With the consolidation of home office and hybrid work, a silent challenge has been impacting the careers of many professionals: theproximity biasA study conducted by economists from the British universities of Nottingham, Sheffield, and King's College indicates thatRemote workers have fewer chances of receiving promotions and salary increases, even when they perform better than their in-office colleagues.The reason? The unconscious tendency of leaders to value more those who are physically close in daily life.
Virgilio Marques dos Santos, co-founder of FM2S Education and Consulting, career manager, and PhD from Unicamp, warns that this distortion can harm both professionals and the companies themselves. "The proximity bias causes ineffective management to end up promoting those who are visible in the office, rather than those who deliver better results. This undermines fair recognition of work and reduces talent retention," he states.
The problem worsened after the pandemic, when many leaders, accustomed to the in-person model, began to associate productivity with physical presence. However, innovative companies have already understood that the most important thing is to measure results, not the amount of time spent in the office. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have adopted more flexible models, focusing on delivery and work quality, regardless of the employee's location.
How to avoid proximity bias?
To ensure a fair assessment, Santos recommends some practices:
- Performance evaluation:Instead of focusing on physical presence, companies should establish clear performance metrics to evaluate their employees;
- Regular meetings with everyone on the team:Remote employees can be forgotten in daily interactions. Structured meetings ensure balance in communications;
- Use of productivity tools:Management software allows monitoring performance objectively, reducing dependence on in-person observation.
- Inclusive organizational culture:Leaders should be trained to recognize and avoid proximity bias, ensuring that decisions are based on actual merit.
For the specialist, the future of work is not in constant supervision but in the relationship of trust and the appreciation of results. "Companies that understand this will get ahead, attracting and retaining the best professionals, regardless of where they are," he concludes.
