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How to prove your value when working remotely

Feeling overlooked? Here are a few tricks for showing up, virtually

November 10, 2020 | By TEKsystems

Man on computer working

You’re efficient and you’re good at what you do—but sometimes it can feel that management isn’t noticing what you offer. Proving your value can be difficult during normal circumstances, let alone amid a pandemic where your entire workforce has gone remote. However, there are a few ways to get and stay noticed at work—whether you’re working remotely or in the office.

1. Meet the basic daily expectations

You’d be surprised how often people think they’re meeting expectations when they really aren’t. At the very basic level, be attentive to your phone, email and instant message throughout the day and respond in a realistic time frame. This shows that you’re a reliable and responsive member of the team, in or outside of your office building.

2. Challenge yourself to be better

Are there areas where you’d admit you’re not giving 100%? Challenge yourself to put more effort and energy into those areas. Some parts of your job may come more naturally to you than others. Inevitably there are aspects of your job that may not align to your core strengths. Being remote may give you more time during the day, which provides the opportunity to upskill and strengthen your capabilities. Regardless of whether a promotion is on the horizon, put more thought into the areas that don’t come as natural to you, and work at them. Give your manager occasional updates on how your endeavors are going.

3. Avoid workplace negativity—radiate positivity

It can be too easy to get caught up in work drama, bring personal drama into work or get sucked into others’ negativity. You don’t want to get noticed for the wrong reasons. Instead, look for opportunities to support your team members and praise their efforts in meetings. Get noticed for going the extra mile, putting in 110% effort or offering new ideas and thoughtful advice.

4. Be punctual and adaptable

Punctuality matters! Meeting deadlines, being on time for online meetings and managing your timelines ups your value and builds trust. If you’re in doubt about whether you’ll meet a deadline, just be transparent and open with your manager. Being upfront about your unexpected delay works wonders in your favour. In a similar vein, maintain your flexibility and be adaptable if there are adjustments, changes or an unexpected workflow hiccup—which will inevitably happen while everyone is remote. Being adaptable in an ever-evolving workplace is a desired quality in a valued employee.

5. Be present and engaged while in meetings

Focusing only on the meeting at hand might be the easiest way to impress your boss and colleagues. Try not to multitask—i.e., look at your phone, answer emails, respond to messages, talk to a friend or spouse in the same room, etc. At the very least, you’ll be able to ask questions and catch important bits of information that may slip by if you’re multitasking.

Bonus tip: Arrive to meetings a few minutes early, if you can. This gives you a chance to take part in the normal pre-meeting banter that usually happens during in-person meetings, providing an opportunity to build and maintain relationships with colleagues and get the scoop on what others are working on.

6. Praise yourself (but not too much!)

Be your No. 1 cheerleader. Let your manager know (in a subtle way) about your efforts and good results. If you won’t, who will? It’s ok to be proud and confident about your achievements but be careful not to cross the line into boasting. A quick mention or one-liner about your success here and there while speaking with your manager will get the job done.

7. Finally, keep a shout-out folder

Especially while all conversations are happening online right now, it’s important to save and categorise all your emails and conversations that happen at work, especially the ones that show you in a bright light. Besides the fact that you’ll be super organised, it’s helpful to have a folder on hand that highlights your professional successes. Remember to copy your manager whenever you or your team receives positive feedback and save that email for a rainy day when you need a confidence boost.