For those working in office support jobs in London, you’ll be familiar with the importance of the manager-support worker relationship. Not only does the relationship greatly affect your morale as well as sense of enjoyment and commitment to work, it also significantly affects productivity and effectiveness.
At the moment, many recruitment agencies in London are seeing new candidates come onto the market because of a breakdown in the relationship between manager and support worker whilst working remotely. There are also many doing temporary jobs in London who need to build an effective relationship with their boss when they haven’t even met them in person.
So, when working remotely, how can you ensure that the relationship with your boss is a good one?
Communicate, communicate, then communicate some more
It’s easy to underestimate the amount of communication that is needed when working remotely from one another. In an office environment, there are dozens of tiny communications each day that can seem insignificant but are vital for building a positive working relationship.
You can’t easily replicate this through remote working so you have to take a more proactive and structured approach to communication. Make sure that each day you have a fixed one-to-one, and choose the time wisely for you both.
Be honest
With remote forms of communication, understanding meaning and getting nuances is harder. So, you both need to be up-front and honest when you communicate. If you’re having a difficult day, let your manager know. Ask questions about them too. If you don’t understand something, then say so. An honest and transparent approach to communication will ensure that misunderstandings are avoided.
Opt for face-to-face communication
Wherever possible, use face-to-face communication. Instant messenger communications, email, and even phone have the potential for non-verbal communication to be missed. So opt to regularly use face-to-face communication through video calling. This enables richer and more focused communication.
Overstate what you’re doing
Your manager isn’t a mind-reader. If they can’t see you doing things, they don’t know it’s happening. There’s no harm in a few times a day dropping them a line to let them know what you’re doing now. This gives them the opportunity to redirect you if their priorities have changed whilst also keeping them in the loop of how your time is being used to support them. At the end of the day, send a ‘status-check’ message briefly reviewing everything you’ve done.
Welcome feedback
If you’re doing remote temporary jobs or are new to working remotely, then there’s a learning curve for everyone. Be open to feedback and seek it out. Ask your boss how they think things are going and if there’s anything they think you could improve.
It’s not always easy building a positive working relationship when you’re separated by miles and computer screens. But by working at it consciously, you can make it work. However, if it’s really not working, then don’t be afraid to consider a change. We’ve got a variety of temporary jobs in London available and a call for virtual office support, so we can help you find a more positive working relationship. Get in touch on 020 7870 7177.
Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.
View our latest job opportunities here
PA & EA Jobs l Office Support Jobs l Temporary Jobs Marketing & PR Jobs l HR Jobs l Finance Jobs