We’ve all seen a radical change in our lives over the past year, one which no one would have ever predicted. There has, of course, been a lot of difficulty but in many cases, there have been some huge positives realised too. One of which is how beneficial working from home can be. Many employers had been reticent in the past, fearing that communication would break down, workers might be less productive or even use it as an excuse to skive. However, health needs have mandated working from home and this negative mindset towards it has changed for the better, hopefully forever.
With companies seeing benefits such as better engagement from employees due to improved work-life balance, increased productivity due to a lack of distractions, better mental health from no commuting and the flexibility of being at home, not to mention the reduced cost of overheads. The list continues. So it’s likely that the majority of employers will support at least a blend of office and home-working indefinitely and that means you need the right kit. Take a look at what you need to work from home to the best of your ability:
Machine power
If you complete a lot of tasks using intricate systems, use a large amount of data or just generally place a lot of demands on your computer, the last thing you want is it freezing, crashing or being on a general go-slow. So make sure you have one with a processor that has a big enough capability to get everything done in a timely manner such as this HP EliteOne 800 G1 with Intel i5 processor and a 500 GB hard disk drive. The 23-inch screen is also a touch operated, all in one to make life easier.
Portable and versatile machine
If you will be working in various places such as home and the office, or even attending meetings again whilst out and about, you’ll need a computer which is portable such as a laptop. These days, laptops don’t need to be of an inferior quality to their desktop counterparts as you can get similar power and functionality with ease. You will just need to remember your charger! If you’re after another touchscreen too, that doubles as tablet when required, consider something such as the HP EliteBook X360 1030 G2. It has an Intel i5 7th gen processor so will be able to cope with more than you might realise, as well as an 8GB DDR.
Strong enough WiFi / broadband
It is rare that anyone could complete a full day’s work fully without access to the internet so you need to make sure yours at home is robust enough. Especially if there is more than one of you working there. If you’re using WiFi, you can have boosters installed in your home if the signal isn’t strong enough in the area you work. Or you could even use a hardwire to ensure there isn’t any drop outs. Make sure you get enough bandwidth to support your normal business function or you’ll struggle all day, every day you are working from home.
Extended displays
You may have got used to working from just a signal screen but by adding another, you can make your working life far easier. It can able you to have your emails or internet browser on one screen whilst you work on other items on the other. If you need to reference other materials too it saves you having to flick back and forth between windows which can get frustrating very quickly. If you are used to working from a laptop, having a higher screen will be better for your neck and spine health too as it is easier to have it at eye level. The majority of people who have two screens find it so beneficial they struggle to go back! If you think it will help you, check out bundles such as this Dell OptiPlex 7020 bundle with Intel i5 processor and two 19-inch screens. It also comes WiFi enabled with a keyboard and mouse too. And right now, it’s reduced so make the most of the saving and buy it now!
Working from home can be incredible for mindsets, productivity, engagement and so much more when you have the right set up. Make sure you have everything you need and you'll hopefully have a great deal of success working from home for the foreseeable future!