Remote Work = Freedom? Are You Really Ready to Work Remotely?
Caption: To find real freedom in remote work, first master four basic rules.
The pandemic ushered in the era of remote work. Employees began to long for working from anywhere, some even volunteering to take a pay cut in exchange for the chance to work remotely. Yet when Taiwan went into Level 3 alert and companies let staff work from home, overtime became rampant. After going remote, the social network LinkedIn and sportswear giant NIKE took the unprecedented step of giving employees "wellbeing breaks," which makes one wonder: is remote work really as wonderful as it seems? Is it a revolution that will upend the workplace, or just another side effect of the pandemic?
Even before the pandemic, 5xRuby Software Development gave employees the flexibility to apply for remote work, so the company has seen plenty of what remote work can and cannot do. 5xRuby Executive Director Sho Chang says many people assume remote work means freedom, but in reality, for many the line between work and life blurs as home and workspace mix together. Unable to hold themselves to a strict work routine, people run into problems such as family members barging into meetings, forgetting to eat and working overtime. Work pressure rises above what it used to be, and they end up less free, not more.
What's more, even with video conferencing and messaging apps, the lack of face-to-face communication makes it harder for remote workers to read each other's tone and state of mind, which easily leads to gaps in understanding and misunderstandings. The heavy reliance on "asynchronous communication" also directly tests the trust between employees and managers. Sorting out people problems without seeing anyone in person requires more time and effort, and more care, to be spent on communication.
Caption: Remote workers have to invest more time and effort in communication.
Who is suited to remote work depends on their type of job, abilities and personality. Chang has observed that experienced professionals tend to be better suited to remote work, not only because of their skills, but more importantly because years of experience have given them the professional judgment needed to earn trust. In any case, if the company allows it, everyone has the right to choose remote work. Chang offers four essential rules to give you a boost before you start working remotely.
1. Create a professional workspace: As long as you make sure that people and things unrelated to work won't interrupt your progress, even a corner of your room can be a good workspace. Since video meetings are unavoidable when working remotely, a headset and microphone with good audio and a clean, distraction-free background are the basic equipment for more efficient meetings.
2. Stick to a regular work routine: Whether you use the Pomodoro technique to divide rest and work time, or strictly carry your office routine into your private space (such as starting work at 9, lunch at 12 and making coffee at 3 p.m.), these are good ways to reinforce the sense of being ON and OFF work and to cut down on overtime.
3. Share your work calendar to build trust: Get into the habit of scheduling and publishing your tasks on your calendar in advance each day or week. This not only lets your manager understand your progress, but also shows when you are available for a quick discussion. Clearly noting what you expect to finish and by when also keeps others from having to "chase you for work."
4. Proactively confirm your tasks: "Asynchronous communication" makes it easy to miss or misread information. After receiving and digesting a message, restate it in your own words to confirm the details. Over-communicating like this helps you avoid wasted work and is also a way to show initiative.
Chang points out that remote work brings an entirely new way of working and new possibilities, but every step tests employees' communication skills and work methods. Remote workers need not only to finish tasks on schedule but also to master the art of managing up. Only then can they escape the fate of the corporate drone, gain a relative degree of freedom and strike a good balance between life and work.
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About the Company
Founded in 2014, 5xRuby Co., Ltd. is one of Taiwan's most representative companies specializing in the Ruby programming language, building web services primarily on the Ruby on Rails framework. Its brand clients span Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and beyond. The company has helped an overseas startup build a cross-border e-commerce service that went on to raise a Series A round, and has developed apps and web services for many publicly listed Taiwanese companies. Through technical advisory and enterprise technology consulting, it gives brands a solid foundation for web development and delivers professional web solutions.
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