Although remote work has proven productive and efficient, more employers are demanding employees return to offices. This request is often linked to a phenomenon known as proximity bias, which refers to a preference for employees who are physically present in the workplace.
What is proximity bias?
Proximity bias refers to the tendency of managers and organizations to favour employees who are physically present in the office over those working remotely. This bias can negatively impact employee engagement, especially in hybrid work models, as well as decisions about task allocation, performance perceptions, and even career advancement.
While often unconscious, this bias significantly affects the work environment and the sense of fairness among employees. For example, an office-based employee may be rated more favourably simply because managers see them more often, while remote employees remain "invisible," despite contributing equally or even more.
Increased monitoring could demotivate employees
Research shows that employees working from home can be as engaged, if not more, than their office-based colleagues. According to global research, remote employees often demonstrate higher productivity due to fewer distractions and greater flexibility in organizing their work schedules. Additionally, remote workers tend to have higher engagement levels, as remote work allows for better work-life balance. Gallup’s 2023 research found that employees in hybrid or fully remote roles experience a greater sense of autonomy, which contributes to their motivation and satisfaction.
The challenge of remote work lies not in its nature but in how managers and organizations approach performance tracking and trust employees. If practice shows remote workers can be more engaged and productive, returning to offices often becomes less about efficiency and more about a lack of trust in employees or uncertainty about measuring their contributions.
Many employers seek to increase oversight of remote employees by implementing activity-monitoring software, such as keystroke tracking, screen recording, and website monitoring. While such measures aim to boost productivity, they often achieve the opposite effect—demotivating employees, eroding trust, and fostering a sense of surveillance. Instead, employers should develop transparent performance-tracking systems based on achievements and results while fostering a culture of trust, support, and personal responsibility.
Isolation and divisions among employees
When employers insist on returning to offices, they often cite reasons such as strengthening team cohesion, simplifying communication, and better monitoring of work performance. However, such decisions are rarely linked to measurable drops in productivity during remote work but rather to a perceived lack of control over work processes. This approach can further highlight proximity bias and create divisions among employees with different work preferences.
If managers unconsciously favour employees who are physically present, those who spend more time working from home may feel underappreciated and overlooked, which can diminish their motivation over time. Remote employees may feel their contributions are less valued compared to colleagues who are frequently in the office, even if their work is of equal quality.
These challenges often stem from unclear employer expectations and the lack of systems ensuring equal recognition and appreciation for all employees, regardless of their work location. Additionally, leadership competencies and management styles should adapt to team dynamics and align with how teams operate, even if some members work remotely. Managers must therefore develop leadership skills that enable them to build and maintain trust within their teams.
Negative impact on organizational climate
Organizational climate shapes employees’ perceptions of fairness, trust, and inclusivity within a company. Since company values form the core of corporate culture, and the most important component is its people, employee perceptions can significantly strengthen or weaken corporate culture. How can proximity bias negatively impact organizational culture?
Perception of inequality
Employees who choose to work from home may feel undervalued compared to their office-based colleagues, even when achieving equally good or better results. This feeling can undermine their trust in management and create the perception that decisions are made based on physical presence rather than performance.
Lack of transparency in performance evaluation
When criteria for measuring performance are not clearly defined and consistently applied to all employees, those working remotely may perceive physical presence as an implicit evaluation criterion. Consequently, they may feel their contributions are less appreciated because they cannot physically demonstrate their work to managers or colleagues.
Disparity in development opportunities
Remote workers may feel less noticed or have limited access to developmental opportunities, such as mentorship, promotions, or participation in important projects, further exacerbating feelings of inequality.
Increased tension among employees
Hybrid work models can create divisions between teams who spend most of their time in the office and those who prefer working from home, especially if grievances about workloads or perceived inequalities exist.
Weakened sense of belonging
Employees who work remotely more often may feel excluded from informal discussions, spontaneous brainstorming sessions, and social interactions naturally occurring among colleagues in the office, reducing their sense of connection with the team.
Employee engagement surveys for addressing proximity bias
To address and overcome these issues, it is crucial to measure employees’ perceptions of fairness, inclusion, and engagement through engagement surveys. Results can reveal differences in the experiences of remote, hybrid, and office-based employees, helping create strategies to bridge these gaps.
However, conducting engagement and climate surveys is ineffective without a follow-up action plan. Follow-up activities may include team workshops and HR-led sessions to present results to employees, often accompanied by managerial coaching to create actionable plans according to climate and engagement survey results. Companies that regularly conduct annual comprehensive surveys and quarterly or semi-annual Pulse Check surveys achieve the most significant improvements by assessing whether they have effectively addressed key priorities and are on the right track toward implementing improvements.
Strategic approach to addressing bias
Reducing proximity bias requires a thoughtful combination of practices and changes in the organizational culture. Regular employee engagement surveys and fairness perception analyses can identify challenges faced by remote workers. Alongside these surveys, additional measures can help organizations address proximity bias strategically and effectively:
Raising awareness of proximity bias among leaders
Organizing workshops to familiarize managers with the concept of proximity bias can help them recognize its signs. Identifying favouritism based on work location is the first step toward developing strategies to reduce bias and create a fairer work environment.
Adjusting team leadership styles
Leaders must adapt their leadership styles to equally involve all team members. Workshops on managing hybrid teams should cover effective communication, ensuring equal access to information, and actively involving remote employees in decision-making.
Transparent performance evaluation criteria
Clear and measurable goals for all employees, regardless of their work model, can ensure performance evaluation is based on results rather than subjective impressions or physical presence. Transparent criteria also enhance the sense of fairness.
Frequent, shorter one-on-one meetings
Regular individual meetings are an essential tool for maintaining connections and tracking progress for remote employees. Structured meetings should include goal tracking, feedback discussions, and informal conversations to strengthen a sense of inclusion.
Virtual mentorship and sponsorship programs
Organizations should develop programs ensuring equal access to professional development for all employees. Remote workers should also be included in mentorship programs and provided with developmental support.
Employers can truly set a standard by creating inclusive work environments where employees feel equally valued, regardless of their work mode. Such an approach builds trust, strengthens engagement, and ensures long-term success in evolving work conditions. If you want to explore employee satisfaction and engagement as a first step toward creating such work environments, feel free to contact us!
