We’re Inspired by Keagan Gros! #WorkFromAnywhere
The COVID-19 pandemic shifted our business into a fully-remote ー and thankfully, fully operable!ー business for the majority of the pandemic. Glimmers of “normalcy” are continuing to sparkle in NYC where our HQ is located, but the 5 day work weeks spent fully in the office are now long gone. We’ll be sharing more on our “Work From Anywhere” announcement and what it means for Clarity, but first the spotlight is on Keagan Gros, our Direct-Hire Recruitment Team Lead. She has taught us so much about the difference a year can make. We are inspired by her ability to jump out of her comfort zone ーthe image of this article should be self-explanatory!ー and take advantage of being untethered from the physical and geographical constraints of the workplace which had kept her in NYC for years. Keep reading to learn more about how she took a leap of faith in 2021 and lived in 10 cities across the United States on a “City Shopping” quest to discover what city she’d like to move to longer term. Link to full story below, but we’ve pulled some of her key tips on how to make travel and remote work work for you. Don’t have any travel plans just yet? Keagan’s article can also provide some inspiration on cities you can visit!
Tips for the Untethered Employee from from Keagan:
- Timing is everything! Avoid stress by managing your time zones: “Keep your work computer in the time zone your company is based in — not the time zone you are living in. I worked ET but lived ET, CT, MT, and PT. Keeping my computer ET helped me not miss meetings or calls.”
- Travelers gain access and ideas through social media platforms like Instagram: “Instagram was a great way to connect with friends and family in the city. I was also able to find out about local things including outdoor workout classes, pop-up experiences, bucket list items in each city, etc. Most cities have Instagram pages dedicated to things to do in that city and I found them to be better resources than Yelp or Google. Social media helped me stay connected and allowed me to discover things to do.
- Healthcare virtual access is a trend here to stay, and allows you to stay in touch with your local providers while traveling: Traveling frequently can be tough on your health if you don’t have access to familiar routines and wellness resources. “Keep up with your doctor’s appointments, especially if you are doing a full year on the road like I did. The shift to virtual doctors’ visits was a big help on the road.”
- Road tripping and renting a car this summer to try out working remotely short or long term? Get to know non-owned auto insurance options:
“In N.Y.C. I didn’t have a car, therefore didn’t have car insurance. For 2021, I got non-owned auto insurance. This way I was insured for any rented cars and if I drove a friend’s car.”
- Designate a “home base”, even if you’re not home: “Have a permanent address to use. If you do a full year of travel, like me, you will need to have a permanent address for your taxes, etc.” Making sure your employer knows this will save you stress later on.
One of our key takeaways from Keagan’s year of discovery and adventure is counter-intuitive to some prevailing news headlines across major news outlets about the job market. From “The Great Resignation” to the endless posts about job hopping and salary increases in certain industries, it feels like the right time to make moves for many. The job market truly has been disrupted and is now extremely active. We can’t deny that and it works very much to our advantage as a recruiting firm! So what is our takeaway?
Trust and loyalty really can pay off!
It’s alluring to consider all your options, but businesses that trust their employees to take risks and live full lives will come out of this uniquely candidate-driven market on top. Businesses should take a page from her Medium article and recognize the benefits they can gain from a growth vs. a fixed mindset. Offering flexibility within reason can yield huge rewards for employees, which often results in bottom line benefits as well.
Trust and loyalty are valuable pieces of currency in the job market. Arguably, they may even be the greatest foundation for successful relationships to grow into fulfilling careers. Job hopping may be hot right now, but let’s not forget there are key benefits to loyalty that are often underrated! Keagan used the trust she had built with leadership and her Team to ground herself during a year filled with firsts and new experiences…and Clarity mutually trusted that she could handle this without skipping a beat on her work responsibilities. Both sides benefited! We think that this conversation is one we don’t see enough of, and Keagan breaks it down really well here: “I have been with [Clarity] for the past seven years. Having the same job and colleagues was another form of grounding for me. Even if my environment or time zone was different, I could count on my colleagues’ smiling faces and my daily work to be familiar”. That consistency enabled her to take big risks and have a year of growth and learning outside the virtual office!
Not getting the flexibility you need?
As Keagan discusses, it’s not always enough to blame your job for areas of your personal life you wish to advance. A mindset shift is likely in order. A few questions can help you break it down: Can your company meet you where you’re at and allow you to flex into a better version of you? Do they support your growth and desires to evolve? Do you believe in their values and feel mutual trust? Then you may be surprised to learn that you can do something unconventional and capitalize on new-found flexibility tooー you might just have to shift your mindset, take a risk and ask! If your company won’t flex on giving you flexibility however, It may in fact be time to take flight yourself! We are passionate about what we do and helping candidates take their own leaps of faith. From weighing the pros and cons, negotiating salaries, and generally supporting you through big career transitionsー we’re here for you, and we’re located in a variety of cities across the US! Let’s connect so we can help you start your next adventure.
Now you may be wondering… where is Keagan now? Below you’ll find a link to Keagan’s complete Medium post which reveals the city she is now settling down in! Here’s one final piece of her insight we can all get behind: “A person’s network/community is always evolving and if you let it, can always grow. Investing quality time in meaningful relationships has allowed me to have a more enjoyable, memorable, and fulfilled life.”
Contact her here: Keagan@claritystaffing.com
