Glossary · Hybrid work & policy

What is proximity bias?

Short answer

Proximity bias is the tendency of managers and colleagues to favor people they see in person over equally effective people who work remotely, for example in assignments, recognition and promotions. It is a risk in hybrid organizations because office presence can start to stand in for performance, so HR and team leaders design processes to counter it.

Also called presence bias, visibility bias.

How it works

People notice and remember what they see. A manager who shares a floor with part of the team hears their updates, sees their effort and includes them in quick decisions. Remote colleagues with the same results are less visible, so they are more easily overlooked for stretch projects, praise and promotion.

In hybrid work, the bias follows attendance patterns. People who can come in more often, often those without caregiving duties or long commutes, gain visibility, while others fall behind for reasons unrelated to their work. Over time that undermines fairness, diversity and retention.

Organizations reduce proximity bias with structure rather than good intentions: outcome-based goals, regular one-to-ones for everyone, meetings where remote participants contribute on equal terms, decisions recorded in shared channels, and team days that bring whole teams together rather than only the people who happen to be in.

How to measure it

  1. Compare promotion, rating and project allocation outcomes between people who are mostly remote and mostly in the office.
  2. Check whether one-to-ones and feedback happen as often for remote staff as for in-office staff.
  3. Review who speaks and who is assigned actions in hybrid meetings.

Examples

  • A manager notices that the last three stretch assignments went to people who sit near them and switches to an open call for volunteers.
  • A team moves its weekly decision meeting to its team day and records outcomes in a shared channel for anyone who is out.

Common mistakes

  • Treating time in the office as a proxy for performance in reviews.
  • Making decisions in hallway conversations and announcing them later to remote colleagues.
  • Running hybrid meetings where the room dominates and remote participants cannot get a word in.

How Kadence helps

Kadence helps teams plan in-person time as a whole team rather than by chance. Managers set team days with Team Kadence so team members can plan to be in on the same days, and people can see who plans to be in. Room booking with two-way calendar sync lets people book rooms for hybrid meetings from their calendar, Teams or Slack.

Hybrid working coordination · Room booking software

Frequently asked questions

What is an example of proximity bias?

A manager gives a high-profile project to an employee they chat with in the office every week, overlooking a remote colleague with stronger results. The choice was not deliberate; the in-office employee was simply more visible when the opportunity came up. Repeated over time, small choices like this shape careers.

Why is proximity bias a problem in hybrid work?

In hybrid work, some people are in the office more than others for reasons unrelated to performance, such as caregiving, disability or a long commute. If visibility drives rewards, those people fall behind unfairly. That damages trust, retention and diversity, and it weakens the case for flexibility.

How do you reduce proximity bias?

Judge people on outcomes, not presence. Hold regular one-to-ones with everyone, run meetings so remote participants contribute equally, record decisions in shared channels, open stretch opportunities to all, and bring whole teams together on team days rather than relying on whoever happens to be in the office.

Is proximity bias the same as presenteeism?

They are related but different. Presenteeism usually means being at work without being productive, for example when unwell or simply to be seen. Proximity bias is the observer's side: favoring people because they are seen. A culture with proximity bias tends to encourage presenteeism.

  • Hybrid meeting A meeting where some people are in the same room and others join remotely by video.
  • Hybrid work policy The written rules for how hybrid work runs: office days, booking, meetings, manager duties and how success is measured.
  • Return to office (RTO) An employer requirement that remote or hybrid staff spend more time in the office, either full time or on set days.
  • Team days A recurring day when a hybrid team agrees to be in the office together, usually set by the team or its manager.
  • Hybrid coordination The work of getting the right people into the office on the same days and giving them the right space when they arrive.

Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed

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