Business Insider
Insider Inc's offices are empty, starting today. We have lots of remote workers though. Here's their best advice on how to stay productive and sane while working from home.
- Many workers, including all of Insider Inc., are being told to work from home as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe.
- Working remotely is an adjustment. One of our editors says it can take 3-6 months to get the hang of it.
- But there are a few universal truths about how to do it productively and stay sane. Six of our top editorial leaders who have worked remotely for years reveal their best tips on how to crush your job while out of the office.
- Their advice: Set yourself up for success by using the right tools and creating the right work environment. Get dressed, over-communicate with your colleagues, prioritize your tasks, take some breaks, and produce results.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Employees around the world are being told to work remotely in the wake of coronavirus. But going from a buzzing office to quiet solitude is an adjustment.
"It won't be easy, so don't be too hard on yourself," says Zach Tracer, Business Insider's healthcare editor. Tracer has managed a team of five reporters remotely for over a year. "When I started working from home, people told me it can take three to six months to adjust. I think that's pretty accurate."
While many remote jobs are different, there are some universal ways to set yourself up for success.
Business Insider has a number of editorial leaders who have worked from home for years. They are some of our most productive employees, reaching more readers and subscribers with their stories and breaking more news than many of their media rivals.
Six of them provided their best advice on how to get ahead without being in the same room as their colleagues:
- Julie Bort, Chief Tech Correspondent (Based in Boulder, CO. Has been working remote for over a decade)
- Hayley Peterson, Chief Retail Correspondent (Based in Richmond, VA, has been working remote for a few years)
- Zach Tracer, Healthcare Editor (has been working remotely from Philadelphia, PA for over a year)
- Cork Gaines, Sports Editor (based in Texas, has been managing a team of reporters for 8 years)
- Dave Smith, Front Page Editor (based in Toronto since 2017)
- Debbie Strong, Sr. Contributors and Freelance Editor (oversees a team where 60% of the full-time employees are remote, in addition to all the remote freelancers and contributors)
I circulated their advice to our newsroom earlier. I've adapted and shared it below.
Wishing you all a healthy, safe and productive remote working experience.