healthy options like fruits, vegetables, and nuts.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a saying that a team that plays together stays together. But that\u2019s easier said than done for a team of telecommuters. How do you foster sustainable team momentum when everyone\u2019s in their own bubble?<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>:\u00a0Improving team camaraderie doesn\u2019t have to be a challenge. Often, the right team communication tool<\/a>\u00a0can go a long way toward improving team spirit and morale. For those times when you need a little something extra, consider a team-building activity. From quizzes or group personality tests to movie-watching, remote team-building activities<\/a>\u00a0can bridge the disconnect and foster a happier and more productive team<\/a>.<\/p>\n Different time zones can throw a wrench into team collaboration<\/a>. A noon meeting in Europe is a brutal wake-up call for your North American counterparts. On the flip side, it\u2019s unfair to ask your European team to join an afternoon meeting East Coast Time when their workday has ended.<\/p>\n The fix<\/b>: Be mindful of time zones and try to pick a time when everyone\u2019s at least had their first cup of coffee. Sometimes, there\u2019s just no avoiding the inconvenient time. But try to rotate so it isn\u2019t always the same teammate joining a video call after<\/span> their work <\/span>hours or, worse, at 4:00 a.m. local time.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s only normal to lose focus. You\u2019re not a robot, so you<\/span> can\u2019t expect to maintain maximum focus all day every day, especially during coronavirus times when many of us aren\u2019t accustomed to telecommuting. But there are steps you can take to maintain more consistent productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n The fix<\/b>: While telecommuting, try mimicking prior routines from when you worked in a <\/span>traditional <\/span>office. Set an alarm, make coffee, and get dressed. Make to-do lists and get to know your <\/span>productive<\/span><\/a> times. Schedule everything if you have to, including your breaks.<\/span><\/p>\n And utilize technology. There are loads of tech tools<\/a>\u00a0to keep you connected during the COVID era, or just boost your engagement in case you find yourself with some more free time.<\/p>\n Telecommuting comes with its share of distractions. Whether you\u2019ve got little ones, pets, a messy work environment, or an addictive social media habit (or all of the above), working from home doesn\u2019t have to wreck your productivity.<\/p>\n The fix<\/strong>: There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution. If you\u2019re balancing kids while working from home, sync your most challenging tasks with their nap or independent playtime. Use your breaks to walk the dog and get some fresh air.<\/p>\n Tidying up can pay dividends, too. Keep your workspace well-stocked and get all your supplies ready beforehand. Getting up to search for a pen or paperclip chips away at your productivity<\/a> and could lead to other distractions.<\/p>\n Finally, take steps to trim social media use during the workday. Log out of your accounts, remove browser shortcuts, or delete the apps from your smartphone during the workweek.<\/p>\n [highlight_block title=”Looking for more tips to help you overcome the challenges of telecommuting? Check out these work from home tips to boost your environment, work habits, and workflow.” link1=”https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/remote-work-best-practices\/” link2=”https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/employee-training\/” link3=”https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/workplace-conflict-resolution\/” ]<\/p>\n To fully understand the challenges of telecommuting, as well as realize the solutions, it\u2019s helpful to have a picture of the major telecommuting trends.<\/span><\/p>\n Telecommuting only continues to grow in popularity. The reasons are many and range from an enhanced employee work-life balance to a reduction in employer overhead.<\/p>\n All signs point to a continued rise in telecommuting. That said, as you ponder the future, consider carefully the challenges that come as a result of working remotely.<\/p>\n Are you and your remote workers able to meet those challenges? Can you provide your telecommuters with <\/span>a system to enable peak performance, day after day?<\/span><\/p>\n Consider Brosix<\/a>! An instant messaging software for businesses<\/a>, Brosix<\/a> provides encrypted, real-time communication and collaboration to streamline how day-to-day business gets done. It\u2019s practically overcome the challenges of telecommuting. Give it a try!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Struggling with the challenges of telecommuting? Telecommuting has exploded in popularity. It\u2019s fast becoming a prerequisite for both job seekers and employers everywhere. That\u2019s because telecommuting offers many benefits to both employees and companies. Employees face less time commuting and more time for themselves, their families, and their work. Employers gain the ability to hire […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-remote-work"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}10 Common <\/b>Challenges of Telecommuting and How to Overcome Them<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Lack of Telecommuting Policy<\/h3>\n
2. Isolation<\/h3>\n
3. Subpar Toolkit<\/h3>\n
4. Unsecure Communication<\/h3>\n
5. Technical Problems<\/h3>\n
6. Poor Routine and Diet<\/h3>\n
7. No Team Camaraderie<\/h3>\n
8. Different Time Zones<\/h3>\n
9. Loss of Focus<\/h3>\n
10. Distractions<\/h3>\n
Trends in Telecommuting<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"telecommuting](\"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/files\/docs\/trends-in-telecommuting.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Takeaway <\/b>of Working Remotely<\/b><\/h2>\n