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February 8, 2021

Share the Love! Recognition is the Key to Happy Teams

People are like flowers. They bloom when they get attention. In the workplace, recognition often serves as the sun that helps feed your team and encourages them to keep up the excellent work. But, when you manage a team of remote workers, the traditional ways of thanking your team and showing appreciation may be more difficult. Team lunches, impromptu donut days, or stops at the coffee shop for a quick “well done” cup of joe are tougher to pull off when your team is scattered all over the country. 

So, what to do instead? Here are our tips for making appreciation part of your business’s culture and a list of suggestions to help you find the right tokens of your appreciation to share with your team.

 

Learn the Love Language of Your Employees

The first step is to do a little homework and find out what types of appreciation your employees find meaningful and what things don’t resonate–or worse, backfire. For example, some people love to hear their praises sung publicly. But, one person’s moment of glory can be a cringe-inducing experience for someone else. 

To find your team’s temperature, start by asking team members how they feel about recognition options as part of a regular conversation. Asking these questions may feel a little strange at first, but can be quite natural with practice. As you have meetings with each team member, casually ask about specific recognition preferences and file each person’s thoughts away for use later. 

Ask about specific options. For example, a team shout out, an afternoon off with pay, a spa gift card, a new chair–throw in whatever you are considering as part of your recognition plans to get a good sense. Also, ask each employee for ideas.

If that feels uncomfortable, another option is to send out a team survey asking each person to rank specific recognition options in terms of preference to get a pulse of what your team members genuinely appreciate. Include a write-in box so team members can contribute ideas, too. (If you take this route, consider sharing the survey results with your team so that everyone knows what matters to each other and recognition can become a team sport.)

As you are in the information-gathering stage, observe the way your employees recognize others. Do they start calls with a round of thank you’s? Are you often copied on notes where one team member praises another? These are clues about your current recognition culture. You may find that you want to build on it or head in another direction.

Finally, consider what makes the most sense for you. 

  • What’s your comfort level with recognition? Does it come naturally, or is it a muscle you need to build? 
  • What does your budget allow? If you don’t have a specific recognition budget, don’t worry. There are several ways to acknowledge good work and effort without spending money, and they are all appreciated. (See our ideas for recognizing your team below.)

Answering these questions will help you frame your thinking around recognition options for your team. Make a list of the ways you want to acknowledge others. 

 

Make Recognition a Practice

Now that you’ve done the research to determine what matters to you and your team and considered how you’d like to see a recognition culture grow for your business, it’s time to make a plan. Pick a few ideas from the list below and commit to sharing recognition at specific intervals. The right amount of recognition will vary based on your personality and team size. Find the right cadence and add the practice to your calendar. Don’t worry if it feels forced at first. It will get easier.

 

Ideas for Recognizing Your Team

First, let’s look at low and no-cost recognition ideas:

  • Say thank you often. It seems simple, but it’s easy to forget when you are in close contact with someone, and it goes a long way. Hand-written thank you cards, greeting cards, and emails are all effective. 
  • Start or end each team call with shout outs for good work.
  • Schedule quick one-on-one meetings with team members to share positive, encouraging feedback. When on these calls, make a point of not sharing constructive feedback or talking shop. Keep it to a few minutes of personal chit chat and a big helping of thanks.
  • Host a virtual award ceremony to recognize a great quarter or completion of a big project. Ask team members to present tributes to each other or serve as the MC who praises each person.
  • Praise your team via social media. You can use your business accounts, so all your customers see it, or you can add an endorsement of a person on LinkedIn.

If you have a small budget, want to recognize a significant contribution, or celebrate a milestone, here are some ideas to get the most bang for your buck.

  • Embrace the value of the surprise gift.
    • Send flowers for a job well done.
    • Treat the employee (or team) to lunch with a gift card to a local restaurant.
  • Personalize it! Order a personalized commemorative object, such as a nice pen, a plaque, or coffee mug, as a thank you for work on a specific project. 
  • Consider workplace perks as a thank you.
    • Offer increased flexibility.
    • Give the employee an unexpected afternoon off with pay.

If you have a bigger budget or just feel more comfortable using cash or gifts as a thank you, there are many options available.

