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Remote Work Could Lead To a Remote Chance of Promotion

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a woman sitting at a desk having a work video chat meeting on her laptop

Today’s career professionals prioritize a healthy work-life balance, and remote work is a key part of the formula. Yet pushing for remote work could trigger an unfortunate outcome—that worker could miss out on promotions, raises and much-needed mentorships.

But the missed promotions could really stick in a career professional’s craw.

A case in point: more than a quarter of career professionals tracked by United Culture who work remotely at least some of the time say they’ve been passed over for promotions and advancement opportunities because they work at home.

Is the evidence strong enough to dissuade workers aspiring to the C-suite from showing up at the office? Here’s a closer look.

Remote work can lead to missed opportunities, particularly for networking and visibility.

“Without in-person interactions, professionals may have fewer chances to connect casually with colleagues or demonstrate leadership skills directly, which can impact career growth if managers don’t prioritize inclusivity for remote workers,” says Joshua M. Evans, a workplace expert, bestselling author and TEDx curator in San Diego.

Evans recalled one career professional, a mid-level business development manager for a small manufacturing company, who was offered the option of continuing to work fully remote or to transition to a hybrid role and spend three days a week in the office.

“He chose to continue working remotely as we enjoyed the relaxed schedule and lack of commute,” Evans says. “However, when one of his peers was promoted to director, ‘Jim’ felt slighted and inquired about the decision.”

The manager was told the person receiving the promotion was well-liked across all departments and was committed to the organization’s growth. “The remote manager’s desire for remote work had made his contributions less visible to management and cost him a promotion,” Evans says.

Remote work is both a great opportunity for companies to offer employees unprecedented flexibility and a hurdle to business success when not handled correctly.

“Successful remote work needs to be supported by a lot of systems to combat proximity bias, ensure effective communication and build a sense of community and loyalty, and the truth is not every company can pull it off,” says Corina Ocanto, vice president of workplace strategy at Stream Realty Partners.

Remote work can lead to missed opportunities, but Ocanto says the “work at home”
lifestyle is likely not a root cause.

“The real issue here is actually proximity bias, where people naturally favor those who are in front of or near them versus those who are distant,” she notes. “If missed opportunities are happening in a remote organization, chances are they were also going to happen in an in-person setting.”

Ocanto says some companies are reporting employees are “OK” with missing out on some promotions in exchange for remote work. “

“That alone should clearly illustrate the importance of flexibility,” she adds.

Workers in their 50s and 60s may be taking an undue risk by insisting on remote-only work.

“Older workers’ main strengths are their broad expertise and ability to influence company culture, such as through mentorship,” says Justina Raskauskiene, HR team lead at Omnisend, an SaaS company based in Charleston, South Carolina. “These qualities are typically harder to demonstrate remotely, so I think that it poses a challenge for older remote colleagues.”

Other experts say workers of all ages need to coordinate with their company’s culture if their aim is to ascend to executive.

“Irrespective of age, workers need to be sensitive to their culture, understand what is expected, and align with those guidelines and realities,” says Meryl Rosenthal, chief executive officer at FlexPaths, a human capital consultancy in New Jersey. “This may not be the point to push given what older employees face in the workplace.”

Do companies risk ruining morale or driving remote-oriented talent to seek new work? It’s complicated, workplace gurus say.

“To favor or prioritize employees based on physical location is a form of bias, which has no place in a healthy workplace environment,” says Grace Ewles, director HR research and advisory services at McClean & Company. “Organizations must ensure decisions related to rewards, recognition and career mobility are valid, fair and equitable, no matter the employee’s work model.”

Ewles says organizations must have clearly defined criteria against which all employees are evaluated. Companies must also ensure that managers and functional leaders have the required data and training to assess employees and challenge potential biases accurately.

“There is an opportunity for organizations to get creative to ensure remote employees’ work and contributions are recognized and visible across the organization,” she says. “This can include formal performance management efforts, such as quarterly check-ins and self-assessments, as well as day-to-day recognition opportunities, such as virtual recognition boards or social shout-outs.”

For what it’s worth, remote and hybrid work isn’t going anywhere.

“Remote work has now been publicized, mainstreamed and normalized,” Rosenthal says.

In many cases, the challenges that existed post-pandemic have been addressed, but Rosenthal sees new challenges.

“For instance, remote and hybrid setups often don’t allow for shadowing and spontaneous exchanges,” she says. “This challenges leaders to balance how to check in and touch base and may over-index on what feels like micromanaging.”

Yet as with all employer-employee relationships, organizations and workers each play a role in achieving success.

“In the case of remote work, it’s important for both parties to recognize and implement strategies to mitigate challenges and optimize benefits,” Ewles says. “Organizations must evaluate formal policies, processes and cultural norms to reinforce support, equity and inclusion from the top-down across physical and remote work locations.”

Employees must share some responsibility if they want their work rewarded while working remotely.

“Career professionals must foster meaningful relationships and open communication to highlight wins and advocate for required supports, resources and opportunities that align with individual career goals and development needs,” Ewles says.

Photo courtesy of Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

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