This is an anonymous post from an Elpha member.

I want to convince my company to let me be the first to work remote. Any advice?

anonymous·Oct 01, 2019

I work for a small creative agency out of Indianapolis, but am looking to move back to the east coast to be near friends and family. We are a very collaborative agency that values company culture, but have recently started serving more remote clients. I have two roles, both at the senior level: the first is as a brand and website designer, and the second as a product marketer. I'd love any tips for talking points or negotiation tactics, as I want to convince my company to let me begin working remote by next June.

kuan·Oct 01, 2019

Great question! Two thoughts: 1) Figure out if there's a way to prototype it for yourself and your team to experience what it is like to have you work remotely. Perhaps 2-3 weeks, pre-arranged, and you can iron our the kinks and give your team/company confidence between now and then. You can do 2-week, then 1-month and then 2-month tests to make sure the process is smooth, which builds confidence for you and the company. 2) If your manager is supportive, be sure to talk to the team next and hear what they think. If your manager isn't so supportive, poke why and see if #1 can help ease the anxiety. If the company is hesitant about having remote employees, that might be tricky to change, and I'd say your best bet is to find an alternative role and use that as a negotiation tactic.

whitneycaneel·Oct 01, 2019

Ooo interesting!One thing to remember in this pitching process is:' What value does this bring them?'In other words, what do they get out of this? Does it help with culture? Help alleviate stressed out employees? Cut down on office expenses? I would research all the benefits that the company could gain from allowing you and other employees to work remote and pitching in from this angle.

kt127·Oct 01, 2019

SomeoneI know have done this before. He worked for this startup inSF for couple of years and then had to move to another city (in the same state) for a family reason. His way of handling it was that 1)Building the relationship with his manager and the team mate first 2)He promised to come into the office once a month for the entire week. And when the company is busy, he said he can come in and work for like a couple of weeks. He also had another family member living in SF, and it was a few hour drive distance so might not work when the distance between two places are really big. But hope this is helpful!

Mars·Oct 01, 2019

Hi -- In a prior life, I had the opportunity to advocate and build remote teams. I also, lead a globally distributed team so here are a few observations to consider. 1. Being close the the client is of upmost importance. If you are able to focus on this angle and your company values your clients, there is a strong argument here. 2. There are many efficiencies to be had in remote arrangements. Here is a quick article highlighting a few statistics that might be useful. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/2018-annual-survey-finds-workers-more-productive-at-home/3. There are some common pitfalls you will need to think trough including:a. How do you build camaraderie and trust with your peers; in the early days there was a lot of jealousy and envy for those who were remotely -- almost a tribalism. You will need to think through the culture and the organization to think about how to keep them invested in you and not discounting what you have accomplished because you have something they don't. b. Proving that you are meeting or exceeding expectations without feeling like you are always being questioned. Having strong metrics that are easy to measure in place will solve this problem quickly. If you want to talk about it further or bounce of ideas, please feel free to message me.

Erica·Oct 02, 2019

Do you have a Slack workspace for your company, shared calendar, etc? I don't say that jokingly but to ask if there's infrastructure set up for you to go remote. Every company is different but if you'd be the one remote team member, what things are in place for you to be informed about what's going on, etc.

fadeke·Oct 10, 2019

You might find this article on our blog helpful: https://doist.com/blog/how-to-ask-to-work-from-home/We run through how to make a business case for working remotely including scripts and tactics to use!