https://www.businessinsider.com/dell-remote-workers-promotion-return-office-push-flexible-work-2024-3
4 replies (most recent on top)
oxymorons : dell, Career-growth
So darn glad I was laid off in September 2023. My friends who are still at Dell are totally depressed over this. And most are hopeful that they will get laid off soon.
Just because you're not up for a promotion at your current job doesn't mean your career can't advance. Throughout my career, I've changed jobs four times. Let's use "entry" to denote the starting point. My first job jump resulted in a two-level promotion (to entry+2). The following move actually set me back a level (to entry+1), but with better pay. Then, I earned two promotions at that company (reaching entry+3), working in person. Moving to another company, I maintained my level (entry+3) but worked remotely. My next job change brought another promotion (to entry+4). So, I've only climbed the ladder within a company twice; my other advancements came from changing employers.
Despite receiving positive performance evaluations, it seems reaching entry+5 at my current company might take some time. I've been approached by a recruiter for a potential move to entry+5 elsewhere, but the work culture and nature of my current role outweigh the prospect of advancing. I appreciate being able to work from home most days, only going into the office occasionally for meetings.
Early in your career, achieving the next "N+1" might seem crucial, but eventually, there's more to life than just pursuing the next promotion. I've seen people who are fixated on climbing the corporate ladder end up miserable. Even when they secure those promotions, their lives don't necessarily improve. Some end up with larger mortgages and the constant stress of having to perform at their new level just to keep up with their expenses.
In certain organizations, choosing to work entirely from a remote setting might inadvertently affect your chances for career advancement, even if there's no formal policy mentioning this.
From what I've observed firsthand, after shifting to a completely remote work arrangement, my supervisor hinted that this could restrict my promotional prospects, which indeed turned out to be true. In my particular case, having direct interactions with the leadership seemed to be a significant factor in promotion decisions.
Despite this, I found the advantages of working remotely outweighed the potential limitations on my career growth. This is the reality, irrespective of one's opinion on remote work.
In my experience working with several teams after COVID-19, where most members worked remotely, I've noticed that when problems occur, they are often due to deeper issues rather than the remote working arrangement itself.