With the onset of the pandemic, employees all over the world have traded their office desks for dining tables or even kitchen islands. Whether we were ready or not, we had to adapt to working from home, particularly on staying productive while delivering results.

While many things still feel out of your control, it’s important to concentrate on what you are capable of. Showing your commitment, engagement, and motivation to your coworkers and employer is something you may work towards to ease your worries about job security.

Ways to show your value as a virtual worker

Since remote work changes how you communicate and interact, here are the best ways to demonstrate value to your boss while working from home.

Tip No. 1 — Maximize your position

As an online professional, you are given a unique perspective towards company operations. Being that you’re not physically present for face-to-face conversations or water cooler talks, you’ll easily spot weaknesses in communication channels and provide suggestions for streamlining processes. Use this perspective to become a valuable asset to their business.

If you’re working from a different time zone, know what the priorities of the company are and use the typical downtime to your advantage. If there’s a rush project, your varying schedule may feel like extra hours to keep the team working around the clock.

These ‘after hours’ that you’re putting in may be just what you need to increase your value. Be mindful of the tasks that are often left to the last minute or downright neglected. See how you may become an expert in them so you might put yourself ahead.

Tip No. 2 — Keep track of everything

A healthy remote work relationship must not rely on constant check-ins. However, it’s a good idea to keep a record of your work all the same. For one, it enables you to show a quantitative value of the hours you’ve spent working.

Records are important if you’re worried about any unfairness in your compensation versus those who are physically reporting to work. It also helps when you leave your current position to pursue other types of work as it highlights any transferable skills you may have acquired.

If you are thinking of applying for another virtual role, being able to establish your worth as a distance employee will give you leverage when making any negotiations. You may even tell the recruiter that they have minimal need to train you for the transition.

Tip No. 3 — Have regular communication

You need to have communication strategies in place if you want any of the above tips to be effective. If contact isn’t available, honest, or open, you may be underutilized as an employee.

To do your job to the best of your ability, learn to be comfortable when you contact management or coworkers for any necessary collaboration, meetings, and clarifications. Know which matters are worth contacting them over though as you don’t want to waste their time either.

Email can be slow so you want to use messaging tools like Slack or Skype to make up for it. Plan for how you will be attending meetings too, be it by screen sharing or conference call. Schedule weekly or even daily conversations with your team to be looped in to all decisions.

Tip No. 4 — Know what you’re worth

The case might be that you’re a truly productive and efficient member of your remote team, but your boss may not see that. Many companies are still lost when it comes to the concept of “production over presence” so it’s normal if your employer doesn’t appreciate you fully yet.

Shifting to remote management comes naturally for newer or more modern businesses, but others have yet to adapt to it. It’s going to take some time and effort to agree with your employer about an arrangement that’s beneficial to both of you.

At the end of the day, if your present arrangement doesn’t match your worth as an employee, begin thinking about your options. You may try to negotiate with your boss for greater compensation or a better schedule, or you may find another role altogether.

Tip No. 5 — Be a source of optimism

An unfortunate outcome of quarantine and lockdowns is that it brought out anti-social behaviour in people. Some individuals are choosing to withdraw from social interactions, even if they’re done online. Others are picking fights on social media about politics, vaccinations, and more.

Choose to be different from these people and become a source of positive energy instead. For instance, when you’re chatting before a meeting, ask about their kids or talk about the book you’re currently reading. Small talk has become important for the mental health of all remote workers these days.

You may also greet your teammates during the start of your shift. A simple ‘good morning’ establishes a good precedent for your day and that of your team. Be polite by using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in your conversations.

Become a valuable remote employee

Now that many people are working remotely, you’re facing a completely different professional landscape. Getting to touch base with your boss and other mundane things have become more complicated to do. Despite that, you still have to do your job and establish your worth as a virtual worker.

Do you think you’re ready to tackle remote working in this digital era? We at Remote Workmate will help you find a role that suits your skills, history, experience, and preferences. We’re connected to employers from all over the world who are looking for reliable remote workers like you.