![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/What-Is-Work-from-Home-Accountability.png\")
<\/p>\nWorking from home has increasingly become the norm since the pandemic, and many people would say that this trend has benefitted both employers and employees alike.<\/p>\n
For instance, employers who allow employees to work remotely have the opportunity to save money on office overhead, gain access to a wider pool of talent, and appear far more attractive to prospective job candidates. Likewise, workers have been very enthusiastic about having the freedom and flexibility to work from home.<\/p>\n
Yet for all the advantages both parties derive from remote work, there remains some hesitation on both sides. Businesses want to know that in the absence of workers being physically present in an office, they\u2019re still being held accountable.<\/p>\n
Similarly, many employees who are unaccustomed to working from home are seeking ways to hold themselves accountable while dealing with this newfound freedom.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are ways to improve work from home accountability for employers and employees. In this article, we\u2019ll provide lots of ideas for both, but first, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re all on the same page by defining what work from home accountability is.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
People who are accountable commit to achieving certain outcomes, and they hold themselves responsible for their actions. When we apply that definition to remote work, work from home accountability then means that remote workers deliver the work that\u2019s expected of them — without the need for higher-ups to peer over their shoulder.<\/p>\n
So, remote workers meet company standards as they pertain to:<\/p>\n
In its essence, work from home accountability is a commitment to accomplishing work objectives as expected, even when working remotely.<\/p>\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Why-Work-from-Home-Accountability-Important.png\")
<\/p>\n
There are a lot of reasons work from home accountability is especially important for remote teams. For instance, work from home accountability has been shown to:<\/p>\n
When businesses hold remote workers accountable to achieve specific outcomes — even when they aren\u2019t physically present in the office — companies show workers they have confidence in them. In turn, this confidence goes a long way toward strengthening the trust between employers and employees.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
When companies set clear expectations, then create an environment that promotes accountability, workers take greater initiative. Because they feel empowered to take ownership for their work, they enjoy a greater sense of control. As a result, they\u2019re happier and more engaged.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
As we just mentioned, accountability increases trust and employee engagement, two factors that are strongly associated with low turnover rates. For instance, highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover<\/a>, whereas high-trust organizations have turnover rates that are approximately 50% lower<\/a> than their industry competitors.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n In the absence of accountability, even high performers can become slackers. By contrast, when team members know they\u2019re being held accountable, they\u2019ll often work hard to meet or even exceed expectations. This helps remote team members learn they can rely on each other, and as a result, they experience greater trust, cooperation, and team synergy.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Setting clear expectations and holding workers to them teaches employees that what they do matters. Fortunately, most employees rise to the occasion. For instance, studies show<\/a> that on average, people who work from home spend 10 less minutes a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n There are a number of things companies can do to improve work from home accountability, such as:<\/p>\n One of the most important things companies can do to improve work from home accountability is to set clear expectations. For instance, if you expect employees to begin and end work during normal working hours or to check in every day with a status update, then you need to communicate that.<\/p>\n It probably goes without saying, but employees can\u2019t meet your expectations if they aren\u2019t sure what they are. However, don\u2019t just stop with setting expectations. It\u2019s also important that you expect the best — that you believe your employees will rise to the occasion and meet the expectations you\u2019ve set.<\/p>\n As David Heinemeier Hansson, author of Remote: Office Not Required, notes:<\/p>\n \u201cIf you let them, humans have an amazing power to live up to your high expectations of reasonableness and responsibility.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another way to increase work from home accountability is to provide employees with specific, measurable goals that have hard deadlines.<\/p>\n While you can always change those deadlines later — for instance, should the work be more complex than you anticipated — deadlines give employees something to aim for. They also help assess whether someone\u2019s hitting the mark. To set goals, think about the routine objectives employees need to accomplish, as well as some aspirational targets they can shoot for.