Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] You're listening to the remote mom collective podcast, where moms can find their stride in the remote work world. Whether you currently work remotely or you want to, you're in the right place.
[00:00:15] I'm Brittany the remote mom, and I've been working remotely since 2007. I became a mom in 2015, and there's a lot to learn. Together, we'll support, inspire, and empower each other on our journey to balance work, life, and motherhood from the comfort of our own homes or wherever we're working remotely. Together, let's redefine what it means to be a working mom. Let's support and inspire each other.
[00:00:47] Hi there. This is Brittany the remote mom. And welcome back to another episode of the Remote mom collective podcast. Today we're going to be talking about thriving in your career while working from home. So I've talked about this in the past where I did get in a position where I was not able to move up for a very long time, and this is something that is true. It can be hard to work remotely and get promoted. However, nowadays, where remote work is being more recognized and accepted, way more than it was even five years ago, there is definite opportunity to get promoted. So the idea of you're not going to get promoted if you work from home is not really true anymore. Employers can't really hold that over your head, and maybe they can in certain situations. But the thing is, is that if you are not promoting because you're not in an office, then maybe you're not working for the right company, and it might be time for you to look for something else. And I think that's the key here. So this kind of, this topic today actually was brought on by a post that I saw in Reddit. There's a group called LinkedIn Lunatics. And I scroll through Reddit. I don't post on there, but I definitely scroll through it and there's different topics that I follow.
[00:02:09] And there's this one called LinkedIn lunatics. And while I do not like making fun of people, it is rather interesting to see what a lot of folks are using LinkedIn for. Some people are kind of turning it into more facebook, which I don't really care. Whatever. It's your platform. Like, that's your name, that's your profile. Share what you want. I don't really care, to be honest with you. If this is the way that you want to be perceived professionally, then by all means, it's your right to be perceived that way professionally because LinkedIn is technically a professional platform. However, in this group, LinkedIn lunatics. A lot of posts are shared and people do go through and kind of roast people for some of their posts that they put on LinkedIn. And I came across one last night and it got me thinking, and I'm not going to say anybody's name. I don't want to recognize that person at all, good or bad, and it's just I'm not calling anybody out, but this is a theme that I've seen several times, so I definitely wanted to be sure to have something that addressed it and talked about it.
[00:03:15] So this is the post and I'm going to read it. It says, don't let work from home ruin your life and career. It is now very clear that if you work from home, your career is effectively over. You are not visible in the workplace, you are not improving your work related skills, you are not learning from more senior people about how to navigate and operate within a company. And so your value to a business has stalled. You are never going to get promoted, and your job has become nothing more than an hourly output per pound equation.
[00:03:49] Of course, that might suit you if you were in your fifties and just want to earn a bit of money on the side and get a better work life balance. But if you were in your twenties and thirties, work from home is an absolute death knell for your career.
[00:04:04] Work from home means that your personal development as a human being has effectively stalled too. If you are not spending time around people at work, you lose the ability to connect, interact, and to learn from them. This will cause you to go into a decline, and you will become increasingly isolated and introverted and possibly gain weight. Actually, excuse me, and probably gain a lot of weight. That's great for pharmaceutical companies who will happily sell you all kinds of weight loss products and antidepressants, but it is terrible for you as a person.
[00:04:36] So I'll just stop there on that post. There's a couple of things here that really irritate me.
[00:04:42] The thing is, yes, all of those things could be true, but working from home doesn't mean all of those things. Working from home doesn't mean that you're gonna gain weight. Working from home doesn't mean that you don't network. Working from home doesn't mean that you lose personal connection. Working from home doesn't mean that you're not collaborating with your bosses or your peers on a regular basis. So let's dig into this today, and we're going to talk about the myth that working from home means that your career is over and there is going to be an ed worksheet along with this episode that you can download, and it's basically just going to help you kind of flush out a plan just in case you do work from home and you are afraid that maybe in your current position at your current company is over. And then if it is, then it's time to probably look for a new company because you want to work for a company that promotes work from home and really thrives in it and to have to work. I'm so lucky to work for a company that is 100% work from home. The majority of the employees live in a specific area, but there are several of us that are dispersed elsewhere in the United States, and it is just so wonderful that we are all recognized, we are all working from home, so we're all in the same boat and everybody gets respect and doesn't get overlooked just because they're in a different state than where the majority of the employees are. So you do have to find the right organization and you do have to find a boss that is not like that person that posted what I just read to you. So let's dig into this a little bit.