  • A cash bonus is always welcome. Services like Zelle or PayPal can instantly deliver a cash boost as a thank you. Even a relatively modest amount of cash is welcome. Everyone enjoys finding an unexpected $25 deposit in their account.
  • Gift cards for travel are fun ways to say thank you. With a gift card, the size is not that important–it truly is the thought that matters. (Bonus idea: With travel difficult due to COVID-19, many people dream of their next vacation. Enlist a strategy of sharing travel-related gift cards as thank-you’s over the next few months to help your team see clear to a time when vacations and travel will once again be part of life. When they finally take the vacation, they’ll remember how you helped to make it possible.)  
  • If your team is home-based and you want to go big, consider using home office equipment as a thank you. Options include standing desks, comfortable chairs, or other office pieces that can make your team member more comfortable and productive each day.

 

What Do You Do?

Recognizing your team members goes a long way toward building an effective team and keeping people engaged. I’d love to hear more about how you acknowledge your team and the results you’ve seen.

 

 

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February 1, 2021

Wondering What Happened to Your Motivation? Reclaim it Here With These Secrets!

Working from home is full of perks–a short commute, greater flexibility, and more time to spend with family. But, it can also be challenging to maintain motivation from a home office. There will be times when you struggle and your motivation wanes. Over the years, I’ve learned three keys to staying motivated while working from home–expectations, habits, and connections. Here are my best tips in each category.

Scale Your Expectations

When you start thinking about working from home, it’s easy to have unrealistic expectations for your experience. You may have a vision of fulfilling all your professional goals, giving your children unlimited time and attention, cooking gourmet meals every night, and managing an efficient and lovely home like a pro all the time. The reality is likely totally different. That mismatch can lead to disappointment and diminishing motivation. There are a few keys to combating this scenario:

  • Set and pursue goals for your professional and personal life. As part of this, identify milestones to keep you going. Celebrate the completion of big projects at work or in your personal life, like getting kids back to school for a new term or planning a big family event.  Use a broad definition of success when considering your wins and finding accomplishments worth celebrating.
  • Remember why you are working from home. This can help ground you when you are struggling. Write your initial work-from-home objectives down and review them. Remember the feelings that led you to pursue home-based work and catalog them. Then, include all the benefits–expected and unexpected–that have popped up since you decided to work from home. Review this list when you need a motivation boost.
  • Revisit your expectations. As you think back on the journey that led you home, try to remember your expectations for the experience. Rescaling your expectations to more fully match reality can help you find the motivation to keep going.

Develop Good Habits 

When you commute and go to the office, it creates a ritual. You get dressed, drop off the kids, get coffee, and arrive at the office ready for a few minutes of small talk before getting to work. At the end of the day, you bid your coworkers good night and head home to relax. 

When you work at home, you may shuffle between your computer and the kitchen. You might fold laundry on conference calls and meet family needs as you pursue work deadlines. Working like this every day is exhausting, leading to a hit to your motivation. The solution is to create a new set of rituals to help you start and end your workday. Here’s how:

  • Create and follow a work schedule for each day. The plan can vary based on what’s happening in your life on any given day. But, identify your work hours in advance and share the schedule with your family, so they know when you are at work. Honor the schedule, so you set natural limits on your workday. As you think about your schedule, include some time to take care of yourself. Exercise and fresh air do wonders for your state of mind and level of motivation.
  • Work in a dedicated space. It doesn’t need to be a fancy home office. Just pick a place where you can consistently work with a little privacy and quiet. Add a few personal items to your desk to make it feel more like your workspace. 
  • Get dressed and ready for work. No need to dress up (unless you want to!), but the act of changing into work clothes and getting ready can help you feel more prepared to work.
  • Create an end-of-the-day ritual, such as tidying up your desk or making a to-do list for the next day, to help you transition from work back to home life. Take a few minutes to reflect on your accomplishments before your short commute back to the main part of your house.

Stay Connected

When you work in an office, you see your coworkers every day, and impromptu conversations occur regularly. (Sometimes so regularly that it’s tough to get actual work done.) When working from home, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your coworkers or other professionals. Find ways to connect with your colleagues via phone or video conference. Send invitations for virtual coffee dates, so you have dedicated time to catch up. When you do meet, business is sure to come up. But make time for some small talk at the top of the call. This will help you know your colleagues better and help you stay connected.

