When you first start working from home, you may imagine chilling on the couch in your pajamas with your laptop. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Except for the couch isn’t actually that comfortable after an hour and your pajamas aren’t really that great for getting work done.
Setting up a successful home office takes a lot of thought. You may already have the basics covered - for example, a high-speed internet connection. But some other features you may not automatically come up with on your own. We’ve asked our remote workers for their top recommendations. If you’re just starting to put together your home office, or you want to give it a makeover for more productive work, these home office must-haves will get you one step closer to remote work bliss.
We are a 100% remote company with all team members working from home.
Content:
1. Gino’s Pick: An Adjustable Sit-Stand Desk
About Gino: Gino is CEO and founder of TECLA. He works on strategies to connect tech companies with top remote talent from across the Americas.
About His Pick: For Gino, an adjustable sit-stand desk is essential for staying comfortable and productive. There are plenty of benefits of a sit-stand desk. First, you can maintain good posture and feel more comfortable, since you can adjust your desk according to how you feel. A sit-stand desk is also great for your productivity, as it boosts your energy levels and keeps you (literally) on your toes during the day.
2. Gino’s #2 Pick: Blue-Light Blocking Glasses
About His #2 Pick: As a remote worker, you’re often looking at screens all day - computer, phone, tablet, monitor, video calls. All this time in front of a screen takes a toll on your eyesight. Eye fatigue is a real problem for workers everywhere. For your home office, you should invest in blue-light blocking glasses so that you can prevent eye fatigue and also feel more comfortable during the day. After you have them, you’ll never turn back. They can make a huge impact on your comfort and productivity.
3. Maria Laura’s Pick: A Spotify Subscription
About Maria Laura: Maria Laura works daily to recruit top talent for the TECLA marketplace. On a daily basis, she’s building our base of engineers so that we can continue to meet the needs of tech companies everywhere.
About Her Pick: For her, a Spotify subscription is an absolute must. Listening to music helps her stay focused while doing her work, and a subscription makes sure that no unwanted ads pop up and interrupt her flow. The playlist feature is also great for crafting specific lists according to your mood. And the offline feature, where you can download tunes to listen to without wifi, is ideal if you want to sign off and concentrate on a specific task.
4. Nadia’s Pick: Cloud Synchronization Service
About Nadia: Nadia is a Content Creator for TECLA. She writes select blog posts and social media to highlight TECLA’s services and expertise.
About Her Pick: For her, a cloud synchronization service is essential to keep your info safe and backed up. Don’t become a file recovery “horror story” by not having a plan B. With cloud synchronization, your files will be automatically loaded and updated onto the cloud. It’s convenient and depending on the service you choose, usually costs $2-5/month. If you're on a budget, you can also use Google Drive exclusively to get cloud synchronization; however, if you use programs like Word, Adobe or InDesign, that may not be a viable option. Cloud synchronization will give you peace of mind, wherever you are in the world.
5. Jessica’s Pick: A Solid Set of Headphones
About Jessica: Jessica is a Recruiting Specialist, who works closely with the recruitment team to get new and exciting talent matched in the TECLA marketplace.
About Her Pick: A solid set of headphones is essential for keeping your concentration. Headphones are great for listening to music if you’re into that, but they’re also good for noise cancellation if you live on a noisy street or work in a co-working space. Invest in a high-quality pair that is comfortable and doesn’t make your ears hurt or sweat. Your productivity levels will thank you.
6. Tilza’s Pick: Inspiring Work Environment
About Tilza: Tilza is another Recruiting Specialist who scopes out new top candidates for TECLA’s marketplace. She helps with vetting potential candidates and finding new recruitment sources.
About Her Pick: It’s essential that your home office is both comfortable and gets you in the mood to work. The atmosphere of your home office can do a lot to make or break your productivity. For example, keep your workstation neat and tidy. Buy a houseplant to give your area some life and orient your desk towards a window. Add some pictures or photos to the walls, too. By looking for ways to create an inspiring work environment, you’ll feel more “at home” in your home office.
7. Tilza’s #2 Pick: An Ergonomic Chair
About Her #2 Pick: According to new studies, 264 million work days are lost every year due to back pain. You can prevent pain and promote productivity by investing in an ergonomic chair. This kind of chair is designed to keep you comfortable as you work during the day. Don’t rely on a regular chair or a couch for your home office. An ergonomic chair is a safe bet for your comfort.
8. Cesar’s Pick: Good Music
About Cesar: Cesar is a software engineer at TECLA. He’s our go-to man for resolving tech needs throughout the company.
About His Pick: It sounds simple, but good music is the cornerstone of concentration. Spend some time creating playlists that you know will help you focus, or explore playlists on YouTube or Spotify to find good concentration music. Taking a few minutes to choose good music will ensure that you’re more productive during the day. Plus, who doesn’t want a good soundtrack for your workday?
9. Eliezer’s Pick: Organizational Tools
About Eliezer: Eliezer is a Lead Developer at TECLA. His expert tech voice informs TECLA’s needs and helps implement requirements.
About His Pick: Staying organized in your home office can be a challenge because it’s up to you. Do yourself a favor and invest in organizational tools so that you can manage your time and multiple projects with little trouble. There are so many great digital tools out there to help you. If you’re looking to manage your projects, try Trello or Asana. Make sure you’ve also got organized files through Google Drive or Dropbox. And if you’re looking for a sweet way to keep track of your random thoughts and ideas, try out Google Keep. These kind of organizational tools will structure your day and help you change tasks from “pending” to “done.”
10. Manuel’s Pick: 4K-5K Monitor(s)
About Manuel: Manual is a Business Developer and Marketing Lead for TECLA. He works on creating and implementing strategic business and marketing initiatives.
About His Pick: Everybody thinks first about your home office desk, but what about your screen? If you constantly multi-task and work off several tabs during the day, a big 4K-5K monitor is a perfect choice. This investment is well worth it, especially because it will help you see connections, get information and create content conveniently. Depending on your budget, you can choose the size, but getting at least one big monitor will save you lots of time opening and closing programs - as well as the frustration of not being able to visualize everything at once.
11. Manuel’s #2 Pick: Up-to-Date Computer Hardware
About His #2 Pick: Make sure you treat your home office like a professional. All your hardware should stay up-to-date. A key part of being a remote worker is protecting your tools and programs, so that you can do your job well. When in doubt, set a monthly reminder to take some time and clean up your programs and hardware. This also a security issue, since out-of-date drivers can cause slowdowns and crashes. Whether you use Windows or Mac, use your device manager system to ensure that everything is up-to-date, so that your work keeps running smoothly.
So, there you have it! Our remote workers at TECLA have shared their must-haves so that putting your home office is a success. Our tips include an adjustable sit-stand desk, blue-light blocking glasses, a Spotify subscription, a cloud synchronization service, a solid set of headphones, an inspiring work environment, an ergonomic chair, good music, organizational tools, 4K-5K monitor(s) and up-to-date hardware. Of course these recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg. When setting up your home office, find out what works for you. You may need to adjust your office or invest in new tools depending on the remote working challenges you may face. Whatever your situation, we hope these tips will get your home office off to a running start.
What are your home office hacks? Did we miss an important one? Let us know!
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