[00:06:23] I want to share some data with you about how remote employees often outperform their in office counterparts. So in 2023, there was a study by Stanford University, and they found that remote workers are 13% more productive compared to office based employees. And I can actually speak to that. I will tell you, you know, I've been remote for a very long time, and when I was with a previous company, I would go to the office a couple times a year to do certain things. When we had in person meetings or if we had client meetings that we needed to be at, and I had to go to an office. And guys, whenever I would go to the office, I would get way less done than when I was at home. In my home office, there's more distractions. At an office. You have more people stopping by your desk asking you questions. There's more in person meetings that take longer. You're waiting on other people to do certain things.
[00:07:20] There's always something happening in the break room, whether it's a lunch being provided or there's somebody's birthday or somebody's having a discussion that's not work related. There's so many distractions. I was constantly distracted when I would go into an office. Now I will say part of that was because I wasn't regularly in an office and these were people that I didn't see face to face on a regular basis. So of course I wanted to spend a little bit more time with them in person. However, even people who worked full time in that office would tell me, yes, it's like this all the time. It's very hard to get work done. So that confirmation that you get more, that's confirmation from my personal experience that I definitely got way more work done when I worked from home. Not to mention I didn't have a commute to deal with in the morning and in the evening. So I was able to start work earlier if I had a project that was going on and I didn't have to cut time away from my work day to get in the car and drive home in traffic to make sure that I go pick up my daughter from daycare in time and that I don't have to leave at a specific time from my office to make sure that I can get to an appointment because I'm from home, I have more time to work. There are several surveys and studies that demonstrate higher levels of job satisfaction among remote workers. So employers may not be happy when you're working from home, but employees are so happy.
[00:08:51] In 2024, Gallup poll reported that 74% of remote workers feel more satisfied with their jobs, compared to 60% of on site workers.
[00:09:04] 74%. That's a big number, guys.
[00:09:08] Remote work can lead to higher employee retention. There's less turnover. Actually, according to a 2023 report by Owl Labs, companies with remote work options have a 25% lower turnover rate. 25% is a really big number. And that goes back to. If you've listened to other podcast episodes about my personal story, that's one of the reasons why I stayed with the same company for so long. Not only were the people that I worked with amazing, and they felt like family, and maybe it was the job itself that I didn't particularly love in the particular situation, but I worked for that company for so long because it was remote. And with my lifestyle of being a military spouse and moving every two and a half years, that was the best decision, career wise for me to stay with that company. I didn't go anywhere for a very, very, very long time, as did many of the other employees.
[00:10:07] They remained at that company for a really long time. And a lot of it. The main factor was because it was remote. So there are several companies out there that have moved to fully remote, and we all know that the pandemic was the start of the remote revolution, I guess, or whatever you want to call it.
[00:10:28] And we had companies finally realizing, yes, people can get stuff done and collaborate effectively and work with no issues. If we're all remote, we can get rid of all of these operating expenses, having an office, all of these different things because. And save money and be able to reallocate it somewhere else, maybe to employee appreciation, to keep your employees happy. That's part of having a healthy company, is making sure that you have happy and healthy employees.
[00:10:57] There are companies like GitLab. It's fully remote. And since they've been fully remote, they've had significant growth and innovation.
[00:11:07] Automatic is the parent company of WordPress. They operate entirely remotely, and they've scaled its business globally. And it's all remote, guys. It's doable. You just have to have the right mindset, and you have to have that leadership who is willing to overlook these old stereotypes of, oh, the remote workers working from home and they're watching tv and they're, you know, going to the mall and they're going to target and they're not. And maybe they are right. But the fact of the matter is, if they're getting their work done, then who cares what they're doing as long as they're getting their work done and they're meeting their project deadlines and they're on team calls and they're collaborating.
[00:11:51] I used to tell people, like, I don't care if you're on the moon. Like, I don't care where you work, I don't care where you are, as long as you're showing up for what I ask you to show up for, and you're getting your stuff done, and you're reaching or exceeding all goals. Come on, who cares?
[00:12:07] I'm not your babysitter. I'm not your mom.
