appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Working from home has become routine for many of us, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic. There are perks aplenty: you do not have to commute or even change out of your pyjamas, you can attend to your family’s needs – and the fridge is not far away.
On the other hand, you are out of your superior’s sight. Yes, they are not around to breathe down your neck, but you could be “out of mind” for promotions and raises.
Is there a way to avoid career stagnation while working remotely?
Not all employers have fixed rules on when and how often employees have to come to the office. Given the choice, employees often prefer to work from home.
From a career perspective, this is not always advisable though, says Bastian Hughes, a career coach and host of a career advice podcast. So long as your job is not supposed to be entirely done remotely, he recommends showing up at the office regularly.
Depending on your individual needs and any arrangements you have with your colleagues, he suggests that it be about once a week or even once a month. This allows you to make or deepen personal contacts, which can be advantageous for your career development.

Career adviser Ragnhild Struss says video conferencing cannot always make up for personal interactions.
“Meeting face to face promotes trust, a feeling of belonging and empathy,” she says.
In a “world of digital sensory overload and artificial intelligence”, maintaining human presence is becoming the new currency, she adds.
“This is one of the reasons that employees who also show up on-site are more likely to be promoted, since their superiors feel more comfortable with them.”
When there is communication via an online team collaboration platform, always turn on your camera so that you are visible during the discussions or meetings, Hughes says.
It is also important to be proactive – for example, to communicate what you’re working on, your results and where you need support.
Another way to stay visible is to arrange short, informal talks. “You should use these conversations with co-workers and superiors not only for the purpose of coordination, but for relationship management as well,” Struss says.
Warmly passing along your appreciation to a colleague for something they’ve done – naming them and specifying the reason – can also be helpful, according to Struss. By making others more visible, you become more visible yourself.
Make it clear what it is that motivates you by talking about it on occasion. “People primarily follow attitudes that impress them,” Struss says. This, too, helps you to stay visible.

Network with people outside your immediate work team. It can be useful, for instance, to initiate an exchange of ideas with colleagues from other departments.
“Not least of all, it’s important to show interest in the big picture, beyond your own concerns,” Struss says.
Employees who split their working time between their home and the office should clearly communicate when they can be reached. Hughes recommends, for example, that you keep your availability status up to date using a collaboration platform such as Microsoft Teams or Slack.
You should not be permanently available, however. “Being visible doesn’t mean always being online,” says Struss, who adds that true presence comes from being focused. This means protecting your deep work time, scheduling breaks and setting limits.
As Struss sees it, an employee who regularly and reliably delivers, both on a professional and a personal level, will be regarded as a stable factor in the team.
“Reliability, particularly for someone working remotely, is the strongest form of visibility,” she says.
Some remote workers feel a need to show that they are very busy by immediately answering every email, constantly creating new projects and filling their calendar with numerous meetings. But this is not necessary, Struss says, noting that not every work lull is a sign of inefficiency.
“You need to be confident in your performance and in your worth,” she says. It helps to ask yourself, “What’s really important right now?” And, “What’s part of my job, and what’s simply pressure that I’m putting on myself?”
“You should show, in conversations or in meetings, what you’re accomplishing, rather than try to appear that you’re more or less always sitting at your computer,” Hughes says.
If you feel you have fallen through the cracks by working from home, you might want to bring it up with your superior. Simply emailing them is not advisable, Hughes says. It is better to request a face-to-face meeting during which you dispassionately voice your fear, along with your wishes and expectations.
It is important to share your sense of things in a non-accusatory way. Struss recommends pointing to concrete examples, such as projects you feel you were left out on. A constructive approach is helpful, she says, namely by asking your superior how you can jointly ensure that your skills are put to better use.


Will AI adoption shrink office space? Asia-Pacific firms are on the fence in survey

Senior HSBC bankers face double blow as school-fee subsidy cut adds to job risks: sources

Russia employs North Koreans to build drones for Ukraine war: report

Hong Kong’s new training visa could be available in first quarter of 2027

Jobs

How to prevent work-from-home career stagnation: expert tips on standing out

Working from home has become the new norm for many, but do not let your lack of office time affect your career advancement with these tips. Photo: Shutterstock

Always turn your camera on when communicating via an online team collaboration platform so you are visible during discussions or meetings, Hughes says. Photo: Shutterstock

Working from home offers a host of advantages, such as being able to spend more time with your family, but comes with disadvantages too. Photo: Shutterstock

How stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues put your heart at risk

Managing stress is important for heart health as left unchecked, it can lead to physical inactivity, poor diet and disrupted sleep. These are factors that increase inflammation, which can trigger heart problems. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Boon Lim is a London-based consultant cardiologist. Photo: Dr Boon Lim

Modern weight-loss drugs often come as costly weekly injections, but drug companies are developing versions in pill form instead. Photo: Shutterstock

AI is playing a key role in improving surgical outcomes – whether a heart bypass or a valve replacement, surgeons are being aided by AI-assisted robots. Photo: Shutterstock

RNA-based therapies, already in use in the treatment of cancer, target the instructions your cells rely on to make proteins. Photo: Shutterstock

The University of Washington School of Medicine’s new 3D printer Stomp can help build mini models of human tissues. Photo: The University of Washington

Cardiologist Dr Myles Chan says the death rates from heart disease and coronary heart disease in Hong Kong fell from 1981 to 2023. Photo: CUHK

Why ‘micro-retirement’ and work-life balance appeal to Gen Z and millennials

Instead of having retirement at the end of their continuous working life, more employees are choosing to deliberately insert interruptions.
Photo: Shutterstock

Woman, thinking and walk in Japanese park with smile in woods for travel on vacation, adventure and explore path. Gen z, student and happy on holiday in nature, forest and trail with trees in Kyoto

Micro-retirement is a kind of career break or work hiatus, says Marlene Pöhlmann, a careers expert for recruitment agency Robert Half. Photo: linkedin.com

Extended career breaks are generally better accepted in the IT industry and creative professions than in many others. Photo: Shutterstock

How to balance work and child rearing? 3 mothers in Hong Kong share their stories

Anri Shiga, a working mum in Hong Kong, with her children. She and others describe the challenges of balancing childcare and career. Photo: Edmond So

Abby Cadman at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai. Photo: Edmond So

Being pregnant in the workplace has its own set of challenges, Cadman says. Photo: Edmond So

Sarah Vee, founder of Women of Hong Kong, at The Women’s Lounge in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Anri Shiga (right) with her daughter Amelie Etherington, son Luca Etherington and helper Gretchen Ang in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Anri Shiga takes turns with the family’s helper, Gretchen Ang, to take the children to school. She appreciates Ang’s flexibility. Photo: Edmond So

Want to work as a digital nomad? Money tips to help you budget properly

Learning to budget properly as a digital nomad could get you on the path to a full-time travel lifestyle. Photo: Getty Images

Digital nomads tend to have more flexibility, so booking affordable travel at non-peak times is easier. Photo: Shutterstock

When living on the go, make sure you have an emergency fund that holds three to six months’ worth of expenses. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Personal impressions often determine chances for promotion or recognition, but how can you do that when not in the office? Follow these tips


Personal impressions often determine chances for promotion or recognition, but how can you do that when not in the office? Follow these tips.


How to network

Career paths

How to prevent work-from-home career stagnation: expert tips on standing out

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Personal impressions often determine chances for promotion or recognition, but how can you do that when not in the office? Follow these tips

Personal impressions often determine chances for promotion or recognition, but how can you do that when not in the office? Follow these tips