For those who are able to, working from home has been the only safe option when it comes to carrying out day to day work duties. With some businesses looking to implement working from home for their employees (in the imminent future anyway) it’s very likely this could be a permanent way of carrying out work, due to the health pandemic that has hit 2020.
There has been debate on whether employees feel they can be productive whilst working from home. A survey conducted by Glassdoor found out that 67% of UK employees feel productive working from home; and almost 46% of employees felt that they could be just as productive working from home.
In order to be productive, it’s important to be set up correctly. We’re hoping we can get back to our normal ways of life, however, should you prefer to adopt a work from home culture, here are some tech tips you can take:
Laptops, Chargers, Phones, Adapters
These are part of your essentials (no brainer) for when you work from home. However, under normal conditions, you may decide to work in another environment besides your home. Such as a café or a work spot of your choice.
If you wish to spend time somewhere that doesn’t allow a network connection, either via WiFi or due to lack of data coverage on your mobile phone, make sure you download any files you need in advance; so you don’t have to worry about not having the files you need.
When you have your head buried in your work, it can be easy to not realise the battery bar icon on your laptop decreasing by the hour. Ensure you have the chargers for your devices to keep you on the go.
Password Manager
If you’re in a position where you manage various accounts such as a senior marketer or social media manager, you’re bound to have a list of passwords. You may write them down in a diary or have them on sticky notes stuck to your computer; but when you’re away from the office, how can you keep on track with your passwords: Password Manager.
LastPass is a tool which helps users work remotely and remembers all your passwords across every device you use. It works with Windows, MacOS, Android, iPhone, and iPad, plus it has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and others.
Enable Online Security Protection
It’s important to have all the data you need to carry our your work duties, but it is also important to ensure your data is protected. We have two tips to make sure your data is protected.
Use Strong Passwords:
A strong password is the first piece of advice that is recommended when you create a new account of some sort. Depending on the company you work for or the role you occupy; your company may increase the length and complexity of a password. Your IT department (if you have one) will be able to assist with setting password security requirements.
Use Private WiFi:
Using private Wifi ill mean secure, password-protected networks. Try to avoid those in cafes, hotels, and other public places. But with the coronavirus, you will most likely be working from home where your network should be secure. Make sure it is password protected. If you are in one of these other public places, it's safer to use the mobile hotspot option on your mobile phone than the public WiFi.
Use Your Business VPN. While it's not completely perfect, a VPN with multi-factor authentication can provide the strongest protection against guests who are not authorised.
Test Home Internet Speed
It’s likely that households will contain one or more devices which will be connected to the internet. If you and other members of your household such as a spouse or children are using the same network at one time, there’s a good chance that it could slow down the bandwith. There are various free tests which you can use to test your internet speed;Fast.com is one of a few you can use.
If you’re worried about the speed of your internet, it could be worth moving your laptop or work from home desk closer to the router and plug into ethernet. If you can't get closer to the router, consider a WiFi extender, available in most electronics stores.
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is the most suitable way to keep in touch with colleagues and team members. Conducting team meetings can be tricky with everyone in different environments, however there are a few applications that can help greatly.
These include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, GoToMeetings and others. You can find out more on in our blog on: how to stay in touch with your team