7 Ways Companies Can Battle Bias Against Remote Workers

You have two employees — one whose desk is steps away from your office and another who works remotely and is seen mostly via video conferences. Which one is more diligent, productive, and reliable?

It’s a question employers will be asking a lot in the days and months ahead, and the answers could have serious consequences for companies and workers alike.

As offices reopen, a growing number of organizations are establishing hybrid workforces where some employees will continue to work offsite. A survey of executives by workplace analytics platform VergeSense found that 84% of large companies are planning to return to the office and of that group 74% will be hybrid. 

While that might seem like good news for employees who crave flexibility and choice, working from home has a downside, too. Research shows that bosses tend to favor workers who they see face-to-face, an unconscious bias called “proximity bias.” As a result, remote workers are often paid less, are promoted less frequently, and miss out on plum work assignments, even though studies show that employees are actually more productive when they work from home.

“One of the biggest challenges organizations will face in moving to a hybrid structure will be creating an equitable experience for all,” says Shannon Hardy, vice president of flex work at LinkedIn.

Companies ignore bias against remote workers at their own peril. 

Employers who don’t treat remote workers fairly can suffer damage to their reputations that can hamper their recruitment efforts. There’s also the risk that proximity bias will disproportionately hurt women and Black employees. Women are 26% more likely than men to apply for remote work, LinkedIn data shows. Of a group of Black knowledge workers surveyed by Future Forum, nearly all — 97% — said they preferred to work remotely compared with 79% of their white peers.

“If employers aren’t careful, this will reinforce their diversity problems,” says Joan C. Williams, a law professor at University of California Hastings College of the Law and the author of the soon-to-be-published book Bias Interrupted: Creating Inclusion for Real and for Good. 

Fortunately, there are ways to fight bias against remote workers and foster a culture where everyone feels included, regardless of where they’re located. Here are some recommendations.

1. Have the executive team work offsite 

How can companies erase the idea that the office is the seat of power? By having senior management work remotely at least some of the time. “The quickest way to send the clearest signal that remote is the future is to start at the top of the organizational chart,” says Darren Murph, head of remote at GitLab, whose workforce is 100% remote. 

When senior executives work offsite, one group of employees no longer has more face time with leaders than the other. In addition, by working from home, the executive team can experience firsthand the issues and problems remote employees face and work on developing solutions.

Some companies with hybrid workforces have decided their senior executives will rarely be seen in the office. When tech company Quora announced that employees can work anywhere they want, including at the company’s headquarters, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo said both he and his leadership team will no longer be stationed onsite and that he would visit the office no more than once a month.  

“I think things really tend to trickle down from the CEO,” Adam said in a podcast with venture capital firm Greylock Partners. “If the CEO is there, then the most ambitious other people who want to build relationships with them, will assume that their best chance at that is by being in the office.”

2. Use data and metrics to track work assignments

When it comes to landing plum assignments, office workers have a clear advantage. Running into the boss in the hallway raises the chances that an employee will be top of mind.

Companies can ensure remote workers get their fair share of career-enhancing projects by taking a methodical approach. The first step is to identify assignments that are more high profile and then track how the work is being distributed, says Joan, who has developed a tool kit to help companies tackle implicit bias in the workplace.

Look for patterns. Are certain managers prone to handing desirable work to onsite workers? If so, speak to those managers and make them aware of the problem.

“It’s possible to have a hybrid workplace where everyone gets treated fairly,” Joan says. “But not if you don’t keep metrics to see what’s happening.”

3. Evaluate employee performance based on measurable results

Onsite workers can score points with their managers by visibly demonstrating certain behaviors, such as spending long hours in the office. In a hybrid workforce, where remote employees by nature are less visible, it’s more important than ever for managers to be focused on tangible results.

