Remote Work Guide For New Rocketeers
- Maria Vitória Frauches
We ❤️ remote work! Especially when it’s done right to ensure a healthy balance between work and life. Rocket.Chat was founded as a global, remote, and distributed team, and we have no plans to transition to in-person work.
Throughout our journey, Rocketeers have continually developed strategies for thriving in a remote work environment. To support our new team members in this transition, we’ve compiled our best insights into this comprehensive Remote Work Guide.
➡️ Here, you’ll find a variety of productivity hacks, tips for navigating our multiple time zones and strategies for maintaining work-life balance.
Our goal is to make your adaptation to remote life as seamless as possible. Remember, you can always count on the People Team and your fellow Rocketeers for support. Together, we’re committed to sharing knowledge and growing as a team! 🚀
The Work From Home vs. Productivity Issue
A common concern about working from home (WFH) is the perception of decreased productivity due to isolation and distractions. However, WFH allows you to create an environment and routine tailored to your needs, which can actually lead to increased productivity.
🧑🚀 What Do Our Rocketeers Say?
“Working remotely is just like working anywhere; you need a routine! So build one and stick with it as much as you can.”
“I always put all the tasks in my calendar. This helps me understand how much I managed to accomplish and not waste any time wondering what the next thing I have to do is. Also, I always start my day with the task of 'check mails’; otherwise, I may forget or spend too much unplanned time on it.”
“What really affected my productivity & effectiveness is overworking. To avoid that, I always put some small breaks between meetings (to take a glass of water, stretch a bit) and a reminder that the working day is over. It may sound cheesy or too organized, but it’s critical to manage your working time/personal time right when you’re working from home.”
“Have a space dedicated completely to being your office space. That will give you both physical and mental separation from any distractions.”
“Make sure you think of health and safety in your home office—desk and chairs, hazards, etc.”
“Work smarter, not harder :)”
What can we learn from their experiences to keep productivity high?
💻 Dedicated Workspace: Working from a well-organized desk can help minimize distractions.
📆 Task Scheduling: Use your calendar to manage tasks effectively.
⏸️ Take Breaks: Incorporate small breaks between meetings to recharge and prevent burnout.
⏰ Create a Routine: Establish a consistent daily routine, including specific work hours and breaks.
🌱 Stay Healthy: Remember to prioritize your mental wellness; it’s okay not to be fully productive all the time.
Dealing with Different Time Zones
As of now, we have Rocketeers in over 20 countries, and as we grow, this number may increase! This aspect can be challenging when managing our team’s multiple time zones, especially in customer-facing roles that need to accommodate clients’ time zones.
🧑🚀 What Do Our Rocketeers Say?
“It’s nice to find a balance of working hours, especially if you are in a different time zone than most of your peers. No one will complain about you starting at 4 PM if most of your colleagues work at the same time on the other side of the world. Find the balance within your own team.”
“Google Calendar allows you to set multiple time zones in your calendar. I have Brazilian and Portuguese time in mine, so I can see what time it will be in Portugal before scheduling a meeting.”
“Try to make as much async communication as possible, but also agree on a specific time during the week where you can sync up. For example, have two or three days a week where someone (or even everyone) will make some sacrifices and be available for a 1-2 hour call.”
“Try and be flexible. But if you have to work late, start a bit late to compensate, or vice versa. I usually reserve one day a week to work late/early to accommodate other zones, but then I don’t feel guilty about starting late or finishing early another day. Remember, outside of your contracted hours, it is your own time. No one can pay you enough for that.”
“Just respect other people’s office hours. Be mindful of that when asking for ‘urgent’ tasks.”
“Use the best communication tool in the world—Rocket.Chat—and complement it with others like ClickUp to work asynchronously.”
What can we learn from their experiences to manage different time zones?
🌍 Flexible Hours: Find a balance that accommodates your team’s time zones.
📆 Use Google Calendar: Set up multiple time zones to streamline scheduling. Also include your own working hours, so people know when not to schedule a meeting.
💬 Maximize Async Communication: Rely on team chat rooms and asynchronous messages to save time. To learn our best practices for asynchronous communication, click here.
Mental Health & Work-Life Balance
Talking about mental health and raising awareness of its importance is essential. We understand that working remotely—and more specifically from home—can impact our work-life balance, and we want to offer you all the tools and support to navigate this.
The first step we—remote workers—need to take is recognizing that this is an important matter for us all, and the second is actively working on it! So let’s see what our Rocketeers have to say about the topic.
➡️ Remember: Rocket.Chat offers unlimited PTO! Its goal is not only to help you when you need it but also to be your biggest tool to maintain your work-life balance. There’s an infinite number of possible reasons you might take PTO, and we want to give you that freedom and flexibility. You can see all that in full detail in our handbook’s PTO Guide.
🧑🚀 What Do Our Rocketeers Say?
“Don’t pressure yourself to be productive all the time. At first, it might look like you’re super productive, but in 6 months you can’t keep up the pace of working all the time, so try to create a consistent and healthy rhythm.”
“Use PTO, your country’s holidays, and I try to use the Remote Benefit for buying better WFH appliances.”
“Workout every day :)”
“Switch off, close the door, and walk away just like you would at a real office.”
“I make use of flexible hours. I plan things like doctor visits and house maintenance at any time during the day, knowing I can catch up late at night. Other than that, I suck at keeping it balanced.”
“Exercise and/or have hobbies unrelated to work.”
“Eat healthy food.”
“Take little breaks to play with your pets.”
“Be strict about your personal time. It is your time.”
“Don’t be afraid to take breaks in the middle of the workday! (as long as nothing is on fire, of course).”
“Try and separate your ‘office’ from your ‘home’. No sneaking the laptop into the lounge after work!”
“I have always been very skeptical about this, but this year I actually tested it, and it’s a fact: When I don’t do any type of exercise during the day, I feel much more stressed, anxious, and irritated. Actually, stopping in the middle of the day to leave the house, work out, and then get back to work became one of the things that helps me the most to keep both my mental health and productivity.”
“I understand the urgency of tasks, and being organized helps a lot to do the best you can without feeling guilty for not doing enough. I usually try to have REAL time off from everything like gadgets, laptops, TV, etc., spending weekends outside. One of the cool things I discovered is tour guides in your own city. I can have a nice walk listening to the guide, see the city from a different perspective, and discover new places.”
What can we learn from their experiences to maintain mental health and work-life balance?
🏋️♂️ Exercise: Incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
⏳ Set Boundaries: Be strict about your personal time and separate work from home life.
🍽️ Healthy Eating: Focus on eating well and taking breaks.
🌳 Get Outside: Step outside regularly and explore your surroundings.
🏖️ Take PTO: Use unlimited PTO to recharge.
Home Office Setups
It’s important to have a well-organized workspace to help improve productivity and motivation. Based on the things our Rocketeers previously said, what can we learn to set up our home office?
🌱 Personalize Your Space: Include personal items that inspire and motivate you.
🪑 Ergonomics Matter: Invest in an ergonomic chair and adjustable desk to ensure comfort. We developed an Ergonomic Workstation Guide with the best tips to set it up, including how to use your remote benefit for this!
🎧 Stay Focused: Create playlists or use background noise that helps you concentrate.
🧹 Stay Organized: Keep your workspace tidy and clutter-free.
Wrapping Up
We hope this guide assists you in your journey at Rocket.Chat and in your adaptation to remote work. If you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to reach out to the People Team or fellow Rocketeers. We’re here to help you have an awesome experience with us!