Some Workers Are Going Remote For Good — Here’s How To Make Sure You’re One Of Them
While working from home certainly comes with challenges, it also offers many workers a better quality of life. When you work from home you have the freedom to skip the commute, use lunch breaks to run errands, spend more time with your beloved pets, and live where you want.
In a post-COVID world, it’s no surprise that major technology companies like Twitter and Facebook have announced plans to move employees to remote roles permanently. After companies have had months to observe a heavily remote environment, many are seeking to cut costs and improve employees’ work-life balance. In fact, according to a recent Gartner survey, 74% of CFOs plan to shift some portion of their workforce to remote work permanently. If you want to make the case for working remotely, here are five tips to help you out.
1. Make your interest known early and often.
If you don’t communicate your preferences, your managing team will have no way of knowing you’d like to stay remote. Saying, “I’m really loving working from home” isn’t enough–you’ll need to be direct and clear about your wish to stay remote full-time. If you aren’t sure how to begin that conversation with your manager, you can try asking if they foresee any roles being made remote permanently and read the tone of the room from there.
2. Show how working from home is improving your performance.
If you’re working better than ever, don’t be shy! Now is the time to communicate your successes and newfound efficiency with your manager. Keep an ongoing list of your wins so that you can reference it as needed to showcase how remote work is improving your performance.
3. Make a plan for when face-to-face interactions are needed.
Of course, some conversations just don’t work well over the phone. Think about how important meetings, like manager reviews, can be held if you are completely remote. In order to make sure you’re getting enough facetime outside of slack, could you schedule a weekly Zoom check-in? Would you be willing to travel for in-person meetings?
4. Think about how your growth potential is impacted by a remote position.
If you are hoping to be promoted down the line, it’s important to consider how being remote might impact your position. Some companies may not want high-level managers working remotely because of the demand for face-to-face communication. If you’re not sure, you can talk to your manager or HR director about whether your role and progress will be slowed down should you go remote.
5. Share whether you’d be able to join the in-office team if needed.
If you’re planning to still live somewhat close to the office, it’s worth mentioning that you can join the in-office team as needed. This may help make the transition to a fully remote role easier and appease concerns from your manager. Of course, you’ll want to set some sort of ground rule for what kinds of meetings are grounds for you heading into the office.
If you find yourself happier in a recently remote role, it’s worth considering if there is potential at your company to go fully remote. By communicating with your manager, you are not only sharing your wishes but also helping to create a company environment that normalizes remote work.
Simplicity Bryan is deeply entrenched in the worlds of self-help, gratitude, personal finance, and organization. She’s happiest paddleboarding with her pup and storytelling with a purpose. You can follow her here.
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