Once we have asked ourselves the necessary questions to analyze the reality of telework that we face –at the organizational level, of the work teams, and from the individual point of view–, we must obtain the necessary information to answer them. Later, it would be interesting to define what metrics and indicators can help us study this phenomenon standardized.

How To Obtain Information About Teleworking?

A first approach to the problem consisted of collecting information through questionnaires about the practices implemented by organizations and the status of employees and work teams in different issues (digital skills, work organization, relationships with colleagues, etc.).

This undoubtedly fundamental approach has two main limitations :

• the information collected is self-reported and therefore is subject to different biases; and
• Obtaining them requires a significant effort. The greater, the more extensive the samples of workers to be surveyed.

One way to complement this approach is to study the information present in the systems used for teleworking, from the virtual platforms to which employees connect to the telephone systems. In these systems, various data of great value are stored to describe the different practices in the teleworking environment.

The Fundamental Advantages of Using This Data Are Two:

• The objectivity of the record (although it is also subject to bias); and
• The possibility of analyzing large volumes of data.

On the other hand, among its drawbacks is the technical difficulty associated with analyzing large volumes of data and, above all, the “meaning” of the data obtained. For example, an employee’s self-reported response to a stress questionnaire reflects their stress level, but what can be inferred from the data contained in the systems? What does it mean, for example, that an employee has more or fewer video calls? Greater or less stress?

Even with these unknowns about the interpretation of the available data, we have to face the challenge of using them to generate relevant metrics that allow us to describe how telework is “happening” and have a basis on which to compare different practices, assess corrective actions and study the evolution of the telework situation, among other issues.

Where Do We Start? Metrics and Indicators For Teleworking

The question’s title is pretentious: we have already started and have been working hard on labor force analysis for some time. But maybe a little structure could do us good. And the first thing is to recognize that teleworking, no matter how systematically it has been announced in all institutional reports worldwide as a trend to consolidate, has caught us off the hook.

Recognizing the limitations of the measures described, a possible roadmap would be the following:

• Establish what the parameters that interest us are. The first step in this roadmap would be to establish the three levels of analysis discussed above (organization, teams, and employees), which are the aspects that we are interested in assessing.
• Develop metrics to inform about the aspects of interest. The second step must be developing a shared language that allows us to speak in the same terms regarding the phenomenon. And that shared language is metrics. What numerical quantification can we use to describe each of the aspects mentioned above reliably?
• Engage employees, managers, and institutions in need of developing a culture of data and teleworking. This data culture will help us to have quality data that add to accurate descriptions of reality.
• Manage based on evidence. Incorporate metrics into our daily work and make decisions based on the information they provide.
• Constant evolution. And as a result of the above, to re-identify new aspects, to explore and start again. Maintaining the logic that we do not have all the answers and the concern to find them will be essential to progress in this area (as it happens in all others).

Also Read: The Best Tools For Teleworking

The post Telecommuting – Metrics And Analytics appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

Teleworking, or remote work, has many benefits for the worker since it favors conciliation and represents a significant saving of time and money for travel.

Carrying out, however, can be somewhat confusing and complicated if certain risks of teleworking and some essential aspects are not taken into account. Do you stay to meet them?

The advantages and disadvantages of teleworking are clear: Being isolated from the team may lack coordination, and the work does not flow so easily. There is the risk of becoming unproductive by distracting yourself in a familiar environment; or that the very structure of the family prevents you from having a good concentration. Physical appearance also plays a role, and you may lack the right tools to work comfortably. It would help if you took the rules of preventing occupational risks to your home to avoid physical problems.

Teleworking allows you to economically incur fewer expenses and save time traveling to the workplace, and advantages to eating healthier and more economically, taking advantage of the home environment. The environment will also thank us that you use the car less, and we, by obligation, will become more digital, reducing the use of paper. Your quality of life will increase if you follow the advice that we give you below:

Tips and Ideas For Teleworking

Respect Your Schedule

Working from home should be the same as working from your office. Be punctual and productive, but don’t stop your breaks or work overtime just for the sake of being home.

