How to Properly Negotiate Remote Working Conditions

After several interviews, you get the perfect job offer; interesting work, room for advancement, opportunities to grow, etc. A great salary and benefits are also part of the package. There’s just one issue: you have to show up to the office every day instead of working remotely. 

You can’t let the opportunity go, but you know you can’t work in the office either. You decide you really have nothing to lose. You’ll negotiate for the remote working conditions you want and need. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about how to negotiate remote work for achieving success.

Everyone Wins

When a remote work situation goes well, everyone wins. You, your clients, and your employer. It’s up to you to figure out how to propose remote work in a way that demonstrates how everyone will win if your request is granted. 

Some employers aren’t going to permit remote work no matter how good a negotiator you are, but most times, a good proposal can go a long way towards both sides getting what they want. Here are the keys to a good remote work proposal that’ll get you started. 

Proven Productivity

If you can find a way to prove you’re productive while working remotely, it’ll go a long way toward convincing a company that hiring you to telecommute will be a beneficial choice.  You might do this with statistics related to a previous remote work project or a list of your accomplishments while working remotely.

Most people now have remote work experience given that many companies enforced remote work conditions during the COVID pandemic. If your company kept records of productivity during that time or any other period when you worked remotely, it would be helpful to report this data to your prospective bosses to ease their minds about whether you can be productive when working from home.

Offer Statistics

To augment personal data about remote productivity, it can be helpful to offer statistics about remote work in general. Those given the opportunity to work remotely exhibit 22% greater productivity with less supervision than their in-office counterparts. 

75% of those working remotely also say they use less sick time. This makes sense because you’ll be exposed to fewer illnesses at home and it’s often less stressful to work from home than to commute to an office. 

Statistics like these can help to convince company managers to give a remote situation a try. After all, what manager doesn’t want increased productivity and less work in supervising employees?

Show Cost Benefits

Besides getting more work done in less time, there are other aspects of remote working that save companies money. Remote workers don’t need offices, so companies can grow without purchasing or renting space to house them. 

Companies that allow remote work can save up to 50% of their budgeted real estate costs (around $11,000) through employees that work hybrid schedules who are remote three days a week. Other cost savings can include less use of company cafeterias, wellness facilities, and workman’s compensation since workers are not on site.

Companies can also save money through remote workers as some are willing to take pay cuts to have their preferred remote schedules. If you’re willing to work remotely for less, it may be something to mention to a prospective employer who may consider that an advantage. 

Address Concerns

Another step in negotiating remote work is to find out what an employer’s main concerns are about the arrangement and address them. If the employer is worried you’ll be out of touch with your team, for example, you could commit to group meetings on Zoom several times a week. 

Addressing employers’ concerns show them you’ve thought through the remote work arrangement. This reassures them it could work well for everyone in the situation. If an employer is on the fence about remote work, they’ll be more likely to give it a try if their concerns are met proactively.

Offer a Trial Period

One way to convince an employer to give remote work a try is to propose a trial period of three to six months, after which they can evaluate your performance and make a final decision. Many jobs already have probationary periods where one’s performance is watched closely to see if a new employee is a good fit, so this would just add another layer to that existing process. 

Offer a Compromise

Employers that remain opposed to fully remote work schedules may respond to the compromise of a hybrid schedule. This can include anything from one day a week in the office to one day a week at home. A hybrid schedule usually won’t work if you aren’t located in the geographic area of the job, but if you’re close by, it could be a way to garner more flexibility. 

GDH offers help to job seekers through its talent network, its job postings, and other tools.  Contact us for more information about how to get a job today.