How To Get Noticed For a Promotion When Working Remotely

Until recently, everyone was working from home, and there was an even playing field when it came to getting noticed. However, when the new federal vaccine mandate goes into effect from Jan 2022, employees will have to start working from the office again, either full-time or in a hybrid working module.

So, where does that leave people who work in a fully remote setup?

As of 2021, around 18% of people worldwide work entirely remotely full-time. While there are definitely some perks - like skipping the early morning traffic on your commute and not having to worry about what to wear every single day, there's also a downside.

While you might be working hard, exceeding expectations and meeting all your goals, and more - It may be difficult for your boss or manager to track your progress? Advancing in your career can be difficult without being physically in contact with top management.

According to a recent study, close to 38% of remote workers did not receive a bonus and were less likely to get promoted in a virtual workforce. So if you want to get noticed, get the praise and promotions you deserve while working remotely, you have to make sure you and your work are seen and heard. And you have to do all of this without sounding arrogant or in need of constant praise to do your work.

Fortunately, we've put together some tips and pointers to help you stand out even while working in a remote work environment and get the promotion that you rightfully deserve.

Create a Strong Network

Like working in-office, networking is critical for people to notice you. However, it can be tough to build a rapport with your team when you're not working together in the same space and are working across zip codes and continents. Here are a couple of ways you can build a stronger relationship with your remote colleagues -

Express Gratitude

Everyone likes to feel appreciated, especially in a remote setup where it's twice as hard to get noticed for a job well done. Therefore, make sure to show your gratitude to colleagues that helped you, however small.

You can even go further and mention how they helped you during your next group meet. It's a small gesture, but one that will stay with them, and the next time they notice you doing a good job, we guarantee you they'll be the first person to give you a shoutout. And having someone else compliment your work is always much better than blowing your own horn.

Participate in Group Activities

In an office environment, people bond after hours by going out for a drink or a nice meal. However, it can be hard to build a strong bond in a remote company where people are rarely in the same city. And we get it; no one wants to sit glued to a screen after an already tiring day.

However, it's essential to connect with your colleagues beyond work. It's also important to have regular meetups and chats that are not work-related to create a meaningful relationship.

Some companies already have activities to engage with co-workers. For example, at Wishup, we have regular Friday night group activities - games, quiz nights, or even something as simple as watching a movie or hosting a music night! If your company doesn't have a group engagement activity yet, you can initiate one and earn yourself some extra brownie points.

Seek out a Mentor

Mentorship is crucial to growing in any career field, and working remotely is no exception. Find someone who can guide you and give you solid advice and feedback, to help you grow better at your job.

It could be your manager or any senior-level employee experienced with managing remote employees. Ideally, look for someone who can introduce you to more people within the industry and help you with any opportunities that may come your way.

While in-person meetings might not be possible, you could schedule regular video calls and still manage to build a solid relationship with them.

Work on Upskilling

Working from home saves you hundreds of hours being stuck in traffic and tiring commutes. So instead, use that time effectively to learn and acquire new skills to help you grow professionally. While some companies have internal workshops, seminars, and courses, it's your responsibility to put in the time and effort in your own time as well.

There are a lot of great platforms that have both free and paid courses to help you up your game - some of my top picks are Coursera and edX.

Take Initiatives and Ask for More Responsibility

Another great way to learn new skills and show initiative in your company is to volunteer to help out in other departments as much as possible. Of course, you always have your plate full with your responsibilities, but working with other teams will help you increase your knowledge, discover new interests, and expand your network.

Ask your manager to put you on some company-wide projects, or take the initiative and identify areas of your company that could use improvement and propose new projects with which the company could benefit. When it comes to remote work, you need to take every opportunity that comes your way or create new opportunities for yourself.

Be Clear With Your Goals

A great way to keep your manager aware of your progress and keep yourself accountable is to keep them informed of your intentions and goals in the company.

Let them know your goals for the year and how you plan to achieve them. This way, they will check all your progress. That will also help you stay more motivated since you know someone is tracking your performance. Additionally, you can schedule weekly/monthly meetings with your manager to discuss the progress of your goals.

When discussing a promotion, your manager will make a better decision since they were actively involved in your career development.

Keep a Record of Your Progress

In a large company that's fully remote, it's often difficult for managers to keep track of everyone's performance. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it yourself.

Create a weekly ritual of noting down things you accomplish, goals you met, and everything else that happened in that workweek, including areas where you feel you could've done better. That will help you have precise points to discuss when the time for appraisals or promotions comes up and help you understand where you are lacking and how you can better yourself.

You can also use this time to note down ideas you have for your department and business and suggest them to your seniors when the opportunity arises.

Play to Your Strengths

It's challenging to stand out in a team where everyone is doing an exceptional job and twice as hard in a remote setting because you don't get any face-time with senior management.

One way to stand out is to play to your strengths. Find out what is unique about you and your work style that only you can bring to the table. For example, you may be great at organizing, so you can take the initiative to organize meetings or other events. You could also be great at presentations, so make sure to volunteer to create the presentations whenever there's a big client pitch.

It will show management that you are trustworthy and can handle responsibility. You'll also be the first person they think of the next time there's an important presentation to be made.

Raise The Question

You've built your network, shown the initiative, and taken on more responsibility than you should. You also kept a record of all the good stuff you've achieved at your job and are on good terms with your mentor. So what's next?

Sometimes you need to take the first step to initiate the conversation about a promotion or a raise. Make sure to ask your manager when would be a good time to schedule a meeting with them.

Additionally, be prepared with your intentions - what exactly will you ask for, a raise or promotion? If you're asking for a raise, how much? What exactly would you like to add to your list of daily responsibilities if it's a promotion?

Also, make sure you have a document or presentation to show for small the work you've done to deserve this raise/promotion. If a presentation is not ossicle, be sure to send your manager your updated resume with all your recent accomplishments.

Go after the recognition and advancement you deserve.

Remote working does require you to go the extra mile to get noticed, but the reward is worth it. Grow your network, track your progress, look for challenges and opportunities, and keep advancing your skills, and you're guaranteed to grow successfully in your career.

If you want to grow in your professional career, register today to get hired as a virtual assistant with Wishup by clicking here or dropping us a mail at [email protected].