Your Guide to Remote Work

In the midst of uncertainty regarding the spread of COVID-19, you may find yourself and your team working remotely. Maybe you’re a WFH veteran. Maybe you’ve dabbled in remote work here and there. Or, maybe this is an entirely new experience for you. 

At Binc, our team falls into all of these categories, ranging from being onsite at our clients 4 days a week to working from home 100% of the time. Based on our years of experience working in various remote work capacities, I’ve collected some of our Bincers’ tips into a quick guide to get you and your team started (+ scroll to the bottom for a bonus guide on handling remote onboarding!)

3 Tips to Get Started

1. Set up your workspace

DON’T: Work from your bed. Scientific studies support keeping work out of the bedroom as it can make it hard for your brain to “turn off” the workday when you’re preparing for sleep.

DO: Determine how you work best. Would you do best with a dedicated office/desk or are you just as productive alternating between your kitchen table and sofa? Also, if you’ll be on video calls, do consider how you will appear on the screen. Dress and groom as you would for the physical office, and make sure you have a strong internet connection, adequate lighting, and a working microphone. Pay attention to what will appear in your background (do you want to show off your indoor jungle, or do you prefer to keep things minimal?)

2. Connect and communicate

DON’T: Isolate yourself from your coworkers.

DO: Set up informal check-ins with teammates and get involved in your company’s employee resource groups or committees. Maintaining these social ties will ease the feeling of loneliness that can accompany working remotely.

DON’T: Expect your peers to respond to your messages right away. Keep in mind that constant pings/notifications can interrupt “flow” (aka someone’s ability to be productive). For anything urgent, land on the best way to reach out (perhaps that can be through a phone call or text message).

DO: Be proactive in keeping your calendar up-to-date. Add in blocks for lunch breaks, walks around the neighborhood, etc., and if you’re using a messaging platform like Slack, consider updating your status to let your peers know what you’re up to (e.g. “At lunch,” “Heads down sourcing,” etc.)

3. Follow a schedule

DON’T: Forget to eat! Oftentimes we can get caught up in deep work/meetings and lose track of time. Make sure you’re taking care of your basic needs. If you’re not at your best, how can you do your best work?

DO: Set boundaries. When working from home, it’s easy for the boundaries separating work life from home life to blur. Let closing your laptop at the end of the workday signal that it’s time to stop checking emails, Slack messages, etc. You can set working hours on apps like Google Calendar to prevent your peers from scheduling outside of them; I’ve found this very helpful with colleagues in different time zones.

DO: Keep a routine. This means going to sleep and waking up at a consistent time each day, exercising when you normally would, and stepping away from your computer to enjoy lunch or an afternoon snack.

3 Steps to Onboarding Employees Remotely

1. Set up and set expectations

DON’T: Assume new employees know how to use certain equipment/technologies. Ask first, and then teach if necessary.

DO: Make sure new employees receive their laptops and any relevant equipment prior to their first day. It’s also a nice touch to include a written welcome note and information on how to set up their equipment. Don’t forget to include some company swag, too!

DO: Get them set up on all systems (e.g. email, Slack, video conferencing, etc.), and employee benefits (this will probably be top of mind for new employees, so be sure to address it early on).

DO: Clarify what they can expect from onboarding. Share a schedule with them that details who they’ll be meeting with and the purpose of each meeting.

2. Focus on connection

DON’T: Jump right into logistics right away. Start their first day with introductions and an icebreaker. Here’s one that’s very of-the-moment: “What’s your favorite non-perishable item?” (Kudos to one of the directors at Binc who came up with this!)

DO: Facilitate daily group check-ins so each onboarding class is able to start their day seeing familiar faces. Also, be sure each new hire’s manager is checking in with them periodically throughout onboarding.

DO: Incorporate your company’s values in the onboarding sessions new hires will attend. This will help tie in learnings with the company’s mission.

DO: Arrange a company-wide Meet & Greet and/or start a Buddy Program. At Binc, we have an optional company-wide call that anyone can join to meet the new hires on their first day. We also have a Buddy Program that consists of pairing new Bincers up with employees who are in a similar role.

3. Offer flexibility

DON’T: Schedule every minute of every day during onboarding. This can be overwhelming and doesn’t leave time for new employees to absorb everything they’re learning.

DO: Provide some wiggle room around when new employees can tackle independent tasks. This allows them to work autonomously and at their own pace.

DO: Schedule breaks throughout the day for lunch and time between meetings.

There’s often a perception that it’s harder to form real connections with colleagues if they’re not built face-to-face, but fortunately, at Binc we have been able to forge a strong culture of meaningful relationships across the country. I hope this guide has provided you with actionable steps to improve your experience working remotely.