British entrepreneur Emma Grede recently hit the headlines when, in an interview, she suggested that working from home may hinder career progression.
The successful co-founder of clothing brands Skims and Good American, and author of work-life mindset manual Start With Yourself, sparked online debate over her comments. Yet, Grede highlights an important point: hybrid working takes careful planning to ensure that it doesn’t undermine progression.
Early evidence suggests it is harder to learn and to build relationships working remotely
Recent research from global HR professional body CIPD on flexible and hybrid working practices found that 32% of employers were concerned about inclusion risks linked to hybrid working, such as those working remotely being treated differently from those in the physical workplace in relation to project work, career development and progression.
Commitment stigma
Gemma Dale, a lecturer at Liverpool Business School in the UK who researches flexible working, notes that despite more people working in a hybrid pattern, flexible work stigma persists. That stigma, although lacking in evidence, casts flexible workers as ‘less committed, less motivated and less interested in career progression’.
Another issue is proximity bias: ‘out of sight, out of mind’, as Dale puts it. This is the unconscious tendency for managers to favour or provide better opportunities to employees who are physically closer. And although it is too soon for longitudinal post-pandemic studies on the impact of hybrid working, early evidence suggests that it is harder to learn and to build relationships working remotely – something that is particularly important for those earlier in their careers.
Be strategic about how you structure your time, prioritising connection
So, if you do work in a hybrid pattern, how can you position yourself to get the best of both worlds: flexibility and career progression? ‘You need a strategy,’ says Dale. That strategy will look different depending on where you are in your career, with early-career professionals or those new to a role likely to need more facetime.
Maximise visibility
Dale advises setting intentional strategies to ensure that you are ‘maximising your visibility and demonstrating your value’. That could include proactively documenting your performance and achievements, openly celebrating wins, scheduling regular manager check-ins and using enterprise channels for social connection.
Align in-office days with key stakeholders and leaders as well as team members
And when you are in a workplace, be equally strategic about how you structure your time, prioritising connection, networking and collaboration, rather than sitting on endless Teams calls or focusing on independent ‘deep’ work that might be better done at home. Align in-office days with key stakeholders and leaders as well as team members.
Much of this, Dale points out, would be equally relevant if you worked in an office full time. ‘It’s about setting yourself learning goals and taking ownership of your career,’ she says.
‘No one will do that for you, but now that plan also needs to ensure that your hybrid working status doesn’t discount your career goals.’
More information
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