Also, connecting to others outside your immediate work situation can help you feel less isolated in your home office.  

  • Join professional organizations. When you join an industry-related professional group, you’ll get the chance to network with others in your field and, in many cases, have the option to attend educational webinars and conferences. This is a great way to stay connected, learn more about the industry, and expand the circle of people you know with similar professional interests.
  • Engage with local organizations. Joining a local civic or professional organization is a great way to get connected with people locally. You’ll likely have opportunities to volunteer and meet other work-from-home professionals who can become friends and possible future colleagues.
  • Read relevant trade publications and blogs to stay on top of trends in your industry. Seeing bigger picture news can help you feel more connected to your profession beyond your current role and inspire you to consider new angles for your work and opportunities in your professional life.

These are my top tips. I’d love to hear how you stay motivated while working from home. Please send me your ideas.

 

 

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January 25, 2021

How to Be SMART — Even From a Distance

With the new year here, it’s time to set goals (if you haven’t already) –business, personal, and professional. The act of looking to the future and considering business possibilities is inherently optimistic and exciting. However, you may feel trepidation as you move forward with this process for 2021. This last year may have changed the way you view your business and the opportunities on the horizon. Your team may be larger or smaller, and rather than sitting together in the office, they may be scattered across the town, state, or country.

These changes mean that practical goal setting is even more critical than usual this year. Connecting with your people to discuss the business and plans for the coming year may look different; but, the elemental process is the same. With a few strategies, setting goals for remote employees can be every bit as smooth and successful as it is when you all sit together in the office. After years of working from home and leading a team, here are my best tips for success.

Take the Time to Talk Live

When employees are in the office, the discussion around goals often flows naturally. You see each other in the halls or grab an impromptu lunch, and talk of business, projects, and plans naturally flow.  You can create the same feeling with virtual team members by setting up virtual coffee dates or lunches via video conference to talk broadly about how things are going.

Consider Process Information

Set yourself up for success by considering the process you want to follow to set your team goals. Admittedly, the process discussion is less exciting than discussing the future and potential accomplishments. But, a few minutes of process-related thinking offers a big payoff in the end. 

  • Determine how formal a process to follow. Before you start the goal-setting conversation with your team, decide how you want to proceed after the call. Do you want to see a written action plan, or is a casual decision based on a few conversations the right approach? Past precedent can serve as a guide here but consider if other staffing changes may affect how well your past process works going forward. Be ready to share process information as part of your goal-setting conversations.
  • Establish deadlines for finalizing goals. Ideally, you have a day a week or two out where all goals are plans are completed, and you and your team are all working toward personal and business goals in short order.
  • Consider the progress check-in process. Based on the goals, you may want to check in weekly. In some cases, a monthly or even semi-annual check-in is in order. The important thing here is having a sense of the timeline and sharing it.

Once you’ve settled on the right process, send a general note to all team members that it’s time to start thinking about goals for 2021. Explain that you will be reaching out to them to talk. This step sets the table and lets people start thinking about their goals and prepare for your call. Then, send invitations out a few days before the meetings, so people have time set aside expressly for goal setting.

Collaborate

As you start your calls, keep the conversation light at first, much like you would if you were chatting around the copier. Then, segue into discussing the future and potential goals. To help the conversation flow naturally:

  • Outline the goals you have in mind for the business. Knowing what’s on your mind helps your team think more clearly about how they fit into the business and your goals for the next year. So, don’t be afraid to share what’s on your mind here.
  • Share your initial thoughts on the goals you have in mind for each role/person. Whether the goals are a continuation of prior goals or a fresh way of doing business, sharing some initial thoughts can help set the table for the direction of the discussion. Also, people feel appreciated when it’s clear that you’ve been thinking about them and how they fit into the team. Capitalize on this opportunity by sharing your vision. If you’ve recently completed performance reviews or shared performance feedback, that discussion can catalyze a broader conversation around goals and objectives.
  • Solicit feedback and employee thoughts on goals. Once you’ve shared some ideas, ask your team member what he/she is thinking about in terms of the next year. You may find that some people are hesitant to share their thoughts. You can combat this by pointing out that this is a safe space for brainstorming.