“There was a time when someone would say, ‘Jane is incredible. Jane is here first thing in the morning and leaves at 8 p.m.,’” says Rebecca Corliss, vice president of marketing at VergeSense. “If that’s your primary means of evaluating Jane’s performance, you’re going to miss the full picture.”

Companies that establish clear employee objectives and then measure the performance of all workers solely against those standards create a more equitable workplace.

“Evaluate your employees through the impact that they provide,” Rebecca says. “When you do that, it becomes completely irrelevant where the employee is located and when they’re doing the work.” 

4. Provide formal training to managers 

Managers can benefit from taking courses that expose them to their unconscious biases and provide a roadmap for creating a level playing field.

LinkedIn Learning, for instance, offers courses that guide managers on how to support remote employees. The lessons include case studies and scenarios highlighting different problems employees might face in a hybrid work structure.

“Managers,” Shannon says, “need to learn how to unpack whatever the situation is and have a more complex conversation with employees about what’s working and what’s challenging in a remote work environment. They have to be able to say, ‘How can I support you?’”

 5. Make meetings inclusive

It’s easy to see how remote workers might feel sidelined during meetings. An employee joining a video conference or call where others are gathered in-person might not feel comfortable jumping into the discussion. 

The marketing team at software company HubSpot, spent a week working offsite as part of an effort to develop empathy for remote workers. Among the lessons learned: Meetings should have designated facilitators whose job is to make sure that everyone has a chance to speak and that side conversations among people who are colocated are shared with the full group, wrote Rachel Leist, HubSpot’s senior director of marketing, in a blog post.

“Set ground rules so that everyone knows how to behave in the meeting,” Shannon says.

 Technology can help remote employees feel included. Darren recommends ditching the use of an office camera during video conferences. Instead, all employees, even those in the office, should take meetings using their own webcams. Doing so creates a uniform experience for everyone in the meeting. 

6. Meet up with remote workers virtually — and in-person

Bumping into colleagues in the office kitchen and other types of impromptu encounters are vital to organizations, giving rise to ideas, strengthening ties, and fostering teamwork. 

Employers should replicate opportunities for casual encounters virtually. McKinsey recommends leaving a portion of work meetings agenda-free so that participants can chat about any topic. Senior executives should consider hosting virtual chats, which give all employees the chance to interact informally with their bosses, McKinsey says.

Some companies are taking a step further and are footing the bill for remote workers to gather face-to-face regularly with their peers. Rebecca is planning to meet with her team at least once a quarter and has included the travel costs for remote workers in her budget.

Likewise, fintech startup Alloy is planning to fund quarterly visits for its remote workers to the company’s office, and has added shared desks and couches with remote visitors in mind, Alloy’s chief operating officer Edwina Johnson told Insider.

“Be intentional about in-person touchpoints,” Darren says, “ensuring that everyone has access to key culture and bonding opportunities.” 

7. Consider hiring a head of remote — or empower remote leaders to be champions of the broader community

As more companies embrace hybrid workforces, some are creating a new role to help lead the transition.

A head of remote can be an advocate for remote workers, ensuring that all employees feel included and have access to the same opportunities. For instance, a director of remote work could be tasked with auditing company perks. If an employer is offering daycare services to onsite workers, the head of remote would make sure that remote workers receive a comparable benefit. 

If your company isn’t planning on hiring a head of remote, consider giving leaders who aren’t located in brick-and-mortar offices the tools to create a supportive community. “This is,” Shannon says, “how you activate remote workers so that they become champions for each other.” At LinkedIn, for example, employees have their own channel on the Teams communications platform, where they share tips and best practices.

Final thoughts

Fighting bias against remote workers requires commitment, strategic thinking, and hard work. But as more employees seek flexibility there’s a payoff for companies that treat them fairly. 

“It’s those companies that are working hard and are being thoughtful, that are going to have the highest employee retention, the highest hiring rate, and the highest employee referrals,” Rebecca says. “The companies that have won employees’ confidence are the ones where employees are going to stick around.”

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