Five key strategies to grow social capital for remote employees

To keep themselves open to job opportunities that would otherwise go to others, social capital is critical to the success of remote employees, solo entrepreneuers and members of the gig economy.

Writing in a column for the Harvard Business Review, Aliza Licht,  Founder of multimedia brand and consultancy Leave Your Mark, shared her experience of working remotely and independently after 17 years of working in a corporate office and a team. She detailed the process of having to work by herself, and how having social capital from her previous workplace was beneficial to having her correspondence returned and getting work done. “When you are not physically present, it is easy for others to forget they need to communicate directives beyond their four walls,” Licht explained.

Accruing social capital would require strong principles, a steadfast work ethic, and the ability to organise yourself, she said, while recommending five strategies that employees can use to grow their social capital.

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These include being gracious with time to help colleagues and support them through projects and going beyond the scope of one’s job role; making sure that communication is done with clear understanding and intent, while also doing so at the right time so maximise the amount of time and discussion with colleagues; keeping track of the people, company and projects one is work on so as to manage relationships better; being in constant communication with colleagues for on-going tasks to demonstrate dependability and lastly, to always be supportive and thankful in the work done by  the team employees are part of.