Remember the Basics

The basics of good goal-setting still apply. The long-standing business advice of setting SMART goals applies every bit as much now as it does when you work side-by-side in the office. When thinking about SMART goals for remote teams and employees, set goals that are: 

  • Specific– Be very clear on particular goal elements. Without face-to-face interaction, it’s tough to know if you and your virtual employees are all defining common goal terms like “execute with excellence” and “quick turn around” the same way.
  • Measurable-Know what success looks like in terms of metrics and share the metrics with your team so each member can track accordingly.
  • Actionable-Set goals that a virtual team member can efficiently act on. Take into account any access concerns that the two of you may have discussed—brainstorm ways to overcome any hurdles that appear on the horizon.
  • Relevant-Ensure that the goals you have in place for your virtual team members align with broader organizational goals and that your remote team knows those goals and why they matter. Understanding how specific work actions ladder up to overall goals brings more meaning to your staff’s day-to-day activities.
  • Timely- Specific time frames for success help all team members, but especially remote team members, stay on track. 

I’d love to hear how you set goals and how they lead you to success. Drop me a line to share your stories.

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January 18, 2021

Success Story: Nicole Blackwood

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

I had been looking for a job since June with no luck, I stumbled upon HireMyMom on Facebook, joined the FB page and after seeing some of the success stories decided to give the website a try. After a week and a half, and applying for 8 jobs on the site, I was contacted for an interview and was hired the next day!

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

Don’t get discouraged, apply to anything you know you have at least a few of the skills for, one person will never have every skill an employer is looking for. And look outside your comfort zone. I have never worked as a copywriter before, turns out I’m pretty good at it.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey?

“If it was meant for everyone, then everyone would do it”. I wasn’t sure how I would take working from home, I enjoy being out and around people, turns out working from home is a pretty good fit for me.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

Being able to stay home with my kids when they were young. You will never get that time back, and I am so eternally grateful I had the precious time with them.

What is something about you that many people don’t know?

I love to binge watch cooking competitions and HGTV.

Want to be one of our Featured Success Stories? Click here for our form!

 

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January 11, 2021

7 Ways To Start Your Workweek Right

After the weekend comes and goes it can be difficult to find the motivation to get back to work. We’ve put together our top tips to help kickstart your workweek right.

Eat Right

It’s important to eat properly throughout your workday. All too often we tend to reach for the sugar-laden snacks and drinks for a quick energy fix only to find ourselves in an energy slump by midday.  It’s important to have healthy snacks and meals on hand to keep your body and mind healthy and full of energy for improved concentration and overall work productivity.

Take Set Breaks

It’s easy to get caught up with your daily to-dos but if you aren’t taking any time to regroup, you can lose steam quickly, make mistakes more frequently, and be at risk for burnout.  Common workplace practices are two 15-minute and one 30-minute lunch break per 8-hour shift. If you’re putting in full days, these suggested break increments are put in place for a reason and are backed with plenty of research on the benefits.

Get Outside

Some people find working from home to be isolating which can also lead to feeling “cooped” up or trapped inside. When the weather is nice, get outside and take your breaks with some fresh air. You can go for a walk or have tea on your patio for example.  Whatever you choose to do, as long as you’re getting away from your home office, it will help change up the environment you see every day.

Set The Mood To Work

When you work from home, it’s important to have a good environment to work in.  Setting the right mood can make you more productive and efficient. Paying attention to the little details is the key – from music to decor to furniture and organization aids. Adding your personal touches will make your home office feel more welcoming and inviting and easier to perform your work in.

Create a To-Do List

When you work from home, it can be very easy to lose track of your workday. Before you know it, you could be faced with tight deadlines, overlapping projects, and inefficient use of time if you’re not careful. A great way to start the day off right is to have a to-do list. This should be done the night before each workday. Having a sense of what needs to get done from the start sets you on the right path plus it’s gratifying when you’re crossing those to-do’s off and seeing your progress.

