Psychosocial Implications of Hybrid and Remote Work
Social psychological theories and interventions have become increasingly valid to workplace strategy since the recent large increases in remote and hybrid work. This piece introduces two key areas to get started on.
Task based work is not enough – it needs to be social too.
Humans are social animals. Our brains are hardwired for social interaction. It’s what makes us feel valid, recognised, and part of something. Small greetings, trivial chats, banter, sharing tips, asking questions, having FUN - the stuff that doesn’t usually happen on video calls. This is the ‘social glue’ that motivates us, helps us understand and trust each other, as well as learn and develop. Remote work with often back to back video meetings is focussed on tasks, decision-making, clearly specified output. There is rarely time for the social side of work. If we want work to be enjoyable, which is what keeps people motivated and stops them from leaving, we must make sure we don’t overlook the social aspects of work both when working virtually and in person. This means making time for non-work conversation when we’re online as well as face to face interaction.
Proximity bias: Out of sight, out of mind?
Despite social interaction being very important, there is an unfortunate flipside. Proximity bias is an unconscious bias and is the natural tendency to prefer interacting with people we feel closest to. We tend to share ideas with people who are likely to agree with us, chat mostly with those who are closest to us, as well as offering opportunities to them more often.
Working in a shared workplace rather than remotely is a clear example of proximity bias. Evidence of this is shared in the Wall Street Journal. They report on research by Live Data Technologies that showed people working from home five days a week got promoted 31% less frequently than office-based workers. Their data also showed that these workers, particularly women, were less likely to receive mentorship. And the vast majority of senior leaders said they would prioritise office-based employees for promotions and salary increases. This is because they tend to perceive that remote workers are less engaged and less connected to the company's culture.
Proximity bias is not just a psychological theory – it poses a serious threat to inclusivity and can make people feel excluded and undervalued. Nicholas Bloom, global workplace expert and economist at Stanford University told the Wall Street Journal. “I literally call it discrimination.”
What should businesses do to keep social interactions at the forefront of work while reducing bias and discrimination?
Most businesses and organisations, regardless of size or location, have not changed their work culture or policies despite significant changes to ways of working. What should they do? We suggest starting by addressing the following:
Leaders and managers need to recognise the importance of the social side of work and encourage informal chats, relationship building and social interaction amongst colleagues, as well as, where possible, regular in person working. This should form part of a carefully developed set of guidelines for successfully managing hybrid and remote work.
Leaders and managers need to identify bias and take measures to address and prevent it. You could start by using this simple 90 second assessment tool produced by Navigatingbias.com which will assess any strategies you employ. When you’ve assessed where you are now, a next step could be to provide bias awareness training to your people leaders.
Our work psychology, People & Culture, DE&I, and change management experts can help you review these issues within your workplace and DE&I strategy. This could include, for example, engaging with Senior Leadership, Teams and employees and offering workshops and training. Please get in touch if you would like to hear more.