[00:12:10] Remote employees can, and they do receive promotions. I have received promotions. I have advanced my career working remotely. There's companies like buffer. Remote workers regularly move up the career ladder now. There are things that you can do to stay visible. It can be easy as a remote employee to kind of fade into the background, be a wallflower. And for introverts, I can understand it can be really overwhelming and not that comfortable to maybe speak up on big team calls, and I totally understand that. But there are ways that you can stand out separately where you're not talking to a big group of people on a Zoom call and it doesn't feel like you're in the spotlight. Just go above and beyond on your work, and you can shine in other ways that aren't speaking out on a team call.
[00:13:07] You can take on initiatives. You can have a project idea and say, you know what? I think this could really benefit the company. Talk to your boss, tell them that you're working on a project, maybe present it to just your boss and they can help you share it with the company. Those kinds of there are ways for you to stay relevant. Even if you don't feel comfortable talking in a big group of people, constantly upgrade yourself. Take extra certification courses. If your company offers career advancement courses and, you know, not refunds, but provides funds for you to contribute to your educate, your continuing education, then definitely take advantage of that and up level your skills. Because if you're working for the right company, then they are going to want to see you excel and they're going to want you to stay working for them. It's so much easier to retain an employee than to hire a new one, and it's less expensive to retain a current employee. So if your company is the right company and they understand all of these things, then you will promote. I think the key here is you just have to find the right company. And if you're in the position where you are being overlooked no matter what you do and it doesn't feel good anymore, then it is time for you to look for another opportunity. And the great news is that in this world right now, and the way that it's moving, more remote work is more and more and more recognized and accepted. And I feel like there's way more of those that are pro remote work than there are that are not. And I feel like those who are not remote work either haven't done it since the pandemic, or there are people who just have bad assumptions because maybe they had a really bad experience with somebody working remotely who didn't actually get their work done. So unfortunately, if you have a bad experience with one thing, you're of course going to stereotype it and think that that's what everybody is like. So a bad experience can ruin everything, even if it's just with one person. So keep that in mind as you're communicating with people. Or maybe your current employer just really isn't into remote work and they're trying to get you to come back in the office, or they're trying to convince you that in person work is better. And I will say this, there are specific projects that do need in person meetings. I totally get that. I also want to address the visibility and how you're not going to be noticed and you lose. What did this person say? Something about losing who you are or forgetting how to be. Oh, here we go. Your personal development as a human being has been effectively stalled too. If you are not spending time around people at work, lose the ability to connect, to interact and learn from them. My assumption here is that this person, and I know nothing about this person, their age, their experience. My assumption here is they don't do anything outside of work, like work is their life, and so they're associating all personal connections to work. And that's fine, that's their experience. But my experience is I've always been volunteering. I'm always out in the community. There are ways that you can connect with other human beings in real life and work from home. So if you are volunteering, if you have children and you are a part of the neighborhood mom's group, and you walk three times a week, that is a personal connection. If you have friends that you see in real life, that is a personal connection. So I don't. That's baloney. That whole, you lose the personal connection and that's. That's a. That's stupid. I'm sorry. Yes, you probably lose the professional aspect of it, but if you feel like you're losing it, then join a professional networking group and meet up with them once a month whenever they have their coffee meetups. There's an easy fix to that. I think another way that you can keep your personal connection is stay active on LinkedIn, attend webinars, interact with other people, do live virtual events. There are so many things that you can do, and really, the whole thing is you have to do it. When, as I'm talking this out, I feel like this person who posted this is somebody who feels like employers should tell their employees to do things all the time and should provide direction all the time. And they might have, I would suspect, mandatory fun meetings that you have to go to, and mandatory team building activities, which is great. I love those things. But for some people, that's not their jam. And this person probably requires those kinds of things and thinks that it's creating teamwork, and in reality it's just making the employees very unhappy. So just keep that in perspective. When people talk badly about work from home, it's likely because they've had a bad experience with it personally, and that's why they have it in a bad light. You know, that's why we think poorly of certain experiences. If you have a bad experience with it personally, then you're not going to like it. But there are certain places that I don't like going because I've had bad experiences there and other people may love it. So it's all personal preference. I'm not dogging this person. I'm just talking about my experience from work, from home and the data and the statistics and the general public loves work from home, and it makes people happier and more productive, and it makes us want to stay as employees. If you are working for a company and you feel like you are being overlooked for a promotion because you are remote, I would look at the company as a whole. Are there other remote employees? Are they getting promoted? Are they getting recognized? And I'm not talking about having a powwow and collecting all the remote employees and compare notes with what's happening. I'm not saying that. Just maybe have a conversation with somebody else and see if their concerns align with yours. And if they do, then maybe there's something to bring up to management and say, look, we're noticing that the remote employees have not been promoted up at all, and you're bringing in people who live near the headquarters for these kinds of leadership roles. And we're just curious as to why we are not being promoted or are we even being considered, or is there a way that we can be considered? And then if there's no action from the employer and they tell you, well, it's because you work remotely, then that's your cue to look for something else. And there are ways for you to find other remote opportunities in leadership roles. And we've talked about that on other episodes, and there will be more episodes on digging into those specific topics on how to find a remote position.
