How to Stay Visible While Working Remotely
Sarah Connell • Feb 08, 2021

Stay Visible While Working Remotely


​As the working remotely revolution gathers pace during Ireland’s third lockdown, more and more professionals are seeing the value and benefits from working remotely. However, as more people work from home, we’re hearing similar concerns from many candidates –


“How do I stay top of mind when I’m working remotely?”, "Am I missing something important?", "Do people actually think I'm working?".


These are all very valuable and important questions. So, it seems that working remotely has this one great drawback for a lot of people – you aren’t as visible to your colleagues and managers.


Regardless of whether your company has always had remote work policies in place or those details are still being refined ­– visibility is still crucial to your success.


Not being physically present with your team and managers can have its consequences. It means you must be a bit more calculated about putting yourself out there, promoting your achievements and those of your team members, and also communicating what your team is doing with the rest of the company.

So yes, some people are naturally good at advertising their successes and also making meaningful connections, even virtually. 


However, others might need a bit of help in this department. Especially more so now, when they are working from home and they may be feeling a bit disconnected from the rest of the company. 


It’s important to remember, you don’t have to prove your worth by working more, longer hours and then burning yourself out. You just need to focus on promoting your team, yourself, and your results the right way that feels authentic to your own nature.


So, how do you get yourself seen by your team and senior leaders when you're always behind your computer? Well, we have put together some suggestions on how you can become more visible at your company while working remotely.


Get on video


One of the temptations of working remotely is that you might not necessarily be seen by your colleagues through-out the day (hello there slippers and gym pants!). However, this can back-fire. A few audio meetings now and again are fine. But you should opt for video meetings where possible. Otherwise, you’re out of sight, out of mind. 


If you want to be seen and work remotely successfully, you will need to start stepping out from behind your computer. And with the growth of video conferencing systems, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Skype, you are now able to remain present and engaged with your colleagues throughout the day. This will also allow you to pick up on non-verbal signs that may have been missed otherwise.


Ensure you communicate wins for you and your team


When you’re not visible at your company, it means any accomplishments (big or small!) might appear less obvious, or even unseen.


To ensure you, your team and your manager are all on the same page, you should regularly fill them in on your progress, projects, and anything you’ve been working on. Remember to communicate both wins and failures – this is vital. It will help build your relationships with your team and manager, while also ensuring your work isn’t flying under the radar.


You should acknowledge your team for their great work during meetings, in emails, and over internal company chats. A small word of praise goes a long way. Furthermore, it shows other people in the company what your team is accomplishing. You can share stories about how your team overcame certain roadblocks, how they solved particular problems, how they showed they were living by the company values, how they helped out other team members, and so on. Doing this puts your leadership on display and positions your team as high-performers, while also providing useful tips, advice, and information to others in the company. 


Be Social – Participate in outside work activities 


When working from home it can be really easy to get lost in your work and forget to make time to connect with your colleagues, particularly when you don’t see them every day.


So be social! Get involved in your companies virtual book club, master chef, step challenges, virtual games – or start something completely new that reflects who you are outside the office.


Reminding people of who you are outside the office can keep you front and centre in your colleagues’ minds. Plus it can be fun and help you bond with colleagues you wouldn't know otherwise. Any effort you make to be memorable with your team will go a long way and enhance your visibility.


Speak up and participate during meetings


We’re all well aware by now that remote meetings can be a bit bedlam at times. It’s difficult to know if someone has finished their sentence or if they have just simply paused to take a breath, leading you or someone else to start talking over the other person! Or the famous quote from 2020 – “you’re on mute”!


However, besides accidentally interrupting someone, speaking up during remote meetings helps your visibility and your presence being felt in the workplace. Ensure you sound confident, express your opinions, and push yourself a little outside your comfort zone if needs be.


Make an effort to proactively reach out 


A lot of conversations in an office aren’t actually about work. But these day-to-day discussions and interactions are so vital and valuable as it helps to build rapport between colleagues.


Set yourself a target every week to touch base with a few colleagues. These should be “soft touches” such as asking them how they’re doing, if there’s anything you can do to support them, or just sending them a useful resource. Use your companies instant messenger or schedule video calls to help maintain your relationships with colleagues. This will help ensure you're an active contributor to what goes on within your team and organisation as much as anyone else.


Conclusion – Navigating Remote Work


Gaining visibility while working remotely can certainly be challenging, but it can also be incredibly beneficial to your career success.


You can help yourself gain this visibility by planning, making a conscious effort, and perhaps putting yourself out there a bit more. By making a few of these small changes to your working day, you can be seen more visibly by your colleagues every day.


And remember, even if you love the hermit lifestyle of working remotely, you still need to make your presence known in your company in order to work effectively, be liked and respected by colleagues, and ensure you flourish in your remote role.


Want more career advice like this? Check out all our blogs here or subscribe to our email list below. And have a read of our Essential Tips for Working Remotely Successfully Blog!

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