Remote employees fear a proximity bias on the part of managers who would favor on-site employees. However, it is perfectly possible to have a remote career.
There is no doubt that the fear exists, as confirmed by a LinkedIn survey published on November 3rd. Yes, many employees (4 out of 10) believe that teleworking can have an impact on their career development. Among them, 85% consider this impact negative.
The reason for this is the distance. Employees think that the managers would favor those who regularly work at their office. This sentiment is also highlighted by the talent platform Beamery. Some 48% of the 5,000 Beamery Talent Index workers surveyed between August and September felt that having significantly reduced the amount of time spent with their bosses had hindered their career path. This impression is particularly prevalent among Generation Z employees, 66% of whom feel this way.
Making yourself visible when working remotely
Is a remote career impossible? Of course, with remote working there is no regular face-to-face meeting, no after-work happy hours to strengthen the bonds with the team, no lunch between colleagues to discuss the latest rumours and new promotion opportunities. However, friends, nothing is lost by any means. You can work remotely and make yourself visible.
You don't necessarily need to be physically close to others to have the quality of your work recognized and to make a career in remote work. In this context, participation in online meetings becomes fundamental. This is where remote workers will interact with their on-site colleagues and their manager. This is an opportunity to gain visibility. In this context, to bring out the best in you, preparation remains fundamental.
- Determine how and why your contribution can be enriching
- Prepare your comments
- Ask the right questions
In short, it is a question of acting in such a way as to show colleagues the essential role that you play within the organization.
When Slack replaces the coffee machine
But social interaction within a company does not stop and we know that many careers also owe much to informal exchanges around the coffee machine. No such configuration at a distance? That's no problem. It is quite simply possible to create the equivalent. All you have to do, for example, is open a Slack channel dedicated solely to this type of discussion.
This can help hybrid teams connect with both on-site and telecommuting employees and keep up to date with career opportunities within the company. Proactively seeking contact with managers and colleagues is therefore a must for the remote employee, who must therefore master the digital communication technologies. And if not, it will be necessary to acquire the skills that will enable them to improve their performance. In short, one should never miss an opportunity to show that one is an essential part of the team.
The fear of a managerial bias in favor of local employees is well-founded. According to another LinkedIn survey, 32% of company managers fear the appearance of this so-called "proximity bias ". For Esther Ohayon, director of communications at LinkedIn France, "employees should not feel that they have to choose between flexible working and a promotion. It is important that companies create a working environment that meets individual needs and is fair and inclusive to all".
Future of Work
Of course, these problems become non-existent when you work for a fully distributed company, such as (coincidentally) Jobgether. As Emilie Schario, a data engineer at Gitlab, notices (in a testimonial for doist.com), "Getting promoted while working remotely really depends on how remote your company is. GitLab is a fully remote organization with over 700 folks around the world, so getting promoted wasn’t difficult at all. In previous jobs, I was the only person who worked remotely. In those cases, I felt very forgotten by my employer ".
As teleworking is set to grow, the processes in place in full remote organizations are sure to inspire hybrid companies. Including in the area of remote careers. The future of work is being built now.