Remote Working From Anywhere Sound Great? 6 Things to Consider Before Making a Move

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6 Things to Consider Before Making a Move

Now that working from home has become the norm for a large number of us, particularly for para-professional office workers, some of us are living our best life…no more commute, working in sweats (ok, let’s be real—pajama bottoms), showering optional, minimal to no makeup…and the list goes on. We do miss our face-to-face interactions with our colleagues, the informal water cooler chit chat, lunches out, and commiserating together. For many of us, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks and we’re thinking, “I could get used to this!”

And before you know it, your progressive company gives you the permission you thought you’d never hear:  Work remotely, from anywhere, FOREVER! You think, “Wow, that sounds amazing!”.  For many, being able to live and work closer to extended family or a less hectic lifestyle in a more tropical, suburban or rural location would be a dream come true. But is it too good to be true?

Before you pack up your family and book your one-way ticket to Bermuda (or whatever new town you want to now call home), there are a few things you will want to think over and know before you take the leap.

1. Am I cut out for exclusively working from home 100% of the time?

Sure, the last few months have been great, but how will it feel over time?  I’ve now worked remotely from my home for the past 6+ years and I can tell you, it’s not for everyone.  For shorter stints, it can be a great way to reset, catch up, balance home obligations with work, but there are times when it can get very lonely.  Especially when everyone else is back in an office and you feel you’re isolated at home (or the only one working at home).

Discipline and focus are must-haves when working from home.  As you may have noticed in the past few months, working from home can provide quite a few distractions that can keep you from your work, especially if you like to procrastinate and doing a load of laundry or cleaning your kitchen are more appealing than tackling that lingering project that you’ve been avoiding. Establishing clear boundaries and reinforcing them are critical and let’s face it, not all of us are great at this.  We often need physical reminders or separate work areas to uphold our boundaries.

And, the snacking… With your kitchen (and the food it contains) being so conveniently close, with no accountability to anyone but yourself, can cause you to snack a lot more than you’re accustomed to and before you know it, the work-from-home-15 sets in.  Not great for your health or waistline for sure, so keep it in mind if you think this might be a challenge for you.  Trust me, I still struggle with this daily and oftentimes wish I had an office to go to outside of my home for this reason alone.

2. What opportunities might I miss (or what will be more challenging) by working remotely 100% of the time?

You know the old adage, “out of sight, out of mind”?  Well, this is human nature and can be a real problem, particularly when others start heading back to the office. Company culture will dictate how significant a hurdle this may be for you in terms of promotions, increases, visibility and credit for your work, assigned to top projects, etc.

One way you can easily tell if this is going to a problem for you at your company is to think back to pre-COVID days.  Perhaps you were working from home on a particular day when you weren’t feeling well or had to be at home to wait for the plumber.  Well, remember that Zoom call?  You were one of a handful on the phone and the majority of your team was sitting in the conference room at your office?  Did you feel heard during that meeting?  Were you able to get in a word edgewise amidst all the sidebar conversations going on?  If not, you may have a bigger challenge in this area.

What about promotions? Having worked in HR for over 20 years, I can tell you that promotions have a lot to do with relationships:  trust and awareness of what you’re working on (beyond your direct manager) are key.  Having someone who advocates for you when you’re not in the room is crucial and that can only be built through strong and trusting relationships. Even if you have a strong relationship with your current leadership team, they won’t be there forever, so you’ve got to figure out how you’re going to continue to nurture your relationships remotely and get your work known, so you can get the credit you deserve and are rewarded accordingly.

In many organizations, informal hallway conversations are often where the “real” work gets done and breakthroughs happen. This is where trust is built with colleagues and clients. As a 100% remote worker, you will have to work diligently to replicate these informal meet-ups in an online and intentional way. Not impossible, but a concerted effort on your part will be necessary and it’s tough to replicate without feeling burdensome to others (“yet another meeting”).  Zoom fatigue is real and everyone has their own priorities.

