The current state of the world has shaken the way that businesses operate, and the process of hiring, onboarding, and training employees has certainly not been immune to the change.
If you, like so many other professionals, have gone through the virtual interview process and transitioned to a new opportunity while working remotely, you are likely more than familiar with remote interviews, online certifications, virtual ice breakers with your fellow team members, and whatever other strategies your new employer is using to preserve some semblance of company culture while outside of the office.
For many employees, the switch to remote work is a temporary one, and many will return to their normal work environments once it is safe to do so. But what exactly are the effects of starting a job without the opportunity to meet your team members in person? How might these professional relationships (and your entire outlook on your new position) change once you are back to working on-site? And how can you ensure that the value you bring to the company translates from computer screens to real life?
Here are a few suggestions for those who have started a new job from their home office and want to continue developing their professional reputation.
Practice Digital Body Language
When speaking to someone in person, body language constitutes more than half (55 percent) of how we communicate. When your first experiences with a new company are remote, so much of what you and the other person are trying to relay is stripped away by talking through a screen.
Although this may only cause a few discrepancies along the way, remote miscommunication is more often an issue that can seriously disrupt your workflow and understanding of the job—especially when you are just starting out.
The solution is what many refer to as digital body language, or practicing not only what you say but how you say it. Employees who are great at digital body language are consequently known for their ability to keep spirits high amongst teammates and clearly communicate what they need from others.
More specifically, digital body language has so much to do with making your presence known within the organization, regardless of how far away you might physically be. When it’s time to have a video meeting with your team, make sure that your camera is turned on, and that you and your surroundings look presentable. Challenge yourself to speak on every call you have, even if it’s only for some small talk before the meeting starts. When using written communication like emails and texts—where your tone is most likely to be misread—supplementing the content of your message with an appropriate emoji or GIF can help you appear both approachable and professional.
Get to Know Your Remote Technology
Think about how you’ve had to connect with your coworkers from the comfort of your home office. Every single type of communication you have at your disposal—be it your cell phone, laptop, team chat software, email address, or video call—relies on technology to be successful. As a matter of fact, 34 percent of remote workers already use instant messaging services to collaborate with their colleagues, proving just how integral technology is to the remote work experience.
As someone who is new to the company, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the types of tools businesses use for remote communication for two reasons. First, it will help you better navigate any technical difficulties you encounter on a day-to-day basis. Second, having a grasp of each tool’s strengths and weaknesses will help you determine which one is the best fit for any given circumstance. Here are a few example scenarios:
- You are collaborating with a teammate who currently lives in a different time zone, which means that their workday is already over even though yours has just begun. If your question does not need to be answered right away, you can utilize an emailing service with scheduled send functionality. By scheduling your email for a future time, you can both get your thoughts to your colleague while still on the clock while respecting her time away from work.
- You notice a small issue that should be seen and commented on by multiple people in your team. Instead of starting a long, multi-thread email chain with everyone, it may be more appropriate to switch to a chat platform, where several users can comment on the same situation at the same time. The more informal nature of these services can also make your team feel more comfortable sharing off-the-cuff ideas they may have.
- You’re assigned to create a multi-departmental task-force that is looking to address a complex obstacle that has challenged the company for years. To save yourself the time and hassle that comes with having these types of conversations over email or text, you might instead refer to a video conferencing tool. Video meetings can help team members better convey their thoughts through verbal cues (like your tone of voice) as well as non-verbal cues (like hand gestures).
By leveraging the technology your company uses, you’ll ensure that you are staying effective with your time at work and most accurately conveying the ideas, strategies, and solutions that will help you stand out from the remote crowd.
Participate in Work Culture
So much of our understanding of company culture revolves around an in-person experience—from small talk by the coffee machine to happy hour on Fridays. Company-wide remote work policies have challenged what it means to be a business that values culture, as well as the interpersonal relationships that create culture.
A lack of opportunities to cultivate your rapport with others is especially concerning when you consider that nearly 90 percent of employees believe that distinct work culture is important to overall business success.
Part of the challenge as a remote new hire, therefore, is finding creative alternatives to more traditional, on-site team-building efforts. There are a number of different ideas you can bring with you to the new job to further company culture while working remotely. For example, you can try hosting or attending a virtual event, such as a remote lunch hour or online happy hour, where employees from every department can chat with one another. It’s also a good idea to shout out those who have helped you transition to your new position—whether that’s through a social chat channel or at the end of a weekly team meeting. If you have the time and energy, signing up for a volunteer position, such as helping out with the company fundraising team, is another great way to connect with people from all areas of the organization.
By keeping these strategies in the back of your mind, you’ll be more than ready to come out strong when it comes time to re-enter the office.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, all as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 1800 episodes and “The No BS Coaching Advice Podcast” and is a member of The Forbes Coaches Council. “No BS JobSearch Advice Radio” was named a Top 10 podcast for job search. JobSearchTV.com is also a Top 10 YouTube channel for job search.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? Schedule a free Discovery call.
If you have a quick question for me, you can get it answered with a 3-5 minute video at https://www.wisio.com/TheBigGameHunter. Want to do it live?
JobSearchCoachingHQ.com offers great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. Like me on Facebook.
Join and attend my classes on Skillshare. Become a premium member and get 2 months free.
Watch my videos on YouTube at JobSearchTV.com, the Job SearchTV app for FireTV or BingeNetworks.tv for AppleTV, Roku and 90 other devices
Join Career Angles on Facebook and receive support, ideas and advice in your current career and job.
You can order a copy of “Diagnosing Your Job Search Problems” for Kindle on Amazon and receive free Kindle versions of “No BS Resume Advice” and “Interview Preparation.” If you are starting your search, order, “Get Ready for the Job Jungle.”Would you like to talk through a salary negotiation or potential negotiation you’re involved with? Order and schedule time with me.
Do you have questions or would like advice about networking or any aspect of your search. Order and schedule time with me.
Would you like me to critique your resume. Order a critique from me
Jeff’s Kindle book, “You Can Fix Stupid: No BS Hiring Advice,” is available on Amazon.
