Presence bias, where employees who work in the office are rewarded because they are more visible than those who work from home, is still an issue in the hybrid workplace. Andrew Mawson outlines how employers can help eliminate it.
In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear suggested that if the pilot of an aeroplane flying from Los Angeles to New York City turned just 3.5 degrees further south at take-off, the plane would end up in Washington DC instead. Just a minuscule and barely noticeable change would result in landing hundreds of miles away from the intended destination.
Now use that as an analogy for the world of work. Its new flight took off in March 2020 having been adjusted by 180 degrees and, though it’s not quite the same subtle change, the dilemma for some is that the plane is still in mid-flight, with no idea where the destination is.
Hybrid working
It might sound like a cliché now, but the world of work has and continues to change. Yet, here we are, three years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and our chancellor is still regurgitating statements calling on UK workers to be in the office “by default”.
Additionally, organisations such as Amazon, Disney and Starbucks have enacted strict return-to-office mandates, leaving many employees unhappy.
Human beings possess a finite mental capacity for work. It is crucial for leaders to discover effective means for employees to utilise their capacity optimally to achieve the greatest outcomes, as opposed to persistently overwhelming them and fostering a culture that glorifies long working hours in the office.
Before the pandemic, the prevalent culture emphasised extended working hours and the notion of being physically present. Opportunities for advancement were often contingent upon visibly exerting oneself at the desk. Proven presence bias rewarded people for being in the office and sidelined those working from home as second-class citizens.
In the new world of work, organisations need to ensure equity through the deployment of new practices, understandings and processes.
Hybrid workers are more productive
AWA’s Hybrid Working Index study of 220 offices in 33 countries, representing nearly 250,000 employees, revealed that hybrid working has become the norm, with people now going into the office for an average of just 1.5 days a week, versus nearly four days a week before the pandemic.
What’s more, our most recent research found that hybrid working employees deliver nearly two extra weeks of work a year on average for their employer as well as working harder and better in a hybrid environment.
The results of the analysis show the benefits of hybrid working for organisations. The National Bureau of Economic Research in the US found that, globally, workers not going into an office save 72 minutes a day on average from not having to commute. Of this time, they dedicate 28.8 minutes to additional work.
Combine that study with our Hybrid Working Index and this would suggest that employees with flexible arrangements work an additional 101 minutes, or 1.7 hours, a week. Over a typical working year of approximately 45 weeks, this would equate to 75.6 extra hours of work, or just over 9.5 days, assuming an eight-hour day – that’s nearly two whole extra work weeks.
So, it begs the question: why would leaders call employees back into the office five days a week? This could point to a lack of trust, or is it just the leaders have not discovered how to manage hybrid working?
Shifting away from presence-biased models
Leaders should listen, give their people a voice and be clear about their responsibilities to tasks and to one another. To work in the model that we are now in requires more of a transformational style of leadership, where leaders are much more supportive and coach-orientated as opposed to being supervisory and dictatorial. But, first and foremost, they must trust their employees and create a psychologically safe environment. It won’t happen by chance.
It’s also important that leaders focus on evaluating employees based on the outcomes and results they deliver rather than the number of hours worked or their physical presence. Leaders should set clear goals and expectations and regularly assess employees’ achievements based on those objectives.
It is crucial to ensure that employees who spend a significant amount of time working remotely are not treated as second-class citizens. The goal is for everyone to embrace a hybrid approach, regardless of their physical presence in the office.”
By implementing these systems and processes, employers can mitigate the impact of presence bias and create a more inclusive work environment where employees are valued based on their contributions, regardless of their physical presence.
To fully leverage a hybrid model, organisations must actively address and eliminate presence bias by implementing new norms, practices, and processes. It is crucial to ensure that employees who spend a significant amount of time working remotely are not treated as second-class citizens. The goal is for everyone to embrace a hybrid approach, regardless of their physical presence in the office.
To facilitate effective hybrid meetings, it is essential to provide off-site attendees with an experience as close as possible to those who are physically present. This may involve upgrading meeting room technology to enable remote participants to engage on an equal footing. Alternatively, if such upgrades are not feasible, all individuals in the office should take collective responsibility to ensure a productive experience for all attendees, such as by actively participating through their own laptops.
Performance management systems need to be reimagined to incorporate multiple perspectives when assessing an individual’s performance rather than solely relying on a manager’s on-site observations. This should be accompanied by a comprehensive revamp of leadership skills and the establishment of a culture that emphasises defining clear outcomes against which teams and individuals can be evaluated. Additionally, leaders must prioritise scheduling regular informal interactions with their team members to foster social connection and prevent the “out of sight, out of mind” phenomenon.
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By implementing these measures, organisations can create an inclusive and equitable hybrid work environment, where presence bias is minimised, collaboration is enhanced, and individuals’ contributions are evaluated through a comprehensive and fair lens.
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