Proximity Bias: Reducing the Effects
With the amount of organisations switching to remote working on the up, new challenges are coming up out of the woodwork; proximity bias being one of them. In this blog, we are going to explore what proximity bias is, and ways in which organisations can reduce its effects.
You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind”? Well that’s pretty much what proximity bias is! Proximity bias is the idea that employees with close physical proximity to their team and organisational leaders will be perceived as better workers than those who are further away.
Proximity bias has always been present in the workplace, however, since COVID-19 forced many organisations to switch to a remote working model, it’s presence has become even more apparent, especially within organisations who have a mixture of employees working from home and employees who are office-based.
The human brain is programmed to look for short-cuts; automatically taking the path of least resistance and therefore, tends to pay more attention to things that are closer to us, rather than the things that are further away. We have a natural bias towards things that are closer or more accessible to us, and this is no different in the workplace.
To put the proximity bias theory into a real-life example, imagine you’re shopping for your favourite face cream. All the bottles are lined up on the shelf front-to-back. Which bottle are you going to pick up? The one closest to you right? It’s very unlikely you’re going to reach for the one furthest away; what’s the point when they’re both the same product and do exactly the same thing?
It works the same in the workplace. Say you need some support from the IT department. You’ve got one IT support technician working in the office with you, and another working from home. They both do the same job and have the same expertise; which one are you going to go to first? The one who’s in the office of course! And that, my friends, is proximity bias in action! If you’ve got some of the workforce in the office, and some at home, you’re naturally going to have a bias towards those who are physically in the workplace with you, because simply put, they’re nearer to you.
The Effects
Proximity bias has always been present within organisations, however, from the example given above, it’s obvious that the effects of proximity bias will be more common and exaggerated when an organisation has employees working both in and out of the office; a situation that a lot of workforces are increasingly finding themselves in since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. So what are the potential effects of proximity bias?
Productivity
Now more people are working from home, old fashioned attitudes are creeping back in; i.e. if you can’t see the work, it’s not getting done. This results in micromanagement, which is both time-consuming and distracting for both the micro-manager and the micro-managee. Remote workers spend more time proving their worth rather than fulfilling it; and managers get tied up chasing and supervising, rather than leading and supporting.
Wellbeing & Engagement
Covid-19 has shown that remote working is just as effective as office-based working, however, now some workers are making their way back to the office, and other’s aren’t, proximity bias is beginning to rear it’s ugly head. As we explained in our face-cream and IT support examples, our brains always go for the easy option and therefore, we’re more likely to seek help, favour, and give rewards to those that are in the office with us. This then potentially leads to remote workers feeling left-out and undervalued, resulting in potential problems regarding their wellbeing and levels of engagement.
Cultural conflict
When all employees are in the same working situation, whether that be remote or office-based, things are a lot simpler. Everyone is in the same boat. When some employees are remote, and others are office-based, things get a little complicated. For those in the office; work is visible, meetings are in-person, goals are shared easily through conversation; and those at home miss out (or perceive that they are). Creating a collaborative culture can be difficult when there’s a mix of remote and office-based workers. Resentments can arise on both sides of the fence, which can result in less productivity, engagement, and job satisfaction.
Reducing the Effects
Proximity bias is an automatic cognitive process and therefore, is a difficult thing to stop completely, however, there are a few things that can be done to reduce it’s effects in the workplace.
1. Think Remotely
Just because some employees are not there in-person, doesn’t mean they should be treat as an afterthought. Sending after-the-fact documents or fragments of communication referring to discussions had in the office can lead to remote workers feeling left out of the loop. Make a conscious effort to think of the remote-workers first, and avoid the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ phenomenon.
2. Include Everyone in Meetings
If you have taken onboard our first tip to reducing proximity bias, you should hopefully have thought to invite the remote members of your team to your meeting. However, simply inviting them just doesn’t cut the mustard! Although it may seem obvious, you need to actively include everyone in your meetings, whether they are working remotely or not. Ensure you invite your remote workers to participate throughout the meeting, not just at the beginning or the end.
3. Equal Opportunities
Staff development should be (in our opinion) a big deal in all organisations, and as such, all employees should be given an equal opportunity to develop. However, when someone isn’t visibly on-site, it increases the likelihood of them being overlooked when it comes to new opportunities. If there is an opportunity for a member of your team to present to the board of directors for example; don’t just pick a team member that is present; pick the best person for the task.
In Summary: proximity bias is a natural, unconscious phenomenon which, with more organisations switching to remote working, is going to increase drastically in many workplaces. Although it cannot be eliminated completely, being aware of what it is, how it affects organisations and how to reduce those effects, is a step in the right direction.
