Productivity Hacks for the Remote Worker

As the working world you once knew changes and employees are forced to adapt, remote working has become the new normal for many. In April 2020, the UK’s office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that 49.2% of employed adults were working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with employees across the UK having been forced to change and adapt to a new working environment.

However, the demand for flexible and remote working has been apparent even pre-COVID-19. ONS states that between 2012 and 2016, organisations offering flexitime has increased by 12.35%. Organisations are not only forced to look at remote working solutions during this pandemic, but also for the future, as the demand for flexible and remote working increases.

Investing in remote working solutions for your organisations can be hugely beneficial and cost effective in the long run. Some of these benefits include office cost reductions, increased staff retention, environmental benefits, higher morale and being able to access a wider talent pool.

Microsoft’s Surface devices are built with remote working and flexibility in mind. Ensuring the user, whether it be a student, doctor, teacher or office-based worker, can maximise their productivity with a device that can keep up with them. In this blog, we’ll talk about the top hacks for remote workers and the benefits of a Surface device when it comes to flexibility and remote working.

Tips for working remotely

Use a device that can keep up with you

Using a device that can keep up with its demand is an absolute blessing when it comes to remote working and keeping your productivity at its highest.

Using a slow computer that makes simple tasks take longer and require more effort, can drain every remote worker. While you’re waiting for your computer to keep up, you can often get distracted and lose your productivity. Organisations have a responsibility  to equip you with technology and software that can enable you to perform your job to the best of your ability.

Microsoft’s Surface devices can improve productivity and collaboration within organisations. Better battery life, screen resolution, camera and microphone technology allow you to have a completely immersive experience and seamlessly collaborate and communicate with colleagues. The Surface devices are also optimised to run Office 365 and many more Microsoft features on Windows 10 as efficiently as possible.

Find shortcuts that don’t delay your productivity

Most devices contain a whole host of shortcuts that shave seconds off each task. It may not sound like much, but seconds off each task can mean minutes off each day, which can mean hours off each week. It’s worth identifying time-consuming tasks and see if there is a shortcut or features within your device that can save you time.

For example, with Office 365, you can create a clipboard which essentially allows you to copy multiple items from Office documents or other programs and paste them in the order that you want, rather than being limited to only pasting the last item you copied or cut. You can find out how to do it here.  You can find Microsoft Surface keyboard shortcuts here.

Watch the video below for Office 365 tips and tricks.

Talk regularly with your colleagues, like you would in the office

Talking regularly with your employees is a great way to maintain collaboration and productivity amongst your team, even when working remotely. It can also be great for your mental health, as remote workers can often experience a sense of isolation.

Microsoft Teams is an amazing platform that allows you to seamlessly chat, via, text, voice and video calls with your colleagues, hold meetings and conferences and manage projects all in one platform. Whether you work within healthcare or the education sector, Teams can be personalised to your industry with integrated apps and versions to help you manage projects and collaborate with your colleagues.

You can find out more about Microsoft Teams for remote working here.

 

Why Surface devices for remote working?

Now that we know some of the remote working hacks. Let’s have a look at some of the key features Surface devices offer and how they can enable you to become a more productive remote worker.

Hello face recognition

The ‘Hello’ feature on all Surface devices allows you to log into your computer without the need to type your password, instead using facial recognition. Therefore, allowing you to securely access your device without any interruptions or password entries. This allows you to spend more time on tasks and projects.

Pen

The Surface pen gives you flexibility in how you choose to interact with your device. Microsoft have created the pen so that it gives you the same experience as writing on a piece of paper with a pencil. A pen can also make online research more interactive as you can take notes, doodle on articles and even highlight text in Microsoft Edge.

Screen

Microsoft work hard to ensure Surface devices have  amazing screen quality. Although many of the devices can be small and compact, the screen sizes and resolution are never compromised.

All Surface devices also benefit from a touch screen, a time-saving feature that allows you to navigate around your device quicker and more efficiently. Even allowing you to sign documents while you’re out of the office.

Office 365 integration

All Surface devices are designed with Office 365 apps in mind. Therefore, you can easily work in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other Office apps without any disruption. This is a huge bonus for remote workers who rely heavily on Office 365 apps when working.

Camera

Camera and microphone quality has always been a huge priority for Microsoft when designing the Surface devices. It’s important to have a completely immersive and quality experience, especially when you’re video calling your colleagues through Microsoft Teams.

Security

Surface devices benefit from built-in protection, including Microsoft-verified security, Windows Defender, parental control and support. So, whether you’re in the office or working from home, your device and data is kept secure from potential threats or attacks.

 

Have you watched out latest case study yet?

Phoenix have worked with City College Peterborough since 2009, but in Spring 2019 discussions started around them moving to Microsoft 365 as they had a digital strategy that they wanted to roll out to support both their staff and students in terms of a modern learning environment and support package. Phoenix then worked with City College Peterborough to look at what they wanted to achieve through the use of technology which initially resulted in various workshops, Customer Immersion Experiences (CIEs) and end-user training sessions.

This phase of the project was key and helped shape a strategy moving forwards with Microsoft Teams and Surface devices, which were seen as an intrinsic part of the college’s digital future.