How to Work from Home Successfully Outside the Creative Setting

Is your creative team working from home, away from their usual creative environment? That means they’re coping with an unfamiliar challenge: working alone for the first time, full-time. Over the past few weeks, numerous marketing and creative agencies have extended work-from-home policies for workers who might otherwise be at risk of exposure to Coronavirus (COVID-19). But beyond that, working remotely is actually on the rise for many creative industries, not just freelancers

For creatives, working in an office means they get to collaborate and brainstorm effortlessly. However, working from home means they must now find alternative sources of inspiration when stuck in a creative rut. Try to encourage your creative workers to follow these best practices for staying attentive, motivated and connected. Why not share the tips below with your creative team via email? They’re sure to appreciate the gesture.

1. Dress for success
As tempting as it is for employees to work from their bed in PJ’s, it’s not conducive to working productively. They’ll struggle to feel connected professionally and find it hard to get into ‘work’ mode. The work they’ll produce will likely feel as lazy as they look.
Washing and getting dressed is crucial. Not only will it improve their state of mind, it will mentally prepare them to start work (and their colleagues will thank them when they hop on a video call looking professional and ready to work). 

2. Encourage professional workstations
For some creatives, the prospect of working from the comfiest spot in their home is the most tantalising aspect of working remotely but their backs will thank them if they avoid the sofa at all costs.
It is important for remote workers to create a workspace that feels as if they’ve stepped outside their daily home life and into an office. Chances are, they may not have an office space available in their home, or even a room with a door they can close and lock but perhaps they have a favourite space that is special to them.

You could suggest they set up a small desk in their bedroom. Use a diffuser to fill the room with their favourite scents and keep a big bottle of water to hand so they stay hydrated. Another idea is to have a plant in the room to add a little oxygen to the air along with their favourite notepad and pen. Whatever their creative space looks like, they need to make sure it’s one in which they feel comfortable, focused and professional so they can switch in to work mode and away from home mode.

This is particularly important for creatives who are working remotely. They’ll hardly be inspired by a blank wall. Sticking a couple of pictures up that inspires them at their desk may encourage creativity. When it comes to video calls, it’s useful for remote workers to have something professional behind them – a plain-coloured wall or bookcase will work perfectly. The last thing their colleagues want is to spot a messy bed in the background when they’re pitching their latest project.

3. Online collaboration with fellow creatives
If there’s one thing employees will experience when working remotely, it’s that they will miss the normal banter with colleagues and taking breaks in their day to catch up, as they normally would in the office. Make sure you equip your creative team with the right tech tools, so they can devise a way to communicate with their co-workers. Suggest they use office collaboration apps like Basecamp or Slack to stay connected with their creative team.

You can provide your team with the following tools:

• Project management tools – Asana and Airtable

• Chat apps – add a space Slack and Microsoft Teams 

• Video conferencing apps – Zoom and Google Hangouts

Kitting remote workers out with these new technologies will enable managers and employees to stay on the same page, regardless of where they’re working from. So, whilst living in this ‘new era’, it’s important to encourage your creative workers to follow these best practices for staying attentive, motivated and connected. In turn, this will help you to continue delivering the amazing creative work you do for your clients.