Utilize Time Increments

Complimenting the to-do list suggestion, time increments can help you stay focused and on task, plus, it breaks up the workday so it doesn’t seem so long and drawn out.  Setting your time increments the night before can help you determine your work start time, stop time, and checkpoints in between.

Use Daily Affirmations

There’s a reason why motivational videos and phrases are some of the most shared on social media. Inspiration and motivation go hand in hand and can help set the tone for each day.  You can find mugs, posters, pens, and notebooks with motivational phrases on them or, you can sign up to an inspirational blog site where you will receive positive messages in your inbox daily.

How do you kick off your workweek? We would love to hear from you. Visit our Facebook Group for more information and to share your tips with us.

 

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January 4, 2021

Happy New Year! Here are the Work-at-Home Trends Coming Your Way

As we look to 2021, everyone has questions about what the year will bring in terms of public health, the economy, and the future of work. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that making predictions about the future is a risky proposition. But based on what we are seeing for remote teams and remote work in 2021, here are some things we feel we will see in 2021.

 

Remote Work Continues to Grow

COVID remade the workplace quickly, and many offices were (and are) shuttered. This rapid change opened many eyes to the possibilities of working from home for workers and employers–including those who had not previously been interested in virtual work setups.

While some workers may be returning to the office in 2021, Newsweek recently reported that the share of those working from home and who wish to continue is large and growing. This finding, coupled with the fact that businesses that have not previously searched for remote team members are warming up to the idea, tells me the future of working-at-home is stronger than ever. I expect it to grow quickly in 2021 and beyond because remote work offers so many benefits for each party, including:

For workers:

  • No commute.
  • Flexible schedules.
  • More family time.

For employers:

  • Larger talent pool.
  • Lower real estate costs.
  • More flexibility to add talent to the team.

 

Better Collaboration

With all the benefits of remote work, team communication can still be a challenge. But, I expect that to improve in 2021 as teams settle on collaboration processes that better meet their needs. Expect Zoom calls to be used more strategically going forward and for open knowledge sources to gain traction as we move into 2021. I also expect old-fashioned telephone calls to re-emerge as a critical communication method. People will crave the benefits of conversation without the fatigue that comes from Zoom calls. 

 

Greater Focus on Growth and Development

As people get through the pandemic and look to the future, many are likely to be interested in enhancing their skill sets for greater flexibility and increased economic security.  As a result, I expect to see more people focus on rounding out their skills through online professional development, webinars, and professional organizations. Many online platforms offer remote training. (Check out the training options provided on HireMyMom.com.) I expect new training options to appear and more people to take advantage of them in 2021.

 

More Need for Virtual Assistants and More Virtual Assistants

I expect a sharp rise in the number of people looking for a Virtual Assistant (VA) and the number of people entering this line of work because it offers many benefits for both parties.

VA’s take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many business owners have–squeezing more tasks into a day. Small business owners looking for on-demand support or help with administrative tasks find VA’s indispensable.

It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive. For many moms who found themselves without school or childcare options in 2020, launching a business that provides economic security and flexibility is a top 2021 priority. I expect the popularity of online Virtual Training to grow quickly next year. If you’re interested in exploring this career path, we’ve rounded up the best VA training options so you can find the one that works best for you.

 

Evolving Recruiting Methods

Employers and job seekers will continue to find new ways to connect. Many business owners are turning to smaller, niche job sites that specialize in candidates with specific backgrounds or profiles, like HireMyMom.com. Likewise, top-notch professionals looking for companies dedicated to supporting remote work in the long-term are turning to the same sites. 

Using a niche platform dedicated to connecting driven professionals looking for remote work can make the recruitment process faster and easier for both parties through shared expectations about work arrangements. 

Small business owners appreciate sorting through a more manageable pool of candidates specifically looking for remote work. Professionals dedicated to working-from-home can limit their search to like-minded employers, creating a win-win situation that I expect to continue in 2021 and beyond.

 

New  Interview Techniques and Questions Emerge                                                                                                                           

The emergence of COVID-related regulations has accelerated the trend of moving interviews from in-person affairs to calls and video conferences. I expect this trend to continue. As interviews move out of the conference room and on to Zoom calls, the interview process changes along with the script that many have used for decades.

