How to mitigate distance bias as workers return to the office

Autumn is upon us and the urge to order the return to the office (RTO) is gathering steam again as the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to ease.

Previously, most employers had taken a soft nudge approach to RTO because they needed to retain employees. Even now, the risk of absconding remains at 30% or more for accountants and lawyers and is even higher for professionals from under-represented groups. In fact, according to a survey of 1,500 lawyers, the absconding risk was at least five percentage points higher in most cases for lawyers of color, and in the case of black lawyers it was 12 percentage points higher.

In addition, the process of returning to the office is also difficult for employees, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Working remotely brought tremendous relief and improved mental health to employees with different identities, as many did not face microaggressions as frequently as they did in the office prior to the pandemic.

However, this means that many employees are faced with a potential lose-lose situation. They may have to sacrifice their sanity to return to office; or if they try to continue working remotely, they may sacrifice their career advancement because management tends to favor those people who are closer to us in time and space. This is known as distance distortion or the concept of “out of sight, out of mind”.

Without effective awareness and proactive tactics on the part of management to mitigate distance bias, those professionals who are the loudest, most visible, and in person can inadvertently be viewed as “High Potential” versus others who are more introverted and prefer to work virtually—but work just as hard with better results.

Here are some ways to reduce the effects of distance distortion:

1. Conduct regular “stay-in” interviews

Managers who proactively initiate conversations to get to know team members on a deep level lay the groundwork for better employee retention. Managers may not feel comfortable with this at first; Therefore, it is a best practice to provide managers with a template and guidance on how to effectively manage these types of services stay job interviews.

Bill Bradshaw, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Withum, said managers conducting such interviews with employees should include three questions:

• • • how are you really
    • What can I do to support you?
    • What can I do to help you have a profitable career here?

Consistently asking these questions builds trust, helps the employee feel valued, and helps the manager support the employee as they explore career opportunities. However, remember that it’s important to note that employees may have different timelines for building trust – some may take months, others just days.

2. Brainstorming on “inclusive” norms and behaviors within teams

Another exercise is to find inclusive behaviors and expectations within the team for those in the office and also for those working remotely. Start with these questions:

• • • What does an inclusive team look like in the law firm?
    • What would be some of the observable behaviors to demonstrate inclusivity?
    • What are one or two things people should do to show inclusion?

For those managers who may be hesitant, Shane Lloyd, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Baker Tilly, recommends asking the team additional questions that bring in the “customer lens” to provide more focused insight for managers, partners and leaders.

• • • Start by asking, “If our team were known to be the most inclusive in our organization, what behaviors would we observe?”
    • Follow that with, “If we were known as the most comprehensive organization among their customers, what would our customers say?”
    • Next, ask, “What problems of belonging are we likely to encounter?”
    • Finally, engage in a group discussion on the question, “What behaviors solve these belonging challenges?”

Questions like these give leaders direct insights into how to effectively foster the conditions for this bring to life the employees’ responses to the offer a kaleidoscope Approach to considering inclusion efforts. “We want to understand this important dynamic from multiple perspectives – individual contributors, groups, executives and customers,” adds Lloyd. Additionally, normalizing conversations about