🔒Ask ACE: We haven’t rejected remote work, but are losing company culture. What do you suggest?

Q: We haven’t fully rejected remote work, but are losing ground in company culture and employee engagement. What do you suggest?

ACE advises: Maine’s expansive landscape and dispersed communities present challenges for both job seekers and employers. As a career coach, I often help clients navigate the changing world of remote work, a trend that’s reshaping Maine’s workforce.

But how can Maine workers and employers come together on this issue?

Remote work can offer flexibility, work-life balance and access to a much wider range of jobs, allowing Mainers to pursue careers without geographic limitations. This can be a game-changer, especially for those in rural areas or with caregiving responsibilities.

However, not all Maine businesses are ready for remote work, particularly those requiring on-site presence or those who worry about productivity and company culture.

Finding common ground

To bridge this gap, both workers and employers need to be proactive and adaptable. Here are some ideas to consider.

For workers

• Demonstrate remote-success potential: Highlight your self-discipline, communication skills, and ability to excel remotely, while also considering chances to build in-person connections with colleagues when possible.
• Embrace technology: Familiarize yourself or seek more training with common remote work technologies and systems.
• Highlight remote-work experience: If you have it, emphasize your successful track record in remote roles on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

For employers

• Assess remote-work suitability: Identify roles and tasks that could be performed remotely without compromising productivity or service quality.
• Invest in technology and training: Provide employees with the tools and training they need to excel in a remote environment.
• Foster a remote-inclusive culture: Create a culture that supports remote workers and fosters a sense of belonging and connection, even from a distance. Trust that this investment will pay off with reduced turnover, strong productivity, employee well-being, and strong team collaboration.
• Develop clear policies: Within mandated compliance and state and federal regulations, establish clear guidelines and expectations upfront for communication, performance management, and technology usage. 

With flexibility and open communication, Maine’s workers and employers can find common ground on remote work, creating a more inclusive and dynamic workforce that benefits everyone.

I am convinced the way forward is to understand how technology helps so we can work together to unlock the full potential of remote work in our beautiful state.

ACE member Holly Smevog is founder of Portland-based HMS Career Coaching. Holly’s team helps people advance in their careers and navigate career change. Holly is past president of the Maine Career Development Association. She can be reached at holly@hmscareercoaching.com.