Image by Engin Akyurt
In this Article:
- How well do you understand remote work rules and etiquette?
- Quiz to test your hybrid work knowledge - pros and cons
- Tips for improving your office and "work-from-home" experiences
- Strategies for getting promoted even when doing remote work
Do You Know the Rules of Remote Work? Take This Quiz
by Vicky Oliver.
Hybrid work, especially in some industries where a laptop may be all that’s needed, appears to be settling in for the long term. It’s a way that companies are attempting to meet the demands of the majority of today’s workers.
Yet even with the uptick in hybrid work arrangements, unresolved questions remain regarding rules of etiquette. While working remotely for a portion of the work week is generally considered more convenient and a nice perk from employers, not all its nuances have been decided.
Do You Know the Pros and Cons of Hybrid Work?
Take this quiz to learn what you know about the etiquette matters and intricacies of your hybrid work arrangement.
# 1. Which are better attended:
A- In-person meetings?
B- Virtual meetings?
C- Meetings by conference call?
Answer: B. Virtual meetings.
Thanks to technology, businesses who employ virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom have seen higher meeting attendance, more attentive workers, and simplified communication. With the “Share Your Screen” feature for presenting a document or video relevant to the discussion, and the “Raise Hand” tools to help avoid interruptions, teams have found a new ease and efficiency in virtual meetings.
However, just as with in-person meetings, the more people involved the more unwieldy the meeting becomes. Use good judgment when asking others to sit through a video conference so you don’t needlessly take up others’ time.
Meeting etiquette still applies. Show up on time, prepared and presentable. Be sure to minimize distractions. Move out of high-traffic zones in your home, and ask family members to be considerate.
# 2. Is it okay to leave the state (or country) on your days away from the office?
A- Yes
B- No
C- Sometimes
Answer: C. Sometimes.
If you’ve been given the flexibility to work from a remote location, the implicit agreement is that you’ll continue to adhere to deadlines, attend meetings (virtually), and be available during working hours in your office’s time zone. If you can do this from a vacation spot, this shouldn’t be a problem. But good etiquette dictates that you let your supervisor know the dates that you won’t be in close personal proximity to the office.
Also, take care that you’re not always on the fly. It gets annoying after a time in spite of your best efforts.
Take all calls and meetings in a quiet spot, and don’t brag about the palm trees and ocean breezes if your colleagues are stuck in a freezing city in a different weather zone.
# 3. Who is more likely to prefer remote work over going to the office:
A- Baby Boomers?
B- Gen Xers?
C- Millennials?
D- Gen Zers?
Answer: C. Millennials
A recent survey found that 84 percent of Millennials want remote work options, followed by Gen Z (74%) and Gen X (49%). Only about one-third (32%) of Baby Boomers preferred more remote work options.
It’s possible this can be attributed to how some Boomers are less comfortable with the technology required (and lack of support available) in remote working situations. Additionally, both those from the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations have spent the bulk of their working years during a time when working from an office was the norm. Baby Boomers may be more process-oriented as a result, seeing the benefit of fostering long-term relationships, which happens more from face-to-face interactions than meetings over relatively impersonal Zoom.
Millennials, on the other hand, may appreciate the improved work-life balance that hybrid work affords, particularly when raising families. Etiquette calls for respecting individual preferences and comfort with hybrid work arrangements.
# 4. Does hybrid work:
A- Improve collaboration?
B- Deter collaboration?
C- Make no difference in terms of collaboration?
Answer: A. Improve collaboration.
Counterintuitively, working from different locations often helps collaborative projects. Thanks to intranet software, team members have real-time access to information and documents. The ease of tracking projects anywhere and at any time improves the productivity and efficiency of collaborative undertakings.
Importantly, taking the time to form meaningful bonds does a lot to boost the engagement and trust needed for collaboration. Bonding can take place during an in-person setting — perhaps a coffee shop or outdoor patio where everyone can relax — or by taking a few minutes to check in with each other at the start of each Zoom meeting.
From an etiquette standpoint, always try to give and receive feedback graciously to keep the collaborative process congenial even as it advances at a speedy clip.
# 5. Are hybrid workers who spend little time at the office less likely to be promoted?
A- Yes
B- No
C- Maybe
Answer: A. Yes.
Connections with one’s bosses are still better made in person. Face it, the chance to chit-chat with higher-ups as you ride the elevator or linger after an in-person meeting leads to better bonding.
Upper management is also less able to assess personalities and work styles when hybrid workers opt to take maximum advantage of working remotely.
It’s also harder for you to volunteer for assignments or conveniently be the last person at the office each night (and potentially the first person someone asks to pitch in on an exciting new project) if you’re not physically there. Smart etiquette encourages employees bent on advancement to put in some valuable in-person time to make a favorable impression on their higher-ups.
# 6. While working remotely, do hybrid workers put in:
A- Less hours?
B- The same hours?
C- More hours?
Answer: C. More hours.
Bosses are beginning to back off concerns that hybrid work arrangements will result in less productivity from those working outside the office. In fact, overall, working on their remote days appears to boost workers’ productivity.
Some theorize that remote workers are incentivized to work harder so they won’t lose the benefit of hybrid work. Others point to the time made available by not having to commute to work.
Appropriate etiquette requires that workers make sure they don’t violate their bosses’s trust. For example, work hours on remote days shouldn’t include watching the highlights feed of a favorite sports team.
What Your Score?
Well? How did you do? (Answers are listed, after each question and its choices. on the right side of the page.)
If you got all six correct, congratulations! You understand the new rules of hybrid work perfectly. Keep at it, and hopefully you can look forward to a promotion in the near future.
If you answered four or five correctly, you are close to knowing the etiquette needed for hybrid work to work for you. Consider finding new ways to bond with your bosses and colleagues or put in a little more “face” time at the office.
If you got fewer than three right, chances are you’ll need to better embrace the etiquette rules that will keep this perk a possibility.
Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Book by this Author:
BOOK: 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions
301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions
by Vicky Oliver.
As times change, so do norms of behavior in the office. 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions has the answers you need to survive daily life in the professional environment. Following the same popular Q&A format of her bestselling 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, Oliver will tell you how to get the job and how to keep it by navigating all the intricacies of the modern workplace.
Where other etiquette guides evoke images of a stilted and stuffy Victorian tea party, Oliver’s witty answers to common questions are both engaging and accessible. She believes that etiquette is not a throwback to some bygone age, but has a direct and tangible impact on your career right here and now. Off come the white gloves as she tears away the corporate veil to reveal things they still don’t teach at Harvard Business School.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition and as an Audiobook.
About the Author
Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-bestselling author of five books, including 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions (Skyhorse, 2010). She is a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source, having made over 901 appearances in broadcast, print and online outlets.
Vicky Oliver is the Nonfiction Editor at LIT Magazine, the Journal of the New School Masters in Fine Arts Creative Writing, and teaches essay writing at the New York Writers Workshop. For more information, visit VickyOliver.com.
Article Recap:
This article explored the essential rules for hybrid work, addressing both office and remote settings. It provided a quiz to test knowledge of hybrid work etiquette and best practices, emphasizing the importance of balancing work-from-home flexibility with office responsibilities. By following these hybrid work guidelines, employees can enhance their overall work experience, improve collaboration, and adhere to the best practices for both environments. The tips and strategies outlined aim to help navigate the complexities of hybrid work successfully.
