2020 came around with much anticipation, both for a fresh start of a new decade and hopes for a better year. Nevertheless, one of the most unexpected turns since the beginning of 2020 was the rapid spread of COVID-19. What started out as an unknown virus quickly made its way into society and brought on inevitable changes to all aspects of life as we know it. Besides instilling rigorous hygiene rules in everyday interactions (Distance – Disinfection – Disposable protective equipment), most companies and businesses had to deal with one more pesky “D”: Digitalization.

At DevelopmentAid, imposed norms and official recommendations were met with the utmost respect and fast execution – since the middle of March, all of our operations were moved to a remote setting. Almost overnight, an initial and major change took place in the way we worked at DevelopmentAid, but it was met with tolerance and solidarity from the employees’ side. It’s known as being in quarantine, confined to our home which now serves as our offices, restaurants, playgrounds, clubs, and whatever else you attended outside of it in better times. However, the passing of weeks and uncertainty regarding how much longer the current situation will last started to set in. Then, the thought that we may be entering a new reality where remote work is not all that uncommon sprung up in our minds, and we decided to find out how our employees fared from home and how their “office” life looked like now. The results were awesome, as we got to see the improvised workplaces of our colleagues and how diverse they are. See for yourself below 🙂

In our survey, employees rated the #workfromhome format with a 4.1 score out of 5. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that our “workantine” is going well so far, but we were also curious to find out the challenges people face at their job at home. 65% mentioned the lack of communication & team presence, 44% chose the lack of an appropriate workplace & tools, and 15% noted technical & motivational issues as being major roadblocks. Fair enough, we miss our team as well!

However, what were the mentioned advantages of working remotely? 60% of our colleagues told about logistical ease, 55% mentioned the comfort of the location & flexible work hours, and 49% told us that cozy work clothes and other made #workfromhome somewhat worth it.

As a result, the dreaded “D” of digitalization did not seem so daunting to our company anymore; on the contrary, it seems that we humans can adapt to any activity format and make it workable in times of need. To lend you a helping hand and inspire you to diversify your workday, we’ve gathered the top 5 recommendations to help you work remotely & efficiently shared by our colleagues. Read on and enjoy!

1. Location. Try to find yourself a dedicated and comfortable spot to work that you can associate with your job and leave when you’re off the clock — that means get off the couch, and definitely out of bed! 
2. Routine. Set your alarm to a specific time every day. Get up and get ready as if you are going into the office. Set a schedule and make sure to stick to it as you usually would. Having a schedule will help you to stay on track, and will help you avoid distractions & inconsistency.
3. Communication. With remote work, it is important to be in regular communication with your team. Use chat systems, email, and video conferencing. There is no such thing as over-communicating, as it keeps you and your team engaged!
4. Breaks. Just as you would in the office, it’s important to schedule a regular lunch break of at least an hour every day and to allow yourself two additional 15-minute breaks. If you live with other people, perhaps this would be a good time to come together over some food. If you live alone, consider scheduling a Skype call with friends while you all take your lunches.
5. Boundaries. It can be very tempting to stay permanently glued to social media, especially during a time like this. However, both our passive and active use of social media can be seriously detrimental to our productivity. Give yourself permission to surf the web or scroll through social media in small, controlled increments throughout the day!

We hope you put our tips to good use and harness remote work easily! Nevertheless, there were some things our colleagues miss about our office lives that no tip list can ever ease. More than 75% of our employees miss their teams & people, the coffee breaks, and their office & work environment. We fully agree, but a little bit more patience is what will get us back together in the office with the things we miss!

Could this be what our future work will look like? Will our home turn into our workplace on a full-time basis? Only time can tell, but we are sure that from here on, working remotely will not seem that impossible anymore. Armed with experience and a good handful of tips, DevAiders will persevere and adapt to any working format thrown at us!

Take care of yourself, and hopefully, see you at the office soon 🙂