<\/p>\n And of course remember that if you opt to do this, you\u2019ll need to be available should employees have questions or run into roadblocks. Otherwise, they might hit a stopping point that prevents them from meeting the goals and deadlines you\u2019ve established.<\/p>\n Time tracking software is another method you can use to hold employees accountable. With time tracking software, employees clock in when they start work and clock out when they stop.<\/p>\n Some time tracking software like Teamly takes optional screenshots, so you can see which URLs employees are visiting during their working hours and what applications they have open.<\/p>\n Not only does time tracking software tend to make employees more conscientious, but it\u2019s also been shown to increase productivity and profitability. Because employees are aware they\u2019re being monitored, they\u2019re far more likely to stick to the task at hand rather than cyberslacking!<\/p>\n Check-ins give everyone a quick opportunity to discuss the status of their tasks, as well as potential roadblocks. As a result, check-ins keep employees goal-oriented, promote responsibility, and communicate the notion that someone is paying close attention to how workers are spending their time.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no one right way to conduct check-ins — some companies like to hold them every day, whereas others prefer weekly check-ins or even monthly ones. Really, it\u2019s an individual decision that\u2019s based on personal preference, team size, and an organization\u2019s corporate culture.<\/p>\n Usually, these check-ins are conducted over video, however, scheduling can be a challenge, particularly if you have team members across many time zones. In that case, you probably want to hold weekly check-ins rather than daily ones, so they\u2019re more convenient for people to attend.<\/p>\n Another option is to ask team members to submit brief daily updates by email every morning. These updates can be as simple as a sentence about what they plan to work on during the day and whether they foresee any obstacles.<\/p>\n It\u2019s challenging to relax and trust that workers are being productive when you can\u2019t actually physically see them in the office. However, were they in an office, one of the main things you\u2019d evaluate them on is whether they deliver the tasks they\u2019ve been assigned on time and of the quality you expect.<\/p>\n Essentially, your focus would be on results. As Jason Fried, author of Office Not Required, notes:<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the secret benefits of using remote workers is that the work itself becomes the yardstick to judge someone\u2019s performance.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So, how can you base work on results? Fortunately, you have a few different options:<\/p>\n Use Project Management Software<\/strong> – A task-management software like Teamly is helpful when you want to automate specific processes, boost productivity, and improve accountability.<\/p>\n With PM software, everyone knows what assignments are in the pipeline, who\u2019s tackling them, and when they\u2019re due. You can also review task details whenever you like to see how tasks are coming along. Even better, because overdue tasks can quickly be identified, it\u2019s easy to keep important projects on track.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Consider Outcome-Based Contracts<\/strong> – If your remote workers are contractors, you might consider forgoing hourly work and instead, hiring freelancers to perform specific tasks for a fixed price.<\/p>\n For instance, you might hire someone to write a blog post, manage your social media accounts, or do the graphic design work for your marketing materials. Because payment is based solely on results — rather than the length of time spent on a task — the nature of the contract itself promotes accountability.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It\u2019s important to set employees up for success by making sure they have the right tools and training. At a minimum, not only do you want to provide them with the software they need to work remotely, but you\u2019ll also want to consider how remote work changes the way your business operates.<\/p>\n For instance, no longer are people having conversations around the water cooler. Yet, real-time communication boosts collaboration, improves efficiency, and prevents information silos \u2026 which is why for many teams working remotely, investing in chat software becomes more important than ever.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to create a central repository of information that remote workers can access online. This information can include things like standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists, and training manuals.<\/p>\n In the absence of in-person meetings, it\u2019s crucial that your company develops a standardized way of doing things that anyone can access and follow — even when working from afar.<\/p>\n Just remember, however, that it isn\u2019t enough to create a knowledge repository. You also need to make sure employees know where it is and what it contains. Similarly, you\u2019ll need to keep information in the repository updated, so the entire team has access to the most current information.<\/p>\n Engaged employees are committed employees. They work harder, accomplish more, and show greater loyalty. Because they feel appreciated, they go the extra mile — which translates into that oh-so-important, work from home accountability companies desire.