Expect larger groups of people to participate in the interview process, leading to a more robust review of the candidate. I also predict that employers will consider more candidates for the same role. Questions that focus on soft skills will take center stage, as teams know that communication skills, teamwork, and self-motivation are essential components for successful virtual teams. Direct questions about experience effectively contributing virtually and managing projects and people from a home office will emerge as a critical line of interview questioning.

Job seekers will also ask new questions, including pointed questions about work expectations, dedication to maintaining a remote team, hours flexibility, and opportunities to grow within the company.

 

What Do You Expect?

I’d love to hear your predictions for 2021. Please share them so we can all compare notes next year. No matter what happens, I wish you and your family a safe, healthy, and prosperous new year.

 

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December 28, 2020

How to Get a Work-From-Home Job You Absolutely Love in Four Easy Steps

As we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a new year full of opportunities, one of your goals may be to transition to a job that lets you work from home or offers more flexibility for you to work on your terms. If so, you are in the right place to find the resources you need to make this the year you transition to working from home or to life as a mompreneur. Let’s make a plan!

Get Started

Think About What You Want

As you think about working from home and your career goals for 2021, consider:

  • What type of work do I want to do? Am I looking to build on my existing skills and experiences or go in a new direction? Do I prefer being part of a virtual team or working solo? Is it time to start my own business? 
  • How do I want my workday to look? Do I want to be on the phone for a good portion of the day, or do I prefer solo work? Do I have concrete blocks of hours to do focused work, or do I need something that I can work on in short bursts of time? Can I work full time, or is part-time a better fit?
  • How does my budget look? Do I have a runway to start something new? Can I work on a project-by-project basis?  Do I need a job that offers a steady paycheck? How will my expenses change when I work from home? 

 

The questions above can be tough to answer. These resources can help:

  • Check out the Top 10 Work From Homes Jobs for Moms. This list can open you up to new possibilities you may not have considered in the past but could be an excellent fit for your skills, interests, and abilities. 
  • Read success stories of others who successfully made the transition to working from home.
  • Review these tips for finding at-home work without a lot of experience, if you’re new to the workforce, or returning after a long absence.

 

Consider Additional Training

As you narrow down the type of job that interests you, take a look at the training and credentials needed to get a job in this field. Online training is available for many at-home jobs. Several free training classes are available in the resources section on HireMyMom. You can find training on starting a virtual assistant business, work as a bookkeeper, a social media manager, a content creator, and more. 

 

Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business                                                                                                                                                

If you’re ready to start your own business this year, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA). As a VA, you take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. You can work as a general VA, who does a wide variety of tasks or become one with a specialty in a particular industry or need. 

VA work is catching on quickly. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many people have — squeezing more tasks into a day. It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive. 

At HireMyMom, we’ve partnered with four different training programs to help our members learn more about this business opportunity and acquire the skills needed to launch a VA business.

 

Find Job Opportunities

With a clear vision about your plans, it’s time to start looking for your work-from-home job. Having a plan to find job opportunities will make you more successful. Start by taking the Online Job Seeker 101 class available through HireMyMom.com for proven strategies to help you find and land jobs. Then, set aside an hour each day to find jobs that interest you, tailor your resume and cover letter, and apply. To find jobs:

  • Sign up as a Mom Professional on HireMyMom so you will have exclusive access to legit, work-from-home opportunities.
  • Research the types of employers that may need your skillset or offer the jobs you hope to land. 
  • Talk to friends, neighbors, and family members who may have leads.

 

Get Started!

Once you land your work-from-home job, it’s time to manage the logistics of working from home. 

  • Designate a quiet place to work and set it up with the tools you’ll need to work efficiently.
  • Identify your optimal work hours.
  • Talk with your spouse and kids (depending on their age), and ask for their support as you begin your new work journey.
  • Make a plan for your kids so you can find the time you need to work.
  • Consider ways to overcome the hurdles that are likely to pop up, such as internet outages, school holidays, and the general distractions that can come up when working at home.
  • Look at new options for managing day-to-day chores and household responsibilities that free up more work time for you.
  • Review my favorite productivity tips for moms who work at home.

