I've been thinking a lot about how remote work has reshaped the tech industry, and one issue stands out to me more than most: proximity bias. The uncomfortable truth is that despite the promise of flexibility and inclusivity that remote work was supposed to bring, many organizations are still grappling with an old problem disguised in a new form. In her book, Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace, Mita Mallick exposes this bias—the unconscious preference for employees who work in-office—and how it's creating a two-tier system that threatens to undo progress toward a more inclusive workplace. As a seasoned DEI leader who has advised CEOs, founders, and executives, Mita's insights are a wake-up call for leaders in tech who want to build genuinely inclusive environments.
Mita captures this issue succinctly, asking: "Are we actually being inclusive or are we unknowingly creating a two-tier system, where one group has more access, opportunity, and is more top-of-mind simply because they are in person? And do we forget about everyone else simply because they are on a screen?"
How this Plays Out for Tech Professionals:
Access and Opportunities: In-office developers and engineers often benefit from impromptu brainstorming sessions and hallway conversations with leadership. This informal access leads to higher visibility for projects and a better chance of being assigned critical tasks. Remote engineers, despite equal or greater contributions, risk being overlooked for key projects and promotions.
Performance Reviews and Recognition: In-office tech professionals tend to receive more favorable performance reviews simply due to their physical presence. Leaders, often unconsciously, perceive them as more engaged and committed, while remote professionals struggle to highlight their achievements without the benefit of face-to-face interactions.
Impact on Diversity and Inclusion: Proximity bias hits historically marginalized groups in tech particularly hard. Many professionals from underrepresented backgrounds prefer remote work to avoid microaggressions and foster a safer working environment. Mita highlights this by noting, "According to The Future Forum’s Remote Employee Experience Index, only 3 percent of Black knowledge employees want to return to full-time co-located work due to the everyday microaggressions they face in person".
Compensation Disparities: Proximity bias can influence salary adjustments and bonuses. In-office tech professionals might be perceived as more deserving of raises or high-impact projects, leading to a widening pay gap between remote and in-office employees.
Culture and Collaboration Gaps: Remote tech professionals often find themselves out of the loop in decision-making processes, reinforcing a perception that they are less invested in the company culture. Mita warns that this could lead to remote employees "feeling less connected to the organization’s culture".
How to Be More Visible When Working Remotely
Leverage Your Network Proactively: Building and nurturing networks is crucial for remote tech professionals. It’s important to identify sponsors within your organization who can advocate for you. Keeping consistent communication with these sponsors and sharing small successes helps expand your visibility. This strategy ensures that even if you’re remote, your achievements are known by key decision-makers.
Use Video Strategically: Recording short videos to share ideas or project updates can help bridge the visibility gap. Creating 2-minute video clips to present your ideas or accomplishments in a more personal way than emails can offer can leave a lasting impression. Seeing your face and hearing your voice makes it easier for colleagues and leaders to remember you.
Reflect on Your ‘Contact Language’: Understanding how your colleagues and leaders prefer to communicate and aligning your approach accordingly is essential. For remote tech professionals, this means adapting your communication style to fit both formal (email, reports) and informal (chats, video calls) channels effectively.
Show Thought Leadership Internally: Sharing your expertise by writing internal blogs or contributing to company newsletters can position you as a thought leader and increase your visibility beyond your immediate team. Even short articles on tech trends or challenges faced in current projects can amplify your presence.
Make Informal Connections Count: With the loss of water-cooler chats, creating informal touchpoints is essential. This could be as simple as initiating ‘virtual coffees’ or participating in informal Slack or Teams channels. Networking roulette or an Excellence-from-Anywhere culture—where ideas are valued regardless of who presents them—can help remote tech professionals stay connected and visible.
What Can Tech Leaders Do?
To dismantle the two-tier system, tech leaders must actively combat proximity bias by:
Implementing Clear Performance Metrics: Shift from presence-based evaluations to outcome-based assessments that focus on measurable results rather than physical availability.
Equal Access to Key Projects: Ensure remote employees have equal opportunities to work on high-impact projects by formalizing processes for project assignment.
Standardizing Compensation Reviews: Develop compensation policies that explicitly consider remote employees' contributions and impact.
Facilitating Inclusive Culture: Establish regular touchpoints for remote teams to engage in decision-making and feedback processes, ensuring they have a voice.
Conclusion
In the End: If I’ve learned anything from exploring proximity bias, it’s that the future of tech work must be built on equity and inclusion, not the false assumption that presence equals productivity. Addressing proximity bias isn’t just about fairness; it’s about unlocking the full potential of every tech professional, regardless of where they choose to work.
So, what’s next for you? Will you rethink how you evaluate remote employees? Or maybe it’s time to have a conversation with your team about proximity bias and how it shows up in your organization. Whatever step you take, the goal is clear: to ensure that talent is recognized based on contributions—not proximity.
#TechLeadership #RemoteWork #InclusionInTech #ProximityBias #WorkplaceEquity
Beyond the Newsletter: Your Personal Guide to Seamless IT Support
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About Tech Topics
Tech Topics is a newsletter with a focus on contemporary challenges and innovations in the workplace and the broader world of technology. Produced by Boston-based Conceptual Technology (http://www.conceptualtech.com), the articles explore various aspects of professional life, including workplace dynamics, evolving technological trends, job satisfaction, diversity and discrimination issues, and cybersecurity challenges. These themes reflect a keen interest in understanding and navigating the complexities of modern work environments and the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Tech Topics offers a multi-faceted view of the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of technology, work, and life. It prompts readers to think critically about how they interact with technology, both as professionals and as individuals. The publication encourages a holistic approach to understanding these challenges, emphasizing the need for balance, inclusivity, and sustainability in our rapidly changing world. As we navigate this landscape, the insights provided by these articles can serve as valuable guides in our quest to harmonize technology with the human experience.