<\/p>\n So, how do you increase employee engagement when your team\u2019s working remotely? Fortunately, there are a number of different things you might try:<\/p>\n Display Personal Interest<\/strong> – In the course of an ordinary, non-remote workday, it\u2019s normal to bump into coworkers and ask how their day\u2019s going, what they did over the weekend, or how their recent trip to Puerto Rico went.<\/p>\n Yet unfortunately, these niceties can be overlooked when people are ensconced in their home offices and don\u2019t have the opportunity to run into each other.<\/p>\n So, when managing a remote team, remember to periodically ask team members how they\u2019re doing and to display interest in them personally as human beings — rather than resources!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n If you\u2019re working remotely and want to do a better job holding yourself accountable, here are some ideas that\u2019ll help:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not used to working from home, you may have experienced one of the following morning traps.<\/p>\n Morning Trap #2<\/strong>: You have a flex schedule, so you can start work whenever you want. As a result of this flexibility, you find yourself creating all kinds of pressing tasks you need to finish before you start work.<\/p>\n Sure, you\u2019re procrastinating, but since you\u2019re tackling important personal tasks, you can convince yourself you\u2019re actually being productive \u2026 until you finally start working at 1:00 and it dawns on you that now you\u2019ll be stuck working late into the evening.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n These morning traps illustrate why a morning routine is so valuable. A morning routine gives structure to people working from home, while helping their day get off to a great start so they can fulfill their work obligations.<\/p>\n To create your morning routine, think about what energizes and inspires you. For instance, you might consider relaxing with a cup of coffee, exercising, showering, meditating, journaling, or engaging in a gratitude practice before you start work. For even more ideas, check out our blog post on how to create a successful morning routine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Distractions at home can definitely make it harder to get work done — especially when there are so many of them. As the Wizard of Oz\u2019s Dorothy might say, \u201cDoorbells, text messages, ringing phones, construction, social media, lawnmowers, and family members, oh my!\u201d<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are things you can do to eliminate distractions. For starters, consider telling your friends and family that you can\u2019t be disturbed during your working hours, then hold firm — by not answering the phone or responding to texts during work. If that sounds too challenging, turn your phone on silent to minimize any texting or talking temptations.<\/p>\n You may also find it worthwhile to invest in a good set of noise-canceling headphones. These will prevent neighborhood sounds from permeating your work zone, so you can stay focused on getting work done.<\/p>\n This time management technique<\/a> is a subtle nod to a Mark Twain quote: \u201cStart each morning by eating a live frog, and nothing worse will happen to you that day.\u201d<\/p>\n With the \u201ceat the frog\u201d method, you do your most dreaded task first thing in the morning, before you have time to ruminate on it. And if you have two frogs, it\u2019s suggested you eat them both, by doing one dreaded task right after the other.<\/p>\n Now if eating a frog in the morning sounds too daunting, you might consider setting a timer, then working on your least enjoyable task until the timer goes off.<\/p>\n The reason this method is so successful is because it gets the hardest thing you have to do off your plate right at the beginning of the day. As a result, it\u2019s an awesome cure for procrastination, since it prevents you from putting off tough tasks \u2026 which is why rather than an apple a day, remote workers may just find that a frog a day, first thing in the morning, is a much better choice.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable at work is to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Doing so helps you identify what you want to accomplish, so you stay focused on those tasks that are the most important — rather than wasting time on busy work.<\/p>\n Goals are also great motivators — so much so that dozens and dozens of studies show that goal setting increases performance<\/a> and productivity an incredible 11 – 25% \u2026 which is why if you want to hold yourself accountable at work, it\u2019s a good idea to spend time at the beginning of each month, choosing the goals you want to accomplish for that month.<\/p>\n On Mondays, break those monthly goals into smaller, weekly ones. Once you know what your weekly goals are, it\u2019s easy to devise three daily goals you can achieve that\u2019ll take you one step closer to your monthly goals.<\/p>\n One final caveat: just be sure when you\u2019re creating your goals that you write them down. Research shows that people who write their goals down are far more likely to accomplish them than those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Sure, you can wake up every morning, grab your laptop off your nightstand, and work right from bed in your PJs. Yet although it may seem tempting, this habit can actually make it hard to achieve work-life balance — since now your bedroom is an actual workstation, rather than merely a cozy place you sleep at night.<\/p>\n However, the problems don\u2019t end there. Without a fixed workspace — one where work and work only occurs — it\u2019s challenging to get into work mode. Instead, it\u2019s easy to get distracted and start wondering whether you should paint your room a different color, keep a dream journal, or check out your friends\u2019 latest posts on Instagram.