PPF has been remote working for a fair few years, it’s now the norm for many companies. Here is our tips on what’s been working for us!
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Telephones
We use Circleloop.
We’ve fully implemented the online system so all our calls are now routed through the app, which is easily accessed on your desktop and / or mobile.
Let’s look at the benefits!
- Voicemails are not only emailed to the whole team, but also feed into Slack (more on this later), meaning we’re all able to pick them up and respond accordingly, ensuring nothing is missed.
- We can make calls between us as well as transfer them, just like with traditional office handsets.
- Circleloop also integrates with Xero, meaning you can click a number in Xero and it will make the call automatically through the app for an easy process.
They have a 14 day free trial, and the support team are fabulous, so we really recommend giving this a go if you need to be taking and making calls whilst working remotely.
Team Comms
Slack
For team comms we use Slack and have no complaints!
We have many different channels where we can all talk about specific topics, create groups for different projects and teams, and send direct messages to one another.
You can set it to Do Not Disturb when you are not available, and even schedule messages to send at specific times.
We implemented our move to Google Workspace at the beginning of the 2021, meaning we can all access all of our documents from any computer via our shared drive and Google log in – great for accessing between teams and collaborating on documents.
For video calls, we use Google Meet for our scheduled weekly meetings, client consultations, and more!
This helps us to keep in touch and keep that ever so important the face to face interaction – we can also share our screens to show you how to do things, show documents and whatever else is needed. It’s a great tool and a brilliant alternative to in person meetings.
Loom
We use Loom for training videos, and answering quick ‘how to’ questions.
We also use it to record our processes as training materials – as you then have a video to refer back to for future reference, and future employee training.
It’s great to show employees how to do something when you can’t be sitting next to them, and clients too – a few of you will have received a Loom video from us showing how to do things in Xero or talking you through your accounts!
Loom offers a free “Starter” plan for video messaging, allowing users to record up to 25 videos with a 5-minute limit per video. Why not give it a go!
Staying focused
Lots of people struggle with staying focused and not getting distracted by household chores and/or the TV, social media and other temptations when working from home.
Here are some of the ways our employees stay focused;
- Dedicated, scheduled work hours each week to keep you on track.
- Taking time away from your desk for your breaks, rather than eating in the office. Step outside, get some fresh air, or schedule some time to chill and watch TV!
- Put your phone on do not disturb – just make sure to have circleloop and any other apps open on your desktop so you don’t miss any important messages or calls.
- Have a separate workspace. I know it’s not possible for everyone, but if you’re able to have a clear change of scenery from when you’re working to when it’s personal time, that also helps to switch off – which is so important to allow your body, and mind, to re-charge for the next day.
We hope you manage to achieve the balance you’re looking for whilst working from home.
Want to explore working with PPF? Book in a Discvovery Call today!
