Trends that boost the productivity of telecommuters

The productivity of telecommuters is critical to the success of many businesses, but how do you ensure that you are getting the most out of them?

There’s an estimate that by the year 2020, about half of the entire workforce in the US will be working from home. We’re not actually suggesting that they’ll do so full-time, but that at least half of the work-able population might start part-time telecommuting or at least supplementing their office work this way. That being said, the productivity of telecommuters might just become one of the top priorities in the business world. Here are five trends that boost the productivity of telecommuters.

1.      Time-management apps

You are your own worst adversary. No matter how much work there is to be done, it’s hard to control yourself while in the comfort of your own home. Without a supervisor to look over your shoulder, there’s nothing to stop you from making a 5-minute break to re-watch that funny video on YouTube or check out Facebook to see how your ex is doing. The problem lies in the fact that this 5-minute break easily turns into a 45-minute break, which is problematic, to say the least. The most efficient way of fighting this lies in getting an adequate time-management app.

2.      Dual monitors

The next thing you need is to get an additional monitor. With this, you get an increase in productivity, a chance to use multiple programs at the same time (which is vital in industries such as design) and use social media actively while working at the same time. Other than this, this makes sharing data between applications much easier. Most importantly, this is a setup that’s incredibly easy to integrate with a laptop. In other words, you can achieve it with a laptop and a single conventional monitor.

3.      Wireless headphones

An average telecommuter won’t just sit behind their computer 24/7. Instead, they use a range of devices like a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop and even a smart TV. This means that, when getting your headphones, you need something that’ll allow you full freedom of motion to roam around the place without having to unplug them. If you aim to buy quality, a peripheral like Shure SE846 should be an obvious choice. Not only does it come with a detachable cable system but it also sound-isolates you completely. This can drastically cut down the number of distractions that are reaching you.

4.      Collaboration tools

Just because you’re not in an actual office, it doesn’t mean that you can’t maintain contact with your co-workers via IM services. Handy as they may be, Viber and Facebook Messenger don’t allow the transfer of files bigger than 25 MB. Sure, you can use them in a combination with Dropbox and similar software, but why look for compromises when you can just find a complete collaboration tool capable of providing you with all of the above-listed perks.

5.      Wireless charger

Previously, we’ve mentioned that as a telecommuter, you’re likely to use a wide range of different digital tools. This is where a wireless charger can be a real breakthrough. Imagine simply installing it on the ceiling of the room that you use as your home-office and having it simultaneously charge your phone and your tablet. Alongside the above-discussed wireless headphones, this could give you full autonomy and freedom to move across the room without having to worry about the battery getting empty.

Conclusion

In theory, all you need for successful telecommuting is access to the internet. However, as always, those who look for minimal requirements as satisfactory aren’t bound to make a name for themselves in any field, telecommuting included. This means that your work arsenal requires both a hardware and a software update. The above-listed five items are a good place to start.