Transitioning into Working Remotely

Written by Hannah Ferguson

We can all agree this past year was filled with a lot of changes, challenges, and uncertainty.  Many aspects of our every day lives were impacted by COVID19, one of the main ones being the way we worked.

As recruiters, we can pretty much do our job anywhere as long as we have a phone, note pad, and computer…so we’re lucky in that sense. But transitioning into working from home full time was still a huge adjustment. I went from being in an office full of people talking and laughing to sitting alone in an empty apartment.

Change is always hard, but after a while I got used to working from home and ultimately set myself up for success with just a few adjustments to my normal routine.  First, I made sure to set up a designated space for me to sit down and work, outside of my bedroom or living room. That was key, it made me feel like I had two separate spaces, one for work and one for relaxing.

Second, I made a schedule for myself and went for a run or walk in the morning and lunch to get me out of the house and try to keep my workout routine somewhat normal (the Peloton app and it’s at home workouts were a lifesaver while all the gyms were closed!). Still being active helped me stay focused at work and gave me a boost of energy when I was starting to lose focus from working alone all day. Having company MS Teams meetings helped a lot as well! It was nice to see people face to face, made it feel a little more normal. Scheduling regular meetings and taking a few minutes to reach out to other employees helped me stay feeling connected to everyone in the company.

Although the past year was hard, I do feel like I came out of it with some new skills that will really benefit me moving forward. I’ve become much better at managing my time, prioritizing my work, and holding myself accountable. I now feel more confident and capable working in different environments and utilizing different platforms to communicate with colleagues or clients. I look forward to bringing these new skills with me into 2022!