While working from home, here's how to get noticed—and promoted

Working from home for most of us has become the new normal. The virus has turned the 9 to 5 jobs upside down and working remotely is now the future of work. Many employers will trim their workforce and retain only those who adapt quickly and efficiently. So how can you survive and thrive in the new dawn of working remotely?

Shift your location

Working from the office may have forced you to rent a house closer to your workplace. If the office is situated in an urban area the cost of living might have been quite high. This may be the time to move to a more affordable location says Chris Herd, the founder, and chief executive officer of First Base HQ, a provisioning firm that helps companies supply and manages work–from–home systems and structures. "Maintaining the office is quite expensive and the remote policy is cutting costs by up to 90 percent. Instead of hiring the best person in a 30-mile radius of the office, companies can now hire the best person wherever they may be," he says.

If you live near the CBD, shift to residential areas that are cheaper even though further from the office. For example, popular Dj Crème de la Crème shifted his base from Nairobi to Kericho County. "In Nairobi, I used to pay Sh250,000 per term for my kids. In Kericho, I pay Sh 50,000. I paid Sh85,000 monthly in rent at Loresho, Nairobi. In Kericho I pay Sh30,000 for a residential home that sits on a quarter an acre of land," he said recently.

Keep working hours

Create a work schedule that resembles the official 9 to 5 working hours. "Make sure that you set some office hours and stick to them. This will prevent you from either working too little or wearing yourself out with too much work," says Jacqueline Whitmore, the author of Business Class.

This is echoed by Herd. "Productivity has gone through the roof, but the ripple effect is employee burnout. Employees working away from the office are overworking to prove their worth," he said. If you are unable to come up with official working hours due to other family obligations, you may opt to set aside a certain period within the day for your work. "Don't mix up your home errands with your office errands. Stay focused on your office work throughout the period you have set out for work to maintain consistency and build up your productivity," she says.

Mark your output

If your previous performance was measured by the number of hours you spent at your office desk, the new routine will radically change this. The measure of performance will now be your output. "Employers are now adopting tools that track productivity and performance output more than during the previous office regime," says Herd. This means that you must go the extra mile to remain relevant. "The work from home policy is ending the era of the employee who must be pushed around to get things done. No employer wants to carry dead weight. Only those who deliver beyond their expected output will thrive in the new era," says career coach and business consultant Michael Njue.

Master Tech

You will not survive if you don't have the right technology. An effective internet connection, a smartphone, and an efficient computer are at the heart of work-from-home technology. Stay abreast with the latest in the world, and especially in your career line. Njue says that employers are deploying technologies to enhance productivity and guarantee quality output. Your home office must be capable of adopting these technologies while being safe. Learn about virtual meetings and technologies such as Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, and Microsoft Teams and utilise platforms that don't charge you. For instance, Microsoft has made its hub for teamwork in Office 365, Microsoft Teams, free to the public to enable remote working.

Keep off nosy neighbours

When working remotely, you may be distracted by friends and neighbours, especially those who drop by unannounced. Florence Muragu, a business and financial coach based in Nairobi says that you should not allow them to stop by during your working hours unless it is absolutely necessary. "Let your friends and family know that you are working from home. This will instill respect and discipline to your work time," says Ms. Muragu. When it comes to working at home, time is everything.

Dress up

Would your employer be comfortable if you attended Zoom video meetings in your pyjamas? Don't be the video clip that goes viral because your partner popped up in your Zoom half-naked during an important work meeting. "The way you dress has a huge impact on your psychology and approach to issues. Take a shower, have a good breakfast, and dress confidently," Ms. Whitmore says. Also, you will be spending a good amount of time communicating via phone or email so polish up your communication skills. Don't sound sleepy when making official calls or send sloppy emails to your clients or employer.

Post-Covid companies want staff to work from home

Over the last 12 months, Chris Herd researched with over 2,000 companies on the future of work. This is what he found:

• The majority of companies globally will cut their commercial office space by 50 to 70 percent
• The majority of companies will allow employees to work from home at least 2 to 4 days a week and 1 to 2 days at the office per week
• At least 30 percent of companies are restructuring to entirely move work from the office to home
• The majority of companies are embracing work from home formula to cut costs
• Up to 90 percent of employees who worked from home during Covid-19 don't want to fully return to the office routine