[00:19:59] But utilize any tools that you have that your company has provided to enhance your education and then do more for yourself to help you be more marketable and connect and network, network, network so that you can get out of the current situation that you're in. So that you can work for a company that promotes remote workers. If you communicate with your employer and your boss that you have a concern about remote workers being promoted, make sure you voice that concern first and ask the question first without assuming. If you don't have clear performance metrics and goals to showcase your productivity and achievements, make sure you have that with your boss so that you can come to the table and say, look, this is what I've done. I'm ready to move up to the next level. You need to be having these conversations with your boss anyway. And if you aren't, then you need to ask to have these conversations to show that you want career growth and not that you're not just somebody who, let's see, to go back to this quote here, just want to earn a bit of money on the side and get a better work life balance. Yeah, no, I don't think we all, I think we all want a work life balance, but we don't want, quote unquote, a little money on the side. Now, if it is time for you to leave your current employer because there are no opportunities, because it is determined that they really aren't hiring or not hiring, they really aren't promoting people who work remotely, then, then it's time to look for another role. And I would highly recommend that you start building those skills that make you marketable. So I'm talking volunteer and get volunteer experience, leading groups, leading teams. If you're, if there's a specific topic that you're interested in, volunteer in it first. We're going to have a whole podcast episode upcoming about volunteering and how that can turn into remote work opportunities. So definitely get out there and volunteer to help sharpen some of your skills. And you never know. That could potentially lead to a remote career where you could move up. You want to hone in on those skills that maybe you need a little bit more experience in based on your meetings with your manager to help you get to the next level at a different company. So utilize free courses. LinkedIn has some great courses on available to LinkedIn users and most of them are free. Well, are all, they all free? I don't know. A lot of them are free. There are several certification courses that are great and they're not that expensive for you to invest your time in. And then part of those courses, you actually get like a network of people to connect with and then you get shared jobs. So there are ways that you can get out of the current situation you're in. Just know that you aren't stuck. There are ways to get out. If you do need to move to another company that values remote workers and that promotes work.
[00:22:53] Oh, my gosh. And that promotes remote workers. So definitely, always, always, always keep educating yourself and keep getting better because that's what makes you earn these skills, to make you more marketable, to find another job so that you can get promoted. Let's wrap this up, guys. But bottom line, remote work can lead to a successful and a fulfilling career. And it is not the end of the road. It is not a cog in the machine. You are not somebody who just wants to work for the hours. If you want to advance in your career, it is very possible with remote work. So don't listen to these naysayers out there. They're going to be people out there. And the reason why they're naysaying is because they don't like it, because that's what employees are demanding, and they're having a hard time filling roles because people are wanting work from home. So keep looking. It's out there. If there are any listeners out there who have successfully promoted or you're currently working on getting promoted and you work remotely, please share that story with me. I'd love to have you on the podcast so we can talk about steps that you took and challenges that you had so that you can share your story with other listeners who might be going through the same thing. I also want you to download the supplemental worksheet along with this podcast episode. So if you scroll down in the show notes, there's a link to a doc that you can fill out, and then it's a PDF that you can download and print, or you can just write the questions down on a piece of paper and answer them. And it's made to help you understand what your strengths are to make you more marketable so that you can find a role that allows you to promote up to the next level.
[00:24:37] I think that's it for today, guys. Thank you so much for listening to the remote mom collective podcast. I hope you have a wonderful day, whatever day it may be. And as we always say here at the remote mom collective, being different makes a difference. Let's support and inspire each other.
[00:24:58] It.
