How to Get Promoted When Working From Home

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Working from home has increased dramatically as a result of people needing to work from home during the COVID19 pandemic. It even became popularised with the hashtags #WFH and #workingfromhome

Many companies saw the benefits this could bring and enabled more people to work from home - some on a short term basis, but some companies set this in place as a long term strategy reducing their costs for office space, whilst improving the work life balance for many by reducing commuting time, etc.

Despite the many advantages, many people fear they could miss out on promotion. By not being in the office their value is less likely to be seen and recognised.

As they are working from home they can be out of sight and out of mind in the promotion stakes.

For those fearing the lack of promotion, there are a few ways in which it is possible to overcome these issues and ensure you have the best chance of promotion at work.

Hints & tips to get promoted when working from home

There are a number of things that can be done to make sure that you do not miss out on promotion even when you are working from home.

The ideas are really straightforward, but need to be kept in mind to ensure you do not miss out on promotion when working from home.

• Keep in contact with your boss:   When working from home, it is very easy to work away diligently, but not have your work recognised. Sadly, if you are not seen by your boss, you will naturally tend to remain in mind as much as if you talked in his / her office each day, or met in the corridor, etc.

  When working from home, it is essential to stay in contact, not only with your boss, but also others around. Ensure you get included in the office meetings, and it is also worth arranging meetings to ensure that you stay properly in contact. In this way they will not lose contact and let your value be forgotten.

  However, there is a balance between making sure you are not forgotten and hounding people. try to read the signs to see if you are over-doing the contact, but typically appear at meetings and possibly a catch-up with your boss once a week. At these meetings try to subtlety let hm know how much you have achieved, the initiatives you have instigated, and ideas for the future, etc. In this way your boss will know you are providing value for money, etc.

  You can keep in contact with your boss in a variety of ways: email; phone call; video call. These different methods can be used appropriately, and by using them all, you are less likely to be seen as hounding your boss.

• Look professional when you are on virtual meetings:   While we tend to relax when we are at home, it pays to look professional when on virtual meetings. Take the cue from your boss - look at how he dresses and try to be at least as smart.

  Normally the dress code is smart casual as nobody expects you to wear a suit at home, although there may just be some occasions where a very smart look may be needed.

• Ensure your Wi-Fi & broadband work well:   Broadband and Wi-Fi performance are very important when it comes to working from home. If they are not up to scratch, then it will give a poor impression, and will certainly not reflect well on your performance. Poor connectivity will mean that you won't be able to communicate as well, and this could have an impact on your promotion prospects.

  It is worth looking at the best ways of ensuring that your broadband and Wi-Fi performance are up to scratch.

  Note on getting the best Wi-Fi performance:

  There are several different steps that can be taken to ensure the best performance is obtain from Wi-Fi at any given time, both in the set-up and later by using it in the best way.

  Read more about getting the best Wi-Fi speed & performance.

• Have the right work environment for meetings:   There are many different pointers for creating a good impression during meetings by having the right environment for your virtual meeting.

  • Have a good background:   When in a virtual meeting with other professionals, it helps to have a background that also looks professional. Normally an uncluttered wall, or other suitable background is good. Don't show a bedroom, or a cluttered living area. Something that looks neat and professional is ideal. If this is not possible, the some virtual conferencing solutions offer the possibility of adding a suitable background and this can provide a second best solution if needed.

  • Eye level camera:   If possible have the camera at or around eye level. Often people using laptops tend to be above the camera, and not only do they look down onto the camera which can send the wrong body language message, but also people tend to see under your chin rather than a straight on image.

  • Lighting:   Try not to have a window behind you as you will be backlight and people will tend to see a silhouette. Instead have a window in front of you if possible, or use other lighting to make sure you are nicely light.

  • Noisy & busy environment:   While you may love your children and pets, try not to have them making a noise that can be heard during a virtual call or conference. Also try to keep them off screen as this will not present the professional image you want.

  These are just a few ideas to try to ensure that you have the right environment for virtual meetings as this can help portray a professional image and this can help in making people think you are more suitable for promotion.

• Let you boss know how much you are doing:   This has to be achieved carefully as it could easily be seen as boasting, but it is always useful to let your superiors know how much you are doing. This can be subtly dropped into conversation or discussion. If they don't know what you are doing, then you will not be a candidate for promotion.

• Make proposals for improvements:   If you are seen as being proactive, then this always goes down well. Bosses like people who can run themselves and also make proposals rather than just being told what to do. Make proposals when they are appropriate and se how you can carry them through.

• Appraisals:   When working from home it can be easy for meetings like appraisals to be forgotten. These are ideal times to discuss your career progression and even ask to be considered for promotion.

  While you do not want to be continually asking for promotion, if done properly, at the appropriate time and not too often, it can help put your case and also show your manager that you are keen to progress, and this should benefit the company.

These few ideas help you stay in contact with your work team and also show those who need to know, the value you provide to the business. This will help them understand that you are a candidate for being promoted even though you are working from home.

In summary, many of the ideas and concepts for putting yourself in the best position to be promoted are similar to those that you need to use for getting promoted when working in the office. A lot of it boils down to being someone who is easy to work with and someone who gets results.

Often managers need tactful reminders that you would like to be considered for promotion as the job in hand can often take priority. However most managers will respect you if you tactfully ask to be concerned for promotion, and will understand that you are someone who has courage and conviction if you ask.

  Written by Ian Poole .
  Experienced electronics engineer and author.

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