How to Ask to Work Remotely Full Time - The Muse

How to Ask to Work Remotely Full Time - The MuseHow to Ask to Work Remotely Full TimeIts no secret Remote work is becoming a lot mora common. In fact, 70% of professionals around the world are working remotely at least one day each week, according to a recent study. And some are even working remotely full time.One of the biggest benefits of remote work is the flexibility it allows you in other areas of your life. Sick of where you live now? Move somewhere totally different. Need to take care of a parent who lives in a different state? You can do that. Want to be one of those people who hops from beautiful beach to medieval city to cozy cabin? Thats an vorkaufsrecht, too. Working from anywhere in the world has become so popular that you can even participate in a work travel program that plans your itinerary and sets you up with co-working space. Of course, there are some occupations where youre unlikely to be able to work remotely- healthcare providers, emergency partnel, and so forth . And there are some companies where remote work is frowned upon, if its even an vorkaufsrecht at all. But there are plenty of other roles and places where you can, as long as you have a laptop and reliable internet.The tricky part is finding one of these lucky gigs. But you might leid have to leave your current job to make your remote work dreams come true. Weve put together some tips on how to ask your boss if you can work remotely- from anywhere at all on the planet- full time. Because yes, you can do this.Step 1 Make Sure Youre a Top PerformerTypically, its better for your employer to hang on to you- someone who knows the company and the job- than to hire and train someone completely new. But thats only if youre already a top performer. If youre not, it doesnt make sense to have this conversation at all. If your boss doesnt trust you now, when you work in the geschftszimmer and under their watch, its highly unlikely theyll trust you when youre gallivanting all over the globe. So before you make this ask, consider the following How have your past few wertmiger zuwachs reviews gone? Have you ever dropped the ball? If so, how did you recover?What other positive feedback have you received?Hows your rapport with your co-workers and/or clients? If you think the answers to these questions prove that youre the absolute best employee you can be, write down some talking points so you can whip them out when you make the ask.If these answers dont show you in a good light, dont lose all hope. Instead, use this as an opportunity to figure out why youre not performing up to par and start focusing on improving. And maybe, just maybe, youll be better set up to have this conversation someday in the near future. Step 2 Get Clear on Your WhyKyle, a marketing executive at a Fortune 100 financial services company, wanted to telecommute full time so he could relocate to his hometown. It was never an vorkaufsrecht hed considered before- he felt that working remotely had the stigm a of youre lazy or a slacker. But that changed after a trip home to visit family. My mother had reached retirement age and my two siblings had moved away, Kyle shares. So I wanted to be closer to home. Im a big believer that you dont have to justify every choice you make, feeling you feel, or question you ask. But lets face it If you walk into your boss office and make this request, theyre going to ask for a reason. Not just because theyre curious, but because this potential change affects them and your teammates, too. Your reason can be a variety of things. And no- it doesnt have to be as altruistic as Kyles, nor do you have to get into the nitty-gritty of it all. But be clear on what it is. Even if its that you want to explore the world or live in a different city than where your office is.Dont be ashamed to prioritize the non-work parts of your life. An employee whos better able to manage other stresses and aspects of their life will be higher functioning and more focused.KyleDon t be ashamed to prioritize the non-work parts of your life, Kyle says. An employee whos better able to manage other stresses and aspects of their life will be higher functioning and more focused. Dont be afraid to ask for arrangements that work better for you.Getting clear on your motivation will also help you put things into perspective if your boss eventually says no. Is this a deal breaker for you? What would your next step be? Have you already scheduled a move-out date and booked flights to Honolulu? Even though Id love for your boss to give you a resounding yes, the truth is that not all dreams come true. Know what your backup plan is ahead of time so you dont get caught off guard and start panicking.Step 3 Put Together a PlanBeing able to anticipate any questions or concerns your boss might have- and providing potential solutions- can go a long way. Itll show that youve put a lot of thought into this and considered not just what you want, but how this could impact others and y our work.Put yourself in your managers shoes, says Lizz Vo, a communication specialist who successfully requested to work from a different location. What concerns would she have and how can you address them? Put yourself in your managers shoes. What concerns would she have and how can you address them?Lizz VoSo what are some potential concerns? Emily Ascani, a manager who has approved a few of her employees requests to work remotely full time, mentions communication.If someone isnt in the office, being available for communication via video conferencing and Slack is crucial to the teams success, Ascani explains. We rely heavily on video conferencing with our offshore teams and remote employees.Another common worry is productivity. With all those devilish temptations- napping on the beach, skiing on freshly fallen snow, exploring a brand new city- how will you get anything done? Asking yourself questions like these- and preparing answers for them- should help you go in well-equipped f or your boss potential rebuttalsHow will you define your work hours? When will you be online or otherwise available to your manager or team (and how will you account for time differences)?Where will you be working, and how will you ensure youre staying focused and on task?How will you attend or be involved in relevant meetings and important conversations or gatherings?What is your plan for maintaining regular communication and interaction with your boss and other co-workers? Think about the biggest work conflicts or issues youve faced How would you handle them differently as a remote employee?How will you compensate for being apart from your companys office culture and continue to uphold strong relationships with your colleagues, manager, and clients?To make your life even easier, we created a free downloadable worksheet to help you plan out everything you need to make the ask.Step 4 Have the ConversationThe time has come. The meetings on the calendar, youve concluded that youre a p retty darn good employee, and youve prepared as comprehensive a plan as possible. The only thing left to do is, well, ask.First off, avoid making the entire conversation about you and your needs, says Kiera Abbamonte, a content writer who asked to relocate when her partner was offered a promotion in a different city. Because realistically, your boss cares less about what you want and more about how youll meet what they want. Heres where that first step- evaluating whether or not youre a top performer- comes in. Highlight the unique stuff you bring to the role, such as past successes, Abbamonte says. Sell your employer on helping you find a better working situation, and why thats a better solution than finding someone to replace you.Highlight the unique stuff you bring to the role, such as past successes. Sell your employer on helping you find a better working situation.Kiera AbbamonteAnd, of course, dont forget to present your plan. Ultimately, whats most important is proving that, no matter where youll be working from, youll be just as productive (if not more productive). Lastly, leave some room for them to ask questions and express any further hesitations. Youre not a mindreader, so chances are you havent thought of everything (and thats OK). Youre making a pretty big ask here, so if they want to clarify anything or set up follow-up meetings, let them. Step 5 Suggest a Trial RunIf your boss is open to the idea of you working remotely full time but not completely comfortable with it, offer to collaborate with them to come up with a solution that works for everyone. One option Suggest a trial period. Shivan Barwari, who asked if he could work remotely so he could travel around the United States, did just that. During your trial run, be sure you can still produce the same amount and quality of work or your leash will be pulled back quickly, explains Barwari. For Barwari, who does a lot of video and image editing, making sure he could be just as productive meant finding a strong internet connection, buying a good desk and wireless mouse, and figuring out how to log in remotely to his companys system. Be sure you can still produce the same amount and quality of work or your leash will be pulled back quickly.Shivan BarwariPerhaps you start with working away from the office once a week or see how it goes for a full week or two before your manager makes their final decision. This trial period is a chance for you and your boss to figure out what works and what doesnt work when youre not in the office, and its an opportunity for you to work out any kinks (like figuring out what to do when your Airbnbs WiFi goes down). And hey- you might find that you dont even like working remotely. Better to figure that out during a test run than when its permanent, right?Going from being in the office every day (or most of the time) to barely ever seeing your co-workers in person is a big change. And while Im a big supporter of this lifestyle, your boss may no t necessarily be on board 100%. But if youre thorough and respectful, you might just get the answer youre looking for.