Even after a year of elevated inflation, flight cancellations, and airport horror stories, Canadians haven’t totally worked the need for post-pandemic travel out of their systems. And with another summer of holiday travel ahead, one advisor expects the work-from-anywhere trend will continue to prove its worth in restructuring client interactions for the better.

"I've had meetings with clients while working remotely,” says Alan O’Brien, wealth advisor and client relationship manager at Nicola Wealth. “It's interesting how we get these glimpses into each other's lives through video calls, which fosters a personal connection.”

The joy of remote work

According to O’Brien, virtual technology has unlocked a new world of convenience for many clients. After the grand social experiment of the Covid-19 pandemic, clients and firms have firmly embraced advancements in digital communication. With greater client comfort surrounding remote meetings, advisors have more flexibility than ever to schedule and meet clients wherever they are.

“There's definitely been a shift towards remote work, and it has its advantages,” O’Brien says. “For advisors, it allows us to be less rigid with our schedules as well as maintain personal commitments.”

For countless advisors, the ability to work remotely creates a new way to balance their responsibilities at home with their obligations to clients. This can be particularly beneficial for women advisors, who might have been professionally challenged by their traditionally outsized role in childcare, elder care, and other familial duties.

O’Brien had the chance to personally experience the joy of remote work when he went home for the holidays last year. He brought new meaning to the phrase “fireside chat” as he sat by the fireplace in his rural hometown, meeting virtually with clients who were just having breakfast in Vancouver.

“Any time any of us as individuals have flexibility with how we conduct our work, that is generally going to give us more time to look after ourselves,” O’Brien says. “An advisor can go on vacation, but still plan meetings or client interactions seamlessly around that. I think clients really appreciate how they could get the same level of service as they would if the client was still working at the office.”

Realities and responsibilities

There are some costs to working from anywhere. It can be harder to read non-verbal cues in virtual or audio-only calls compared to in-person meetings, which means advisors could miss crucial tells from clients in conversation.

Because each party is in a different geographical location, there’s a greater risk of schedules not aligning. There’s also the plain biological reality of circadian rhythms: a wide-awake advisor could struggle to get information from an exhausted client, whereas clients who are still fresh might not get the best experience from an advisor who’s burning the midnight oil.

"Working across time zones and dealing with different energy levels can be a challenge,” O’Brien, acknowledges, “but building healthy boundaries and strong time management strategies can ease these challenges.”

The power to use remote communication also comes with a certain level of responsibility. O’Brien always tests his equipment to make sure it’s working properly. Staging is also important: before going on a virtual call, he makes sure the environment is free of noise pollution or other factors that can interfere with the experience.

O’Brien has embraced a paperless working style, with all files stored digitally on his work computer. Aside from basic cybersecurity practices like not using public Wi-Fi nor logging onto their work accounts through external systems while on the road, he says Nicola Wealth has set up encryptions on their videoconferencing platforms like Teams and Zoom. They also have a secure portal for storing client documents.

"We don’t communicate with clients outside of our company email,” he adds. “And all employees at our firm receive cyber security and privacy training.”

The exception, not the default

O’Brien encourages advisors to embrace the opportunity to be flexible and work from anywhere. But at the same time, he believes it’s best to exercise some judgment in adopting the practice.

“I do think there’s a line. If a client sees you taking a call from a vacation destination too frequently, maybe that’s not the best thing … they might wonder if you’re actually engaged with them,” he says.

“I think working from anywhere should be used to facilitate the client’s goals and objectives and provide assistance when they’re traveling, and for the odd occasion when the advisor’s away. But for the most part, I think clients expect their advisor is going to be either at home or in the company office working, and working remotely would be more of an exception.”