At Revolut Business, we know that flexible working is an important part of helping our team maintain a healthy balance of work and life, with many Revoluters working from home at least one day per week. As we’ve moved to a global WFH practice to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, we wanted to share some helpful advice with you about how Revoluters handle remote work. Here are our favourite tips.
Keep a routine
Stick to your typical workday routine as closely as possible; wake up at the same time, shower, get dressed, make coffee, and walk the dog just as you would on a regular day. Sure, feel free to hit the snooze if WFH means you’re dodging a long commute, but maintaining a regular sleep and work schedule is good for your health, and for your productivity! This also applies to winding down properly at the end of the day – logging off when the work day is done will help you to separate the increasingly blurry lines between work and life.
As for attire, for some, working from home is synonymous with “working in your pajamas,” but we advise against this. Not only to avoid any potential embarrassment on video calls, but to help you feel more like you’re at work. Keep your comfy
clothes for relaxing, and sometimes dressing to impress will really help you conquer the day
Set up your battle station
If you don’t have a home office already set up (full-time freelancers, we salute you!), set up your kitchen table with your computer, notepad, charger and anything else you use daily. Revolut has set up remote IT and equipment support allowing Revoluters to order things like a second monitor, laptop stands and other accessories they need as they work from home over an extended period. Having all of the necessities at your fingertips will limit distractions and help your team to get things done without the need for workarounds.
It goes without saying, but working from bed or from the sofa can often hinder your focus (and be bad for your back!) If you have no other option, make sure you’re sitting up straight, and taking regular breaks to stretch if your working posture
is not ideal.
Practise good communication hygiene
Good “hygiene” on emails, Slack and in calendar events will be critical in ensuring everyone stays on the same page, even when they can’t be in the same room. Take extra care when setting up calendar events, shared documents, and email threads. It may feel like overkill, but including the who, what, when, where, and why of a meeting up-front can prevent future questions and confusion. Be sure to start calls with introductions and end by delegating clear "next steps".
As an organization, overcommunication is critical to keeping your team feeling informed and confident in the health of your business. Revolut hosts weekly town halls via video conference to keep everyone updated on business matters such as
new joiners and performance reviews. It’s important to allow for participants to submit questions without feeling put on the spot – at Revolut, we do this through a chat integration on Zoom or Hangouts.
Use your tools and get creative
Remote working can be a challenge of leadership, communication and productivity – but it’s also an incredible opportunity to empower your team to get creative about how they handle tasks. Seize the opportunity to use technology to its fullest potential and to maximise your time with your team.
It’s no secret that Revolut loves our tech – we’ve set up bots on Slack specifically to share tips and advice and provide helpful reminders for our team. Plus, dedicated channels for hobbies, baking, gaming, and (our favourite) dog photos, help Revoluters feel more connected. Revolut even has a weekly pub quiz with prizes to be won. It’s been a great way to keep people engaged and communicating with different teams that they necessarily wouldn’t get to work alongside. We all miss the social aspect of being in the office but fun quizzes and posts can help remind everyone to stay in touch, and have fun.
Keep on moving
It’s so easy to forget to move around and step away from the screen while working from home. You can get into a stationary bubble, which isn't good for our physical and mental health. At Revolut we are spoiled with the amount of office space
we have to move around in, and even going to make a cup of tea can turn into a good excuse to go for a walk and stretch! Now that gyms and exercise studios are closed, it can be even harder to find the motivation to exercise. Revolut are
lucky enough to have trained yoga instructors and fitness fanatics in our team that keep us motivated with tips and ideas to keep us active.
It’s also important to get outside - if it’s safe for you to do so, sunlight helps to release endorphins and helps increase vitamin D intake. Even 20 minutes of sitting on the balcony during your lunch break can increase your mood and productivity
going into the afternoon!
Be kind to yourself
Social distancing during a pandemic is a big emotional undertaking, and it is super important to remind yourself and your team that you are allowed to have down days - all our situations are completely different - but we are all in this together.
Revolut’s Learning & Development team have arranged bi-weekly open wellness sessions to have a safe place for people who just need a little bit of help.
Take it in stride
You can prevent most issues with clear communication and regular check-ins with your team and customer base. Help each member of your team prioritise their critical tasks and set deadlines for delivery. Be sure to keep customers and clients
updated about any delays or changes to their regular service via your website, email and social channels.
When life (or, you know, a global pandemic) gets in the way of your business’ day-to-day, be sure to put people first. By showing compassion, flexibility and communicating clearly with your team, you’re empowering them to make the right decisions
for themselves and for your organisation.
Last but not least
We hope you found these tips helpful. From all of us at Revolut Business, we wish your team health, happiness, productivity.
And, if you haven’t given us a try yet, now might be the perfect time. For a limited time, Revolut Business is offering Olaf fans a 90-day exclusive trial.
You can try Revolut Business -
Freelance Professional or Business Grow plans -
free for 90 days.
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