For over a year now, many of us made a partial or full transition to remote working. This is especially challenging for those who have started a new job remotely during this time. It can be daunting when you’re starting off in a new work environment and not know how things get done.
Do not let this prevent you from searching for new jobs, especially if you are not happy in your current role. Here are some challenges that you can expect when joining a company remotely, and how to overcome those challenges.
Avoiding a habit of overworking
When working remotely, you may find the difficulty in drawing that line between work and home life. This is where you need to remember that you do not have to burn yourself out just to be recognized by your company. Remember that long term success requires a healthy boundary between work and your life outside of that. Exerting all your energy into work every day will eventually tire your senses and dull your motivation.
It is more important now than ever before to be mindful of keeping that balance because in the past, you could still separate work from home depending on if you are at the office or not. Now, that work and home is just the same place, you need to set limits on work and play. Make sure you collaborate with your team when you can and take a breather from time to time.
Getting to know your colleagues
Gone are the days where we can have in-person interactions with others in the office to understand the team dynamics, work environment, and company culture. Those companies that have developed strong virtual onboarding for new staff members allowed for these interactions and experiences to happen (even if it means behind screens).
Even though it is not ideal and at times feel difficult to truly fit in, you must put in that extra effort to get that face time with the team and fill up your schedule to meet with everyone. You may engage in casual conversation from time to time or check in and see how their day has been going. Try not to get too caught up in just doing work and take a moment to get to know everyone and give them a chance to get to know you. This way, you’ll start to fit into the team before you know it.
Understanding the dynamic your role plays with your colleagues
When you are in isolation, it is hard to see the big picture and how your role fits into the overall team. Even with the accessibility of virtual meetings, your colleagues can still feel so far away, the overall goals and objectives might not be clear to you, and you may find yourself focused on just completing your own tasks not knowing how it fits into it all.
From the get-go, you must ensure you know not only your role, but the role of every team member that your work may involve. Schedule time to meet with managers and colleagues, from your own team and cross-functional teams, on a regular basis and engage in discussion and progress updates. If you are joining an ongoing project, make sure you ask questions about what has been done so far so you are up to speed. Be sure to you are included in all meetings and chain emails / messages on all conversations revolving your work.
Uncertainty for the future
The reality is that there is still a lot of uncertainties about the future. Will the way we work return to how they used to be? How will remote work be viewed by companies now that we’ve been doing it for over a year? More importantly, what is the future looking like for your career and job security?
These are some of the biggest factors as to why someone may not look to change jobs at this time. But if you have been noticing indicators that it is time to leave your current employer, remember that there are ways to overcome these hurdles at your next company. Stepping out of your comfort zone is how you can continue to grow.
It is possible to start a new job remotely, and still be successful. Starting a new job is a very exciting new chapter in your life and you should not let remote working sway your decision to make a change. You just need to take extra effort to know the team, ask many questions, and find what works for you to balance your work with home.
Contact us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you find new opportunities for the next step in your career!