Remote Workers Less Likely to Be Promoted

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Remote working was becoming popular before 2020. But since the pandemic, it has become a trend for workers. By 2022, 22 percent worked exclusively at home, while 17 percent held hybrid jobs.

Remote work offers many benefits. It can provide more flexibility and a better work-life balance. But there may be some consequences to staying away from the workplace. Does working remotely hurt a career?

Studies Find Remote Work Affects Career

According to a recent survey by ResumeBuilder.com, in 2023, 46 percent of remote workers were up for promotions, in contrast to 55 percent who were fully on-site. Fifty-four percent of hybrid counterparts were up for promotions.

But, hybrid or fully on-site employees were more likely to receive raises and promotions than remote workers. The survey found that remote workers were 24 percent less likely to receive promotions than their in-office associates.

A recent survey of executives by Robin Powered, Inc. found that 62 percent said that in-office time was a factor in an employee receiving a promotion or salary increase.

Alliance Virtual Offices conducted a study that showed remote workers were 38 percent less likely to receive bonuses than on-site colleagues. Remote workers also worked nearly 50 percent more overtime than their hybrid or on-site associates.

The remote worker isn’t flourishing like their on-site or hybrid counterparts for several reasons.

Lack of Social and Professional Networks

Building work relationships has always been a fundamental part of networking. Sharing that cup of coffee or a chance conversation in the elevator provides face-to-face interaction with colleagues and managers. It’s a way of understanding, knowing each other and building trust.

Stopping by a manager’s office to share a comment or offer assistance is more impactful than shooting off an email or instant message.

There are opportunities to meet colleagues and attend events with them when in the office. You can participate in professional organizations.

Remote workers are isolated, making it hard to build a network to advance careers. When you don’t have a strong network, receiving mentorship from experienced colleagues is difficult. You’re also less likely to hear about new job openings or gain referrals.

Managers Practice ‘Proximity Bias’

“Proximity bias” is a phrase coined by LinkedIn that refers to the subconscious bias contributing to the perception that remote workers are less committed than their on-site counterparts.

This results in some favoritism toward employees who are more frequently in a manager’s physical proximity.

The AARP, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Forbes data showed more than 40 percent of managers tended to forget remote workers when it came time for promotions.

Face-to-face contact with a manager keeps the employee top of mind.

Training and Development Limited

Companies often offer in-person training or workshops for employees. A remote worker may not be able to attend these events. The result is that remote worker don’t expand their skills or stay up to industry standards or trends.

An on-site workshop allows the remote worker to participate and ask questions. It’s also a networking opportunity.

You may miss in-person interactions and hands-on learning even if the training is online.

Hard to Demonstrate Leadership

The opportunity to demonstrate leadership and initiative is vital for career advancement. This can be difficult to do when working remotely.

It may be challenging to speak up in virtual meetings. Presenting ideas on the phone without visual cues from the recipients can be uncomfortable or difficult.

Proactively seeking out opportunities, such as volunteering for a committee or mentoring a junior employee, can help formulate and show leadership skills.

Ways to Stay Relevant When Working Remote

The out-of-sight-out-of-mind doesn’t have to be for remote workers. You can still advance your career, but it will require effort and planning.

Make it a point to volunteer for major projects. Volunteering for cross-functional teams in the organization will expose your skills and expertise to more people.

When on a Zoom call, turn your camera on. Lack of visibility is often equated with low productivity in the physical workplace. The same holds true for virtual. Let your manager see you. Always dress for work. You'll appear professional and ready to work.

Seek out opportunities to attend training, webinars, and training. This will show your commitment to professional development.

If it’s not possible to attend workplace training, make a point of using digital channels to stay in contact. These could be email, texts, Zoom, and chat applications. It may be less techy, but picking up the phone and having a conversation can go a long way.

Be intentional when establishing and growing work relationships when working at home. Reaching out to key people with suggestions or a heads-up about an issue goes a long way.

If you can, participate in after-work team-building activities. It’s essential to be connected with both managers and co-workers.

Remote Workers Have Challenges

Remote work has many benefits, but there are drawbacks. Remote work can impede career advancement. It limits face-to-face interactions and makes it harder to build networks.

A remote worker has limited access to training and development. But most importantly, visibility is reduced within the organization.

Remote workers need to take the initiative and promote themselves to stay relevant.

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