David Lewis

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. To that end, on-boarding is all about connecting the employee with others at the firm, and ideally those who you view as culture champions. While Managers are the logical point of contact for a new hire, they often are behind closed doors and/or unavailable. As such connections to peers are far more valuable and important in their early journey.

So long as unemployment is under 4%, the power in the relationship between staff and company is with the employee. To that end you can and should gauge if you are in the position of control. Ask youself the question - what if I resigned? What would their response be? Would they let me go or do everything they could to keep me? If it is the latter then you are in the best place possible to drive the discussion. The goal then is to confront the manager in a diplomatic way, seeking to help them and you find a middle ground. Joint development of metrics measuring performance is paramount, as is filling any gaps in communication. Still, some managers see no remote equivalent to the in-office experience. Remember this is all new territory.

Most are made Managers due to tenure, number of years of experience, and overall seniority in their role, but few are promoted because of their proven managerial skills or even completion of formal training on how to be a good manager. This in my view is why some see trust issues between them and their team. Most trust gaps these days I find are between the "in-office" manager and their remote/hybrid employee, tied to the manager's struggles to lead from a distance. You need to find ways to communicate openly, as well as find ways as well to measure performance that both of you agree are the right metrics to gauge output. Overall, the goal is to determine what allows for the manager to feel comfort / trust, and this will close any gap.

I got into HR Consulting by accident in 2001 when I suddenly found myself unemployed and in need of my next job. Honestly, I've never felt burned out from this role, which I love 23+ years later, with 140+ a part of my firm doing the same. Why? - Each new client presents a new challenge. - Each new client truly values my input and is impacted by my contributions. - When I am done with a project I am never really done with being a resource for the client. Those I have hired over the years who didn't succeed oft struggled with having to support multiple clients with different cultures, styles, etc. The above should serve as a reminder as to why you should love this. If it creates more agita than excitement, maybe this is not for you.

To start you need to know something about the culture of the firm you are exploring employment with. Are you "preaching to the choir", pitching to a firm that has taken a hard anti-remote-work-line, or somewhere in-between? Knowing that is paramount. Assuming you find a receptive party on the other end, the keys to a winning strategy include: - Present your ability to be productive / more productive remotely by sharing your own "case study" about how you have successfully worked from home in your current/past jobs. - Articulate how you have managed to stay in touch and available and engaged while working remotely. - Explain how the time you have gained by not commuting has resulted in more productivity.