June 2020
Which remote worker are you – workaholic, daydreamer or recluse? Recruiter Robert Walters provides you with a daily schedule to keep you on track.
Three personality types have emerged from our extended period of remote working, according to global recruiter Robert Walters. So, which one of the following best describes you?
1: The workaholic: works compulsively or over the hours required, and at the cost of their sleep, family time or personal life. A workaholic in this period is someone who enjoys their work and sees it as structure or differentiation to their day, or feel compelled to do it to prove there has been no change to productivity since home working has been introduced. The biggest threat to a workaholic is burnout.
2: The daydreamer: is easily distracted from tasks by activity in the home. Daydreamers find themselves in a cycle of an unfocused and then refocused mindset multiple times a day. The natural wandering of the mind can often mean that projects or work is delivered differently to how mangers may have expected. Job satisfaction for a daydreamer can often be quite low as a result.
3: The unwilling recluse: is victim to the extreme comfortableness of the home setting. The ability to stay in the same ‘hoodie’ for days, avoid small talk with colleagues, and hide behind emails as your main form of communication, can lead remote workers down a slippery slope of isolation.
The workaholic
Sam Walters of Robert Walters says: “No coffee or lunch breaks, lack of personal time, and minimal human interaction can be dangerous combination for workaholics heading towards burnout.
As we navigate through this period and most of us have little choice but to working in our living room or kitchen, it is important to redefine the lines between work and home life.” Robert Walters has even created a suggested daily schedule:
THE WORKAHOLIC SCHEDULE
7.00 Wake up.
7.15 Try out some yoga or light excise.
7.45 Shower and get dressed.
8.15 Have breakfast and catch up on your emails.
8.45 Set out your daily tasks in priority order.
9.00 Start work.
11.00 Make a coffee or healthy snack and have a catch-up with someone from your team.
11.45 Back to work.
13.00 Lunch break – get up and get away from your working area. If it’s safe to do so, go outside for some fresh air; otherwise, stay indoors and read, prepare a nutritious lunch or work on a hobby. Take a full 30-60 minutes to give your brain and body a chance to recharge.
14.00 Back to work.
15.30 Take a tea break, message a colleague or take a few minutes to load the dishwasher or fold laundry.
15.45 Back to work.
16.30 Start to wind down for the day. Avoid starting a new task if it’s likely to be complicated or take a long time to complete.
17.30 Flag any new emails for actioning in the morning.
18.00 Finish work – put your laptop away or shut your study door. Go for a walk, switch on the TV or play a game to unwind.
The daydreamer
When it comes to daydreamers, Walters says: “While working from home can present great opportunities to eliminate some of the typical distractions we face at the office, for many people the sudden lack of structure actually inhibits their productivity.”
The daydreamer needs a reason to get out of bed! Substituting the commute with a quick morning jog or living-room pilates could help set daydreamers on the right track.
THE DAYDREAMER SHEDULE
7.00 Wake up.
7.15 Have breakfast and check your emails or catch up on the news home working.
7.45 Exercise.
8.15 Shower and get started.
8.45 Start work – set out your daily objectives and categorise them by urgency or importance. Highlight any tasks or deadlines that you absolutely cannot miss.
10.30 Make a coffee or healthy snack and have a catch-up with someone from your team.
10.45 Back to work.
12.15 Take a step back – revisit your daily objectives and assess your progress. If you are off track, adjust your afternoon schedule to get yourself back on track.
12.30 Lunch break – get up and get away from your working area. If it is safe to do so, go outside for some fresh air, otherwise, stay indoors and read, prepare a nutritious lunch or work on a hobby. Take a full 30-60 minutes to give your brain and body a chance to recharge.
13.30 Back to work.
15.30 Time for a break – make a tea and get up to stretch your legs. If you have been using a computer all day, try not to look at any screens, including your mobile phone.
15.45 Back to work – the final stretch! Revisit your daily objectives to assess your progress. Focus on getting your home working most urgent tasks done before the end of the day.
17.15 Start winding down for the day. Finish off any remaining urgent tasks, and perhaps look at re-prioritising any uncompleted tasks for the following day.
18.00 Log off and shut down your computer (or, at the very least, your work emails). By giving your workday a definitive end, you can help improve your focus during the day and avoid working late into the night to finish tasks you should have completed during normal business hours.
The unwilling recluse
When it comes to the recluses, Walters explains: “Social butterfly or not, long periods of isolation can bring any one of us down. Don’t underestimate the power of small talk, and stay in touch with furloughed workers and use this opportunity to arrange training and upskilling for yourself.”
It really is worth ditching emails and chat messages for video and phone calls for anything that takes more than a couple of messages to explain.
You may also need to embrace solitude. It can help you re-position your mindset and help you find opportunities to be productive when you have just got yourself for company.