3. Will my company adjust my compensation based on the cost of living of where I’m moving?

Unless you’re independently wealthy, this is a critical piece of information you need to know before making a decision to uproot yourself. Most organizations today have salary structures that are based on geography as well as expertise and value in the local market. Theoretically, if everyone is allowed to work remotely from anywhere, thereby widening the labor pool from which to hire qualified candidates, the question remains if this will drive down salaries overall or if companies will continue to structure their wages based on the relative cost of living of where their employees choose to live (and work).

Be sure to understand your company’s position on this before making a move, otherwise you might find yourself taking a significant and unexpected pay cut. Or conversely, if moving to a higher cost of living area (not sure why you’d do that at this point, but…), don’t expect your employer to give you an automatic pay increase, just because you prefer to live in Silicon Valley or New York City.

 4. Is my company set up to legally and adequately support me as an employee anywhere in the world?

When you start looking at working in other countries, it gets significantly more complex, as companies need to often have legal entities, be prepared to comply with local immigration, labor, and tax laws, and provide statutory and other common benefits to employees in different countries. Many organizations just don’t have the means to support employees in any random country you desire to live in around the world.  Even large organizations are strategic in their approach, as the legal and administrative burden of even running payroll for one person in one country can be cost-prohibitive.

Before you add Bermuda to your short list, check in with your employer to see if they’re prepared to legally hire you locally, pay you, and provide you the benefits you’re accustomed to having.

5. How will I collaborate effectively across time zones?

We all know how tricky it can be to collaborate when remote, but what about when you’re working half the world away? I can’t tell you how many companies I’ve worked at over the years, full of burned out employees who accommodate meetings at odd hours, just to be able to adequately collaborate with their peers that are sometimes 9-13+ hours ahead or behind their local time.  This equates to missed opportunities with your family, everything from missing children’s sports/activities/school events to spending quality time with an elderly parent who may be lonely or need extra support, not to mention the needed downtime for your own self-care and wellbeing.

 It’s not impossible, but it is very challenging. I know it sounds like it won’t be a big deal, but when you live it day in and day out, it becomes quite the grind and isn’t sustainable over time.  Challenge yourself to be realistic about the hours you’re going to be required to work and what that may mean you’ll have to give up as a result. Most companies favor their corporate headquarters time-zone, so the further you navigate from that, the more flexible you’ll need to expect to be.  And don’t forget, things can change.  So, if you currently work with a team that is very flexible and accommodating across time zones, it only takes an organization restructure or a new boss to flip that switch, so carefully consider what this may mean for you before making a move.

6. What’s most important to me?

Of course, as with any move, you need to take inventory of your values to know what’s most important to you before you can determine your ideal location and if moving is right for you now.

What do you lack where you are currently and what do you hope to gain in moving? Do you want to be closer to extended family or friends for greater support? Do you have school-age children where access to great schools is critical? Do you want a more urban, suburban or rural lifestyle? Is access to arts and culture important to you? Do you need to be close to adequate medical facilities for recurring healthcare needs?

What’s your time horizon? How many more years do you expect to work? If you’re an empty nester and are closer to retirement, you may not be too concerned about upward mobility. If you’re mid-career and have a young family, you may value being closer to extended family for greater childcare support, particularly for a dual working parent households. In both these cases, working remotely may be just the ticket.  However, a millennial who is a few years into their career who strives to move up the ladder quickly will need to be more creative in how he/she can effectively build relationships and trust when working 100% remote. Or be open to working a flexible office schedule to more easily build and maintain those connections and be top of mind when choice projects are assigned and promotions are awarded.

Once you know the answers to these questions and what’s most important, then you can see how it stacks up against any of the drawbacks and you’ll know if a move is something you should even consider right now. Making a move like this is a big decision, but rest assured, if you go in with your eyes wide open, you’re not likely to regret whatever it is you decide!

I would love to hear what you think. Is your company offering indefinite remote working? Are you considering making a move? What are your biggest considerations and takeaways? Share in the comments below. 

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