Nobody wanted this. But here we are. Ordered to shelter in place and using best practices to maintain a safe distance, Austin startups and tech companies have shifted largely to working remotely for the indefinite future as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
For thousands of Austin employees, this means quickly setting up an office that accommodates their professional workflow -- not to mention somewhere to take video conference calls and avoid distractions from roommates, spouses, pets and the gravity of the couch.
Last week, Austin Inno put a call out for local tech and startup employees to share their best tips for working from home (after all, some of us do this regularly), as well as photos of their home office setups. We'll continue to put out fresh stories with new WFH office photos and tips in the near future, so please keep them coming (email bwistrom@americaninno.com with WFH in the subject line, and please note who's office we're looking at if you're willing to share.)
So, let's get to those tips and pics.
"RetailMeNot offers onsite fitness classes with a few of Austin's best fitness instructors, and our wellness team didn't want to let it slip with working from home, so all classes are now held over Zoom! We have yoga, strength training and cardio options weekly....And, a core staple of our office is the coffee bar where folks gather all day to chat and refuel so our Connect ERG has set up virtual morning mingles to encourage that same sense of camaraderie. Attendance varies since its come and go, so it almost feels like the real deal!" -- Chelsie Baugh, senior communications manager at Austin-based digital discount company RetailMeNot
"One of our Creative Directors set up a daily meditation group that is available to all argonauts, across studios. They meet at 9 AM CT, spend a few minutes at the start catching up and checking in on one another, and then everyone turns off their cameras to go through a guided Headspace meditation together. It's a wonderful way to create connection and intentionality around a shared experience that focuses on mental health during a difficult time. We've been prioritizing virtual happy hours and knowledge shares globally. Last Thursday, our Austin studio focused our happy hour on Silver Linings: what unexpected pleasures and joys have come from our new reality and shared WFH experience? It was fun, goofy, vulnerable, and a good reminder of how much we all genuinely care about each other. Plus, we are all about the myriad Zoom background options." - Jordan Bresler Muething, communications director at argodesign
Jacob Rader, designer at argodesign
Arlene Tee, global head of programs at argodesign
Sonia Prusaitis, Austin general manager at argodesign
Rusty Kocian, associate creative director at argodesign
Jordan Bresler Muething, communications director at argodesign
Jason Orr, creative director at argodesign
Pat Marsh, designer at argodesign
"Making it feel like a tropical paradise here in ATX!" - Lou Magnotti, Arrive Logistics
"Smart TV's work brilliantly as a second monitor." - Tim Ryan, director of marketing at Testlio
"Here’s a couple from WastePlace’s remote St. Patrick’s Day Happy Hour. Admittedly not everyone wore green (I guess hard to pinch)." He sent two photos, noting the second one is happier, "apparently because we’re meeting Cory’s livestock, an unidentified cow an Freddie the Goat... whirlwind of emotions. We’re also starting Hump Day Lunch Day, where the whole team will have lunch 'together' on Zoom every Wednesday." - Adam Greenspan, chief growth officer at WastePlace
"Get an app, set an alarm on your phone, or put a calendar entry in, but get up and stretch and/or walk around every hour! It's important we don't get stuck in one position too long. 2) I cannot stress this enough...TAKE YOUR LUNCH BREAK. Even if it's only 20 minutes to get up and eat and then you go right back to work. You need that time away from the screen. Don't eat at your desk, eat at the kitchen table, the counter, outside...Then you get a plus of fresh air too! 3) Get up at your normal wake-up time, do your morning routine, and get dressed like you're going to work. Even if you're in sweatpants, make sure they're "working" sweatpants and not "sleeping" sweatpants. 4) Be patient with your coworkers - we're all trying to figure out how to fit our in-office jobs into this out-of-office environment." -- Allison Alden, CP at Certain Affinity
"Use your voice in the morning even if it’s to sing a song…makes the first meeting of your day smoother if you don’t have a person/pet to speak to. Create your own standing desk. I don't have one, but I can pile up board games or shoe boxes and (as long as I have a sturdy foundation), put my laptop on them so I can stand and work. I just can't sit all day long! Playlists for downtime and to have background noise. Schedule a lunch hour and step away from screens. As tempting as it is, don’t work from your bed. Have somewhere that is your “workspace” so that there is a clear differentiator between working and when you clock off. Limit distractions.Have a routine for when you’re working and off the clock - it’s too tempting to carry on through lunch and into the evening - step away, close the laptop, and relax. Teaching pets that the laptop means that work time, so they won’t be getting attention. Mine just sleeps so she’s touching me and when I close the laptop, she knows it’s break time/end of the working day! Try to get washed, dressed and ready - even if it’s just changing into your joggers and an over-sized hoodie. Makes it so much better when you can change into your pj’s when you clock off." - Leslie Termuhlen, PR strategist at Jungle Scout
"I've found that sticking to a routine and having ample snacks on hand are the two most important factors. The routine keeps me honest so I'm not slacking, and the snacks legitimately keep me from getting hangry. The routine part is also important when it's time to clock out. If I still have things to do come 6 p.m., I leave my desk, go on a run, get dinner, and then hack away again. Clocking out is important because unlike at your office, you don't really have anywhere else to be when you're working from home. In terms of tools, I'd definitely suggest Loom, a tool that lets you send screen recordings easily. It's way easier than having to screenshare over Zoom or Google Meet, and their free Base plan is all you need." - Jonathan Newar, founder and CEO of Captain Experiences
"With the rapid increase of WFH conference calls, how many bingos can you get in a day? I got 3 bingos today. :-)" - Tyler Davis, director of business development at HireBetter.
A Few Other Tips Offered by Inno Readers
Ruthie Hanna, a community manager at Breaking the Glass, notes that her Austin-based organization is producing a three-part series on remote work. It starts April 1.
Lauren Jade Martin, director of brand and product at Elevate Growth Partners, put together a list of a few favorite WFH apps, and shared an Instagram page of WFH setups.
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A post shared by Elevate Growth Partners (@elevategrowthpartners) on Mar 23, 2020 at 12:03pm PDT
Working from home with your partner, kids and pets all under one roof can be chaotic to say the least. ? So we pulled together some of our best advice to help you achieve work-life zen.
Check it out here: https://t.co/K0bvS2cBog#FloRecruit #workfromhome #remotework #covid19
— Flo Recruit (@FloRecruit) March 26, 2020
