Remote work: 5 ways to get your boss on board7 min read

Remote work: 5 ways to get your boss on board7 min read

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Remote working is the ‘in’ thing right now and it’s on the rise. This growth has been reflected in the emergence of fully distributed remote teams, such as Buffer, GitHub, and Zapier. And, of course, there are the companies that embrace both in-house and remote working options — such as the crew here at Buckets!

In a recent study by Gallup, 37% of workers said they had telecommuted. The study also found that the average worker telecommutes two days a month. In fact, a vast amount of research has proven that remote workers are more engaged, more productive, and have increased efficacy. Not to mention the positive impact remote work has on the environment.

However, not all companies are ‘in the know’ when it comes to remote working options and this can mean that they’re not entirely open to the idea. Unfortunately, some managers still think of working remotely as a risk and don’t realize that there are a number of ways in which remote work actually makes employees happier and more productive.

If your company doesn’t offer a remote work option at the moment, you may have a bit of convincing to do but it’s totally worth it. To help you out with that, here are 5 Ways To Get Your Boss On Board and live your remote working dream!

1. Research Ninja Mode: Activated

You can’t go into this kind of conversation without having all of your ducks in a row. Think of it like a sale; you need to convey how your boss will benefit from allowing you to work remotely. This isn’t about you and what you want or need. Perhaps you’d be happier working from home and it’d save you a lot of time and money on the commute, but — newsflash — your boss doesn’t really care about that.

All your boss cares about is how it’s going to benefit the business as a whole and whether you’ll still produce the same quality of work (or better). If it’s a toss-up between you saving some cash on gasoline and the business losing out because you’re not in the office, then they won’t be interested.

Before you go into the meeting, you need to make sure that it’s actually possible for you to work from home.

  • Do you have the equipment you need to do your job remotely?
  • Do you have secure remote access to your office network?
  • Are you a self-starter who can work alone?
  • Do you have a dedicated workspace at home where you won’t be disturbed?
  • If you intend to travel, will you have reliable wifi and will you be readily available?
  • Are you disciplined enough to work remotely?

2. Prove Your Worth

There is absolutely zero point in asking to work remotely if you’re barely scraping by with your workload in the office as it is. If you’re going to ask for the opportunity to work alone without in-person management, then you need to prove that you’re capable of doing so. This is something that you need to start doing (if you’re not already doing it) before even broaching the subject of remote work with your boss.

Are you someone who constantly needs to be reminded to do things? Or who misses deadlines sometimes? Or maybe you rock up to work bang on 9am and not a minute earlier? Yeah, that won’t fly with your boss if you want to get a remote gig. You need to prove that you’re capable of taking responsibility for your job and that you don’t need to be micromanaged throughout the day in order to get your work done.

So, this means turning up for work early, getting work done way ahead of deadline, and doing little things to show that you’re eager to go the extra mile. If you’re already doing this stuff that’s great. If not, get to it.

3. Find Your USP

If you work in sales you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, here’s the lowdown; your USP is your Unique Selling Point. When you work in sales or marketing, this is what you use to sell your product or service. For you, this means selling yourself as a remote worker.

How will your new remote working position benefit your employer? This isn’t the time to start talking about your commute — unless you intend to work longer because you don’t have to commute, rather than stay an extra hour in bed! This is about demonstrating how you will be a more productive employee by working remotely.

Here are a few examples:

  • Remote workers have been proven to be more engaged and productive.
  • Working remotely will reduce overhead office costs for the company.
  • You’re more productive working alone and will provide better results as a remote worker.
  • Employees who work remotely take fewer sick days.
  • You can be available during ‘out of office’ hours if needed.

4. Suggest a Trial Period

Suggesting a trial period is a great way to take the pressure off your boss when it comes to making a decision. Why not offer to work remotely one day a week for 30 days? This will give both you and your boss a chance to ‘test the waters’ and see if this is the right move for both you and the business.

Most employers will be open to the idea of something that will make you more productive, especially if there’s very little risk involved and you’re already a valued and trusted employee of the company.

If you do get granted a trial period, remember that the onus is on you to prove that you can produce better results and achieve more targets by working remotely.

5. Put A System In Place

If your employer agrees to a trial run, then you need to get a system in place to ensure that everything goes to plan! This means figuring out your means of communication with the rest of the team and making sure that you’re available when needed. Remember, there’s a lot of trust involved here and you have to show that you’ll be as available at home as you would be in the office.

When it comes to remote work and collaboration, the Buckets platform is an excellent tool for collaborating with your team on managing various tasks and to do lists. You can use team chat tools such as Slack to stay connected throughout the day, and Skype or Google Hangouts for video conferencing/meetings.

Also, don’t forget to have clear objectives and deliverables in place so that you can have a clear and fair assessment of how your remote work arrangement is progressing down the line.

Bali Beach Hut > Ohio Office Cubicle

Remember, it’s up to you to convince your boss that remote work is the best option for both the company and for you as an employee. It might be a tough sell, but think of all of the opportunities it presents; it’ll all be worth it when you’re working from a beach hut in Bali instead of an office cubicle in Ohio!

Of course, you can stick to your awesome home office too — but that’s the beauty of remote work, you can work from wherever you please.

Written by Gráinne Logue, whom specialise in creating high quality content for businesses across the world. Originally posted on the Buckets Blog, where you’ll find more info on managing your workload from anywhere, anytime.

Kika

Kristina Lukacova, a DN that enjoys good food, good wine and good vibes.

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