Keeping your work visible in a hybrid environment

Every role comes with its own challenges, but one of the harder parts of any contributor’s job is to stand out in the crowd. Today’s hybrid workplaces add another challenge. Building your visibility while working remotely requires some extra effort, but it’s not impossible.

Rethinking remote collaboration: The challenges and advantages of working together, apart

Let’s review ways to show your employer how valuable you are to the team and why you’re an excellent fit for their current and future needs.

What is visibility, and why is it important?

Visibility in the workplace means being seen, gaining recognition and acknowledgment, and being accepted by co-workers and peers. When you are visible, your presence and contributions within the company are known or even highlighted.

Without face-to-face time with their co-workers and managers, remote workers often find they have to try harder to gain and maintain visibility. On the other side of that equation are managers of remote workers, who may want to recognize their direct reports, but might need a little help “seeing” them. After all, your manager can more effectively advocate for you when you’ve given them the tools to do so.

Being visible in a hybrid workplace shines a light on your importance to the organization. It also simply feels good to be recognized: when you get noticed and receive accolades for your work, you’re encouraged to keep working hard to produce the best results.

Research shows that employees are more likely to perform well and stay in their positions when their employers value them and show their appreciation.

How to stand out in a virtual office

When it comes to gaining visibility in the virtual office setting, there are a few things you can do to stand out. Consider taking these approaches to let your light shine and get noticed by other workers and management.

Share your wins.

When you achieve goals and progress in the virtual workspace, don’t forget to let others know. You want them to see your progress and take notice of those accomplishments. If they keep seeing your accolades and hear your name often, it cements an image of a go-getter and dedicated employee.

Give others shout-outs.

Be generous about celebrating the wins of others in the company or on your team, as well. Give them praise by making public statements or posts to let others know how their work has positively impacted yours. Over time, you’ll build a positive reputation as somewhere who desires to see everyone succeed in the company.

Connect your work to larger company goals.

When you work to connect your specific job to match the company’s goals as a whole, you show your managers and senior management that you are a team player and care about the company’s progress.

Look at your current workload, and think about how each project ties into long-term company goals. If you’re not sure what the connection is, ask your manager, or even suggest a more goal-forward approach.

Offer your expertise.

Ask yourself how your work can make others’ jobs easier or more effective. Maybe you can introduce a new process to automate a manual process, or maybe another team needs to leverage one of your skills. When it comes to giving meaningful support in your job function, what goes around comes around.

Give your manager regular updates.

Speaking of making others’ jobs easier, keeping your manager informed takes some pressure off them as they evaluate your performance and plan ahead. Keeping them updated allows them to fully understand your contributions and projects. Set a realistic expectation for a regular cadence of updates: they may even become something your manager genuinely looks forward to.

Summary

Your visibility at work isn’t just about your social interactions around the office. It’s about your work and contributions to the team team no matter where you’re working from.

Establishing visibility in a hybrid work environment is vital for both employees and managers. When you create positive visibility within a company, you also boost your value to your employer.

This helps your team work more efficiently and boosts your confidence and desire to do your best. To get started on improving how your managers see you each day, focus on personal interactions, work quality, and communication skills.