5 Ways to Remain Relevant When Working Remotely

How to stay relevant

A lot of people are still taking advantage of hybrid working, which has remained popular since the pandemic. This has created a number of challenges for people though, not least of which is how do you stay relevant and be noticed when you’re not in the office? You can’t accidentally/deliberately bump into someone in the lunch queue or ask someone for a quick coffee chat. You can’t keep swinging by that senior person’s desk to check they are there so that you can nonchalantly mention the great work you’re doing on your latest project.

So what can you can when working away from the office to thrive, not just survive?

1. Turn up to team meetings and events

It’s more important than ever, when you’re not in the office, to turn up to virtual team meetings and other group events. Don’t forget – out of sight, out of mind! Particularly if you are looking to get promoted, it’s really important to be seen.

Try also to engage in the group conversation. Find out in advance what the agenda is and offer to help or just make sure you speak up during Q&A or if the presenter asks a question of the group. Don’t dominate the conversation – everyone dislikes THAT person, especially senior people – but do try to contribute and be heard.

2. Offer to get involved in projects

Doubtless you’ll have your own work to do and specific client or internal projects that you are working on. As always, it’s important that you continue to work to the best of your abilities and don’t let things slip just because you’re working remotely. However, it is harder to get chosen for a senior person’s pet project or for something important that comes up last minute.

It’s opportunities like those that are incredibly valuable. If a senior person has something that needs doing, that’s important to them, you want to be the person helping to deliver it – it’s those kind of people we all remember when it comes to year end.

So when working remotely it’s a good idea to constantly remind people, particularly your senior stakeholders, that you’re always willing to help. Ask them what they are working on, show an interest, and end every conversation with a ‘well if you need any help, just give me a shout’.

3. Set up regular catch ups

You may be thinking that it’s all very well planning to offer to help, but how do you get in front of senior people when you can no longer just bump into them in the office? Well the answer is pretty simple – set up regular catch up meetings.

This shouldn’t be as daunting as it may sound. What may have felt like an imposition before, is no longer the case. Everyone understands that it’s difficult keeping in touch when working remotely. With my own team, it genuinely surprises me how few people have put regular catch up meetings in my diary – but it’s notable that it’s the people who are serious about getting promoted that have!

Make sure you’ve mapped out your stakeholders and have a plan for managing each of them. And part of that plan should be regularly keeping in touch with them.

4. Present yourself professionally

Take a bit of time to think about how you are presenting yourself whilst working remotely. Not everyone can have a dedicated home office or study, so don’t worry about that, but even if you are working at your kitchen table or on a foldaway table in your bedroom there’s steps you can take to look more professional.

Think about your background. I’ve seen all sorts – dirty washing in the background or people sitting in bed. It just doesn’t give the right professional impression. If there’s nothing you can do about your background, use one of the fake ones on MS Teams, or whichever video conferencing tech you’re using. There’s no excuse!

The work dress code has also gone out of the window recently. In the past people would often ‘dress for the job you want’ and pay attention to wearing clothing that reflects seniority and professionalism. This is less the case now. There aren’t many people wearing suits and office apparel whilst working from home. However that doesn’t mean you should stop paying attention to your appearance. Old tee shirts or football tops just doesn’t scream ‘I’m a professional, promote me’. Just as you would if you were going to the office, think about how you are presenting yourself and turn up accordingly.

5. Keep your video on

A really simple thing to do, but I’m surprised at the number of people who don’t see this as a common courtesy. If you’re in a meeting, BE in the meeting. If your video is off, others wonder if you’re still there or, worse, forget about you. Stay engaged and let people see your reactions and your attention – just like you would in a meeting in the office.

I’ve seen some people really take advantage of the trend for working from home, to change the way they are perceived and actually increase their visibility to stakeholders.