Thinking ahead: will remote work kill the 'water cooler' promotion?

I'm eyeing a switch to fully remote work for the flexibility. My worry is that moving up might get harder without those casual chats with bosses. Do you guess future raises will hinge on pure output, not office small talk?

4 comments

4 Comments

robertcarr1mo ago

My buddy Mark was the top sales guy at his company for three years straight, all while working remote. When a manager spot opened up, they gave it to Dave from the main office, a guy with okay numbers but who played golf with the boss. Mark's output didn't matter, they said they wanted someone "present" for the team. He quit for a 30% raise at a new place that only cares about results. So yeah, some old-school companies will still pick the guy they see by the coffee machine, but the good ones are figuring it out.

quinn_burns1mo ago

Tbh, wanting someone in the office isn't always about being old-school, it can help the team work better. But choosing a friend over the best worker is just wrong.

king.val1mo ago

Exactly, remote work like @robertcarr said shows your real value to companies that get it.

blairc902d ago

Guess that's why my golf game's still terrible, no office to network in!