FYI: Fully Remote Workers Are More Likely To Be Passed Up For Promotion

We've heard a lot about the way we work since the advent of the pandemic in early 2020. Four years later, things have come, if not quite full circle, then pretty close.

Following the huge upswing in the number of people who could do their jobs fully remote in March 2020, we are now in a post-return to office (RTO) environment, where hybrid working has the lion's share of the employment pie.

It wasn't that easy to get there: when tech firms and financial institutions began to issue RTO mandates, many employees bristled at the rationale most often used – that remote workers just weren't productive enough.

JPMorgan Chase's CEO Jamie Dimon said in 2023 that there are "serious weaknesses" with virtual work, including slowed decision-making and a lack of "spontaneous learning and creativity". Employees may well beg to differ, and a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh has found that being back at the office is no better for productivity, either.

The study's lead, Mark (Shuai) Ma, an associate professor of business administration from Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business, says that "One of the most common arguments management suggests is that they want to return to office because employee productivity is low at home, and they believe returns to office would help firms improve performance and ultimately improve the firm’s value. That’s the reason they give — but our results actually do not support these arguments.”

What is true is that remote workers tend to suffer from what is called proximity bias. This manifests in fewer promotions and pay raises, and according to recent data from Live Data Technologies, Americans working from home got promoted 31% less frequently in the past year than office-based workers.

Remote workers are also less likely to receive mentorship, especially if they are female. The root of the issue is clear, with almost 90% of CEOs saying they're more likely to prioritize the people who are in the office when it comes to projects, raises or promotions.

The solution for those who are fully remote isn't always as simple as coming into the office a couple of days a week. Many people took advantage of relaxed ways of working during Covid to move out of state, for example. Others have been hired on a fully-remote basis, which now puts them at a disadvantage.

What is in remote workers' favor, especially if they work in tech, is that despite layoffs and fears around economic instability, tech companies are hiring with gusto and are looking for new ways to tap into talent. 

In response, Indeed has launched a specialist Tech Network to help connect job seekers with the companies they want to work for. Crucially, it allows employers to reach top talent who might not be actively considering a move––but are open to offers that might, for example, make remote working a little easier.

If you are ready to find a new career opportunity, the Benzinga Job Board, where you can filter by location (including remote), and where there are thousands of new jobs updated every week at every level, like these three. 

In Chicago, Beyond Finance is hiring a Lead Data Warehouse Engineer to be a thought leader to help contribute to best practices of modeling standards and pipeline standards, and ensure the models and pipelines you and the team builds will adhere to these standards. You’ll learn the domain, contribute on your own projects and coach and assist other junior contributors helping to share the wealth of knowledge you have. You should be willing to come into the company's downtown office two to three days a week.If you’re not Chicago-based, Beyond Finance can offer relocation. See all the details here.

Zurich Insurance Company Ltd is looking for a Senior Claims Professional for its location in Schaumburg, Illinois. In this role, you will manage a caseload of moderate to high complexity surety claims from start through settlement and resolution, and within specific authority limits. You will ensure that claims are handled in the most efficient and effective manner to deliver on Zurich's claims best practices and customer led commitment. Plus, you'll have an opportunity to develop strong partnerships that include extensive communications and interactions with principals, brokers and other internal business unit contacts. See more now.

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world’s largest equity derivatives clearing organization, and in Chicago it is seeking a Manager, Internal Audit, Business and Risk. Here, you’ll manage independent assessments of OCC’s financial and operational business processes, risk management, and other objectives as needed. You’ll also be responsible for defining the proper scope, approach, and quality to be integrated into each audit and that regulatory, operational, and strategic risks are sufficiently mitigated by management. Apply for this job here.

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