Establish your routine, and don’t get out of it. For example, if your schedule is in the morning, get up at least half an hour earlier, have breakfast, and dress in comfortable clothes. Taking off your pajamas and skipping breakfast in front of your computer will help you prepare your mind and put it in “work mode.”

If you find it difficult to organize yourself well and be productive, we recommend some training in time management and personal productivity. You can’t imagine how you can save time by organizing yourself well.

Separate Your Work Area From Your Leisure Area

Enabling a stay is necessary so that work performance is the same in teleworking as in the office. Do not fall into the temptation to carry out your work activity from a bed or a sofa; your productivity will be affected, and your back will make too. Try to have an environment that meets the minimum conditions: good light, a desk, and an ergonomic chair.

Avoid Distractions

Distractions can be of two types: internal or external.

To avoid the former, be strict with your work hours and never lose sight of what you are doing. Of course, remove your mobile from your workspace; both personal messages and social networks would be an unforgivable distraction. There are great applications to keep in touch with your team’s steam without having to use your mobile to do so.

As for external distractions, let your environment know your work hours and do not be available to anyone outside your work while you are teleworking. Keep in mind that Telework hours must be ‘shielded” in your schedule. If you dedicate them to other things, you would be incurring absenteeism from work, and your tasks would be affected. If you have difficulties with work-life balance, reach an agreement with your company or clients to make the hours more flexible or work towards objectives.

Disconnect

Just as you must respect your schedules to carry out your work, you must respect the end of your working day. When your departure time arrives, leave the room for teleworking and dedicate time to yourself and yours.

Exercise, take a walk, take the opportunity to run errands, etc. Your mental health will thank you, and your work performance will be much better the next day. Keep in mind that an increase in productivity will not be given only by time but by working freshness. Keeping your mind in shape inevitably involves taking the necessary rest times and ‘resetting ideas’ so that new or complementary ones can arise in the face of external influences.

Also Read: Massive Use Of Teleworking For IT Professions In 2021

Stay in Touch With Your Team.

Take advantage of the multiple online tools that will allow you to keep in touch with your team and streamline your teleworking. We recommend that you hire an Internet connection with enough bandwidth to support the data flow you need in your tasks so that your performance is similar to what you would have working in the central offices.

Some examples of them are:

Google Drive

Although it is not new to you, you may not know the full potential that this tool has to offer you. It allows you to organize all your files in the cloud to share them with your team, and you can proceed to the simultaneous editing in real-time.

Its handling is simple once you know it in-depth and the functionalities it offers allow its users to enjoy highly optimized remote work.

To be an expert in this tool, there are training courses that will help you create and manage all your documents on excellent telecommuting.

Trello

Its online boards will allow you to organize ideas and concepts, plan projects and establish priorities with its color classification system.

Asana

This tool organizes the workspaces you have created by tasks to add descriptions and upload files. When the job has been completed, you can mark it with the checkbox that it includes so that all team members will know its status. In addition, Asana allows documents to be edited simultaneously on multiple computers.

Digital Agendas

This tool will allow you to have everything you need on your computer, leaving aside all physical materials. Many with a username and password will let you have your schedule from any mobile device. If you prefer, you can also get a digital program and upload it to any of the previous tools so that both you and your team can consult it at any time and from anywhere.

Teams

The latest development for teamwork. If your company uses the office, you will already have it on your computer. Establish your team and start sharing posts about the jobs you do. Chats allow you to exchange files and have meetings. Its calendar will enable you to organize events, and the files uploaded to the system have their locations in the SharePoint system to locate and edit them.
As you can see, there are many advantages of teleworking, so teleworking will be much easier for you if you apply these tricks and manage to find an agile work methodology. A clear example is the SCRUM methodology, a process proven to be one of the most productive on the market due to its team and project management system. They base their strategy on innovation, flexibility, and collaboration, which has been beneficial for launching projects of different sizes in record time.

The post Five Tips That Enhance The Advantages Of Teleworking appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.