4.1.1. Impact of Lack of Face-to-Face Time

First, for 9.9% of the respondents, in-person interactions were critical to advancement opportunities, whether they consisted of networking, brainstorming, learning from or cultivating relationships with supervisors and colleagues, fostering mentorships, being seen as available and willing to take on projects, or having the opportunity to impress with current work. Women respondents believed their career advancement had suffered because of these missing opportunities, as working from home meant an inability to "shine" and impress. They lacked the networking opportunities that come with more in-person interaction. For example, one participant stated, "I can't get the one-on-one mentoring that would speed advancement up". Another explained, "The lack of informal connection with colleagues across the organization has hampered my ability to network, explore new areas of the company, and facilitate growth". In addition, one woman indicated, "I felt that out of sight, out of mind was very evident. I feel that I am very behind now in positioning myself for any sort of advancement". A fourth clarified, "Being remote full time, it feels like I am

not seen or heard, leading me to feel less valued and less likely to be considered for any other opportunities". A final respondent concluded, "I have to jump at every opportunity to prove my worth and value, which is making me feel burned out".