 

 

Enjoy Your Success!                                                                                                                                                               

You’ve worked hard to get to this point, and I know that you will be successful in your pursuit of a job that lets you stay professionally engaged while working at home. I can’t wait to hear your success stories—best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

 

 

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December 14, 2020

Working Remotely Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely

Working from home has many advantages. It has given businesses the opportunity to remain operational throughout these tough times and its kept employees working. 

It’s important to build and maintain relationships while working remotely and avoid isolation that can occur, especially for extroverted individuals who are experiencing a remote work environment for the first time.

In this article, we highlight some of the best ways to stay connected.

Effective Communication

The key to running any successful business is through effective communication. Depending on where you are in the world, some forms of communication will work better than others (especially where there are time zone differences).

Speaking on the phone works if you’re in transit and can’t get in front of your computer but for the most part, using methods of communication that allow for screen sharing are more effective. Video conference software can satisfy this form of communication. The most commonly used video conference software include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. 

The more video conference calls you can have in a week the better because it can prevent any miscommunication with your team, delays in productivity, and it also provides you with socialization. For ongoing communication throughout the day, chatroom software can be very useful.  You can use chatroom software to streamline workflow, share files, manage projects, and reach both clients and team members easily.

An application called “Slack” is one of the most popular choices for this purpose but there are some alternatives that have been receiving some great reviews too such as Fleep, Flock and Chanty. 

 

Communication Software For Your Phone

These days it seems there’s just no escaping your phone. Most people have their phones with them at all times throughout the day so they can be more available to their clients and/or coworkers. 

There are some really great apps that can help you communicate better and keep your personal and business communications apart. 

A lot of businesses use an app called Whatsapp because of its versatility. It offers texting, video chat, document, and image sharing, and can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world with no long-distance fees. 

 

Creating a Work-Life Balance

Sometimes you can lose track of the day and with added household responsibilities on top, it can feel like mission impossible to find that balance between work and play.  (We have a great resource library to help you find balance here.)

There are many ways you can incorporate socialization into your workday whether you’re grabbing breakfast with a friend, going for a walk with a neighbor, or having coffee with your co-worker, it’s important to make time to step outside your remote workplace bubble.

You can use your break time to check in with friends and family via social media channels like Facebook and you can also join an online community group which can be a great form of support while helping you form new relationships at the same time. 

 

Other ways to connect

HireMyMom has a great online community with the goal to encourage, inspire, support, and grow each other. For more information, you can visit our community page here.

 

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December 9, 2020

Success Story: Lisa Trinidad

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

I heard about Hire My Mom through a FB group. I started working as a Virtual Assistant and was having a difficult time finding clients. I went ahead and signed up for HMM and I would review their postings every day. I was so surprised with the amount of legitimate postings on their site each day.  Within a month of actively searching, I was hired for two amazing companies. I made sure to apply for jobs, that I felt like our values aligned; I wanted to make sure I could be with them long term. I was very strategic on which places to apply. If I weren’t, I’m pretty sure I’d land a job even sooner.

I love HMM because, the entrepreneurs and candidates looking to hire, understand that we are Moms, so they are really flexible. They also value us, because we are just as hardworking.

 

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

My tips for landing a job(s) at HMM is to put a task on your google calendar for a certain time in the day and use that time to search and apply for jobs.

Make sure you have your a cover letter and resume ready to go.

Make sure you read the job description carefully as it gives clues about the type of company you will be working for and how you see yourself fit in doing that work.

Make sure you also use the message box to add a little flair to who you are and why you’d love to work with this business.

If you sent an email to apply, please follow up within 3 – 5 days.

Keep checking week after week, because there are so many jobs posted daily, and I’m sure you will find the perfect fit in due time. If you make it your task to log in everyday for a month, I’m sure you will find a good fit. Don’t give up!

 

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey? 

I wish, someone would’ve told me about HireMyMom sooner!

 

What do you see as your greatest success in life? 

My greatest success in life, is being a Mom. Also being able to have it all, flexibility, time to raise my girls and be able to provide for my family. Not giving up in this journey to live the life I always wanted.

 

What is something about you that many people don’t know? 

Many people don’t know that I used to work for Telemundo/NBC! I also had a career of over ten years working in Higher Education, before I left to become a freelancer. 

 

Want to be one of our Featured Success Stories? Click here for our form!

 

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December 7, 2020

It’s Time to Celebrate! How to Make the Holidays Special From Your Home Office

Whether you’re new to working from home or a veteran, the holidays can pose special considerations.  With work obligations and the focus on making the holidays magical for your family, how can you find the time and space to make the holidays fun and meaningful for you? And, what’s the best way to get into the holiday spirit without some of the office-based traditions that can make this season feel special? As a work-from-home veteran, here are my top tips for celebrating the holidays from your home office without missing a beat.

 

Create New Traditions     

 The first year I worked at home during the holidays, I missed the office holiday lunch and gift exchange. By the next year, I knew the key was to find a way to replace those traditions with new ones that made sense from my home office. Think about the office parties and activities that you cherished and how you might replace them this holiday season. For example:

  • Gather a few like-minded work-from-home moms and organize a holiday lunch at a local restaurant.
  • Organize a virtual gift swap or Secret Santa exchange with co-workers or remote team members.
  • Host an online cookie recipe swap or a Zoom cookie decorating party.
  • Invite your virtual co-workers to a Zoom-based holiday party — maybe even wearing your best ugly Christmas sweaters! Encourage everyone to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, snacks or toast with some bubbly for more festivity.
  • Choose a holiday-themed book and organize a Zoom call to discuss it or gather with your children and have someone read a children’s Christmas story.
  • Ask your virtual co-workers to join forces with you to adopt a needy child or family to shower with holiday gifts.
  • Launch a holiday scavenger hunt where co-workers or friends search for holiday-related items around their neighborhoods and share pictures. This tends to work best if you designate a specific time frame to conduct the search and host a Zoom party to share the images. Appoint one or two people to serve as judges. Provide virtual prizes ready at the end.

 

Bring the Holidays Into Your Office                           

One of the things you may miss by working from home is seeing holiday decorations around your office. Well who says you can’t decorate your home office with some fun decor, Christmas smells and music and maybe even a small tree? And wouldn’t it be fun to see how your remote teammates decorate and celebrate holidays? Here’s are some fun ideas to consider:

  • Decorate your home office space so that you can enjoy the visuals of the holidays. Even just a few lights or some greenery can change your desk enough to give you a merry holiday feeling.
  • Find a holiday-scented candle and burn it in your workspace.
  • Get a small Christmas tree for your desk or office.
  • Play carols in the background as you work.
  • Wear your holiday sweaters and clothes for Zoom calls.
  • Ask your co-workers to share pictures of their holiday decorations in a private online community or take turns on zoom to show your holiday decor and Christmas tree.

 

Schedule Time for Holiday Rituals

When you work at home, it’s easy to let work bleed into your personal time. For much of the year, that might be OK, but it’s essential to carve out time specifically to participate in holiday-related traditions at the end of the year. Planning is the solution to this dilemma.

Find a quiet moment well before the rush of holiday activities and think about the things you want to do this holiday season. Your regular roster of holiday parties and travel will likely be smaller than usual this year due to COVID. Think about how you want to spend that extra time. Make a few notes about holiday must do’s, things you’d like to squeeze in, and new ideas you want to add. Here are some items you might jot down:

  • Baking
  • Wrapping presents 
  • Completing your holiday cards
  • Watching special holiday movies
  • Making crafts with your kids

Next, grab your calendar and schedule a specific time to do the things that make the holidays feel special. When you set aside time, be generous in your time estimate. If you expect to need 90 minutes for baking, plan two or three hours, so you don’t feel rushed. When the time you designated for holiday activities rolls around, honor it. You’ll be glad you spent the time marking the holidays.

 

Make it a Merry Christmas! 

The extra time that comes from working at home is a gift that makes it easier to balance professional pursuits and family life. But, it can feel lonely during the holidays. Taking a few steps in advance can help you fill your holidays with cheer and make them memorable and meaningful.

Tell me what you do to make the holidays special from your home office.

 

 

 

 

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