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Challenging Proximity Bias Could Be Key To Culture And Retention In Post-Pandemic Work

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Job seekers are re-evaluating what they are looking for at work, and one big shift they are adamant about is keeping the flexibility they benefited from during the pandemic. This creates new challenges for many businesses who are still experimenting with a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote work, and struggling to ensure that their hybrid environments are equitable. At the same time, employees are having difficulty navigating the new dynamics of hybrid workplaces, and “proximity bias” has emerged as a top concern for executives, business leaders and hybrid and remote staff when it comes to post-pandemic work.

Why are managers and executives paying more attention to people who are at the office, rather than those who are working from home, and can we reasonably expect them to shed this old habit as more staff demand flexibility in where they work? To get a better sense of how proximity bias is impacting the overall workforce, I spoke with Nichole Viviani, chief people & marketing officer at Xplor Technologies, a global technology company offering software, payments, and commerce accelerating technologies to help small businesses in various sectors succeed.

Viviani has a wealth of experience in global high growth environments, and while at Xplor Technologies, she has had a strong track record of enabling inclusive, high-performing teams and a winning culture across the business. Viviani and I looked at some of the most recent data from Prosper Insights and Analytics, which dove into the behaviors and preferences of U.S. workers and job seekers.

Gary Drenik: Why is “proximity bias” a top concern for executives when it comes to hybrid and post-pandemic work?

Nichole Viviani: According to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 42% of U.S. adults would prefer to work for a company that allows them to work from home rather than in the office. This includes 52% of Gen-Z, 54% of Millennials and 47% of Gen-X. Given these preferences, many companies have created flexible hybrid policies allowing employees to work in the office as much or as little as they wish. As people begin to collaborate in person again, what will the day-to-day be like for employees who choose, or need, to work from home?

Proximity bias includes all the inequities in work between in-person and hybrid or fully remote employees. Hybrid and remote employees can feel like their career trajectory lags their in-office peers, simply because they are less visible. Not being there in person has an impact on camaraderie and morale also: in a meeting where some attend in person and others join remotely, those on screen can feel disconnected and left out.

Hybrid and remote work are now a part of work life, and the way that executives challenge proximity bias will be critical to retaining talent in the post-pandemic world.

Drenik: How might proximity bias hurt underrepresented workers?

Viviani: Proximity bias could hurt employees who have historically been underrepresented, especially in skilled roles. For example, research shows that women are less likely to return to the office because of caretaker responsibilities and mixed feelings about inclusion, and they are opting for flexible working more than their male peers.

With underrepresented groups spending less time in the office, their access to professional opportunities could suffer if managers take the approach of out of sight, out of mind. Some managers’ perceptions are that on-site employees are more productive, but what data are they using to measure productivity? If companies don’t challenge this perception, underrepresented talent working remotely could suffer from biased, unfair, and incorrect perceptions surrounding their performance.

Drenik: How can executives challenge and minimize proximity bias for permanently remote employees as they ask workers to return to the office?

Viviani: Executives can effectively challenge proximity bias by leading from the front and both modelling and emphasizing the need for managers and teams to maintain connections with all permanently remote employees within the organization. Goal setting and strong productivity management is also key.

At Xplor Technologies, we have learned that it is possible to work productively, have fun and drive culture remotely. We focused on equipping managers with tools to build team engagement and connection remotely. One tool we found to be very successful in engaging a global hybrid workforce was Workplace by Meta. Everyone has access and alongside receiving company and team news, the platform allows employees to share updates in real-time, or pre-record video so people can watch when it suits them. Alongside being a place to share company news and get work done, it’s also become a social hub. Two of our most popular groups are Dogs@Xplor and EspressoMartini & Tiramisu, where people share photos and connect over a shared interest. With 1,800+ regular users, out of 2,100 employees, Workplace is helping us to engineer more connections across the globe.

To minimize proximity bias, executives need to ask: what tools do hybrid and remote employees need, and what technology and manager training is required? Then, implement these solutions for the company to fill these tech and training gaps.

Drenik: What are the other big challenges executives are facing when it comes to creating an inclusive culture and workplace?

Pre-pandemic it was easier to connect with employees and stay engaged because many were working in an office four - five days a week. Now, companies are faced with trying to ease people back into offices, when a growing proportion of their workforce would prefer to remain remote or hybrid. The challenges executives face in creating an inclusive workplace, where everyone can be their true self at work, predominantly lie in removing unconscious bias from hiring, strategy, product, and customer decisions.

At Xplor we believe Inclusion Ignites Innovation, so we’ve initiated unconscious bias training for all our Xplorers, overhauled hiring processes to gather diverse candidate slates, and been intentional about creating connection in a virtual-first environment - with hackathons, regular all hands events, and even a global engagement event we call the Xplor Olympics. We’ve done this so that all Xplorers, whether remote or office-based, can connect and work with people they may not otherwise meet, building a sense of belonging and community even if they’ve never been to an Xplor office.

Drenik: Post pandemic people’s priorities have shifted. It’s no longer enough for people to take home a paycheck. What do people want?

Viviani: Employees are continuing to prioritize company culture along with flexibility in where they work over the size of a paycheck, and that’s not going to change any time soon.

According to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, U.S. adults said being allowed to work from home provides a better work/life balance and the ability to save more money – so we champion flexible hybrid working models for this reason. Knowing our employees trust and see that their company supports them in how and where they work best is key to driving ongoing loyalty and engagement. Our Xplorers want flexibility – and we know companies who let their teams work in the ways that suit them best see higher retention rates.

In addition to flexibility, companies must also recognize most employees want a sense of purpose for the work they do. Now more than ever, people need to know their work has value, and to feel connected to a higher purpose.

In addition to flexibility, companies must also recognize most employees want a sense of purpose for the work they do. Now more than ever, people need to know their work has value, and to feel connected to a higher purpose.

We want all employees to feel like they belong to something bigger. We recently gave every Xplorer a personalized metallic business card, with the job title Founder, to represent their individual role in shaping our company and delivering on our purpose “to help people succeed.” Having a strong ownership mindset is part of our cultural DNA and we encourage every Xplorer to think and act like a founder.

For background, we help the owners running small and medium-sized businesses spend more time doing what they love, by giving them cloud-based, intuitive technology to manage all the hassles of running and growing a business. Many of our employees were once small business owners themselves, so we know the pain points our customers face day-to-day and take immense pride in making things simpler for them by reducing admin and overhead while helping them grow.

In addition to an ownership mindset, another way we’re helping employees to be a part of something bigger is via our giveback days, where we give every Xplorer three days of paid leave a year to volunteer in their local community.

According to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics Survey, 40% of U.S. adults rate their happiness level on their work life as neutral rather than happy. In the current labor market, businesses need to help employees feel like they’re part of something bigger, connecting them to a greater sense of purpose so they can feel happy and fulfilled in their work life.

Drenik: Nichole, thanks for your insights on how to engage and support employees in the post-pandemic world of work. We’ll continue keeping an eye on proximity bias as the workplace continues to shift and evolve.

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