The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we work, promoting remote work as a flexible option for balancing work and family. However, its impact on women’s careers varies by career stage. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that for young women starting out, remote work can hinder career growth. It also affects the mentorship that older women provide.

Research Details: The study looked at 1,055 software engineers at a large company before and during the pandemic. Some teams worked closely together in offices, while others were spread out. After offices closed, everyone worked remotely.

Mentorship Insights: Female engineers who worked closely with colleagues got 40% more feedback on their work than those on dispersed teams. This was because they could easily ask questions and discuss their projects. For male engineers, the difference in feedback based on proximity was smaller and disappeared when they started working remotely.

Both male and female engineers received helpful feedback, showing no bias in how feedback was given.

Impact on Different Career Stages: Junior female engineers benefited more from being close to their teams, getting 51% more feedback. But senior female engineers faced challenges. While they gave more guidance in person, their own productivity suffered. Those working closely produced much less work compared to those working remotely.

Challenges of Remote Mentorship: In jobs where hands-on training is crucial, remote work makes it harder for juniors to learn. This puts more pressure on senior women to mentor, affecting their own work and career growth.

Recommendations: Companies should recognize and reward senior women for their mentoring efforts. This can help balance the impact of remote work on their careers. Using digital tools for better communication and supporting working parents with flexible policies can also help.

In conclusion, while remote work offers flexibility, it poses challenges for women’s career advancement. Companies need to take steps to support women at all career stages for fairer growth opportunities.

Re-reported from the article originally published in She the People.