<\/p>\n By contrast, a fixed workspace helps you get into the kind of take-no-prisoners, uber-productive mindset where work gets done. Because you\u2019re accustomed to doing work in that spot, you automatically get into work mode when you sit there and do a better job concentrating \u2026 making it much easier to hold yourself accountable when working from home.<\/p>\n If you struggle to stay focused on work when you\u2019re at home, a virtual accountability partner just may be the answer. With this kind of arrangement, you form a partnership with someone, agreeing to hold each other accountable to accomplish certain tasks.<\/p>\n If a virtual accountability partner sounds like the ideal solution for staying on track, we have great news for you — with so many people working from home these days, it\u2019s easier than ever to find a partner.<\/p>\n For instance, you might ask a friend or family member to remain on a video call with you for an hour, while you each agree to work silently on a specific task. Alternatively, the Focusmate app will match you with a compatible accountability partner 3x\/week for free, or if you want, you have the option of paying $5\/month for unlimited matches.<\/p>\n And hey introverts, if you want the benefits of a virtual accountability partner without actually having to deal with another human being, we\u2019ve got you covered too. Accountability apps like Accountable2You and stickK can help keep you on track, so you can achieve what you set out to do, no partner required.<\/p>\n The Pomodoro Technique<\/a> is a time management approach that helps people plan better, minimize procrastination, and improve focus. Rather than working in long blocks of time which can trigger fatigue, boredom, and frustration, the Pomodoro Technique involves working in short bursts.<\/p>\n To take advantage of it, begin a Pomodoro by starting a task and setting a timer for 25 minutes. Once the timer goes off, get up from your desk and take a 5-minute break.<\/p>\n For instance, you might step outside to go on a short walk, watch a video, or eat a snack. Afterward, perform 3 more Pomodoros in a row. Once you\u2019ve performed the 4th Pomodoro, you can take an extended break for 15-30 minutes or even longer if you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n The reason the Pomodoro Technique is so successful is because several studies show that the average human attention span is around 20 minutes. The Pomodoro Technique takes advantage of our natural cognitive abilities — having us \u201cgo hard\u201d for that approximate length of time before a short recovery period. As a result, the breaks fuel creativity, improve focus, and increase productivity.<\/p>\n With remote work on the rise, both employers and employees are increasingly concerned about work from home accountability, which makes sense given the outsized role it plays in engagement, employee turnover, and performance.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are a number of things both parties can do to improve work from home accountability. We\u2019ve named several of them in this post but if you\u2019re looking for additional ideas, we recommend checking out our blog post, Promoting Accountability and Trust in the Workplace<\/a>. Or, you can learn more about the subject by finding a good accountability book at Top 10 Must-Read Books on Accountability<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Working from home has increasingly become the norm since the pandemic, and many people would say that this trend has benefitted both employers and employees alike. For instance, employers who allow employees to work remotely have the opportunity to save money on office overhead, gain access to a wider pool of talent, and appear far … <\/p>\n![\"Improve](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Improve-Work-from-Home-Accountability.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/span>7 Tips on How Companies Can Improve Work from Home Accountability<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Set Clear Expectations<\/h3>\n
2. Establish Measurable Goals<\/h3>\n
3. Use Time Tracking Software<\/h3>\n
4. Institute Regular Check-Ins<\/h3>\n
![\"Base](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Base-Work-on-Results.png\")
<\/p>\n5. Base Work on Results<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
![\"Give](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Give-Employees-the-Right-Tools-Training.png\")
<\/p>\n6. Give Employees the Right Tools & Training<\/h3>\n
![\"Employee](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Employee-Engagement.png\")
<\/p>\n7. Increase Employee Engagement<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Work](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Work-from-Home-Accountability-for-Remote-Workers.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/span>7 Tips on How Remote Workers Can Improve Work from Home Accountability<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Develop a Morning Routine<\/h3>\n
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2. Eliminate Distractions<\/h3>\n
3. Eat the Frog<\/h3>\n
![\"Set](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Set-Goals.png\")
<\/p>\n4. Set Daily, Weekly, & Monthly Goals<\/h3>\n
5. Create a Workspace<\/h3>\n
6. Find a Virtual Accountability Partner<\/h3>\n
7. Use the Pomodoro Technique<\/h3>\n
\n<\/span>In Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n