As workplace culture evolves and technology advances, remote work has emerged as one of the perks jobseekers request most often. And there are a lot of benefits to remote work, including reduced commute time, extra time with family, and more freedom and autonomy with daily responsibilities.
However, there are also some downsides to working remotely that candidates don’t always consider when evaluating job opportunities – and some of them can heavily impact your career growth potential. Here are four things to consider before taking on a remote role:
Limited Ability to Build Relationships
One of the main drawbacks to remote work is that it limits an employee’s ability to build strong professional relationships. While direct messaging and videoconferencing platforms can help meet basic communication needs, nothing can replace sharing physical space with your managers, peers, and direct reports when it comes to connecting in meaningful ways. From unplanned conversations in the break room, to the camaraderie of sharing an office space, to lunchtime meetings with a mentor who has been where you’re trying to go in your career, face-to-face interactions are a powerful way to grow relationships and further your career.
Challenges to Performance Excellence
While some jobs can be performed very effectively in a remote capacity, others are much more difficult to do successfully when you’re not physically in an office or on a job site. For example, many managers find it challenging to lead their teams effectively via phone, email, and video communications. If you’re not able to meet face to face with employees to check in on their progress and find ways to support them, inspect project results in person, and be present to engage with the daily activities of your team, it’s much harder to excel as a leader. In other cases, remote work isn’t logistically feasible because of the way a job needs to be done – builders on a construction site, for example, have to be physically present to do what the job requires. Trying to accomplish some jobs remotely can lead to confusion, missed opportunities, or a simple inability to do what needs to be done.
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
Because remote workers get less face time with their managers, they can fall victim to the “out of sight, out of mind” trap: When it comes time to promotions, high-profile projects, or stretch assignments, remote workers might get passed over in favor of their colleagues who work in the office every day. Just by having closer relationships and physical access to these opportunities, in-office workers have a better chance of being considered for them. On the flipside, if economic headwinds hit a company and tough choices have to be made, managers may decide to lay off remote workers first, rather than the employees they see every day.
Specialization at the Expense of Diversification
Working on an island at home allows you to do what you know – which is great, in a lot of ways. But it’s also very limiting. When you work around other people with different jobs and specialties, you get exposed to a wide variety of projects, approaches, and knowledge bases that you miss out on when you work remotely. When you’re faced with a challenge, you can bounce ideas off of people who can bring new perspectives you might not have considered. Having that access to experts in different areas and learning from other people can put you on another level when it comes to career growth, helping you broaden your experience instead of focusing solely on what you already do well.
If remote work isn’t an option due to the nature of your job, or if you decide it’s not the best way to grow your career, that doesn’t mean you can’t have any work-life balance. Plenty of companies are happy to offer flexibility when employees need to leave early or take long weekends for family events or personal needs, once those employees have established trust and reliability. So while remote work is a great option for some people, it’s not the only way to have a fulfilling career and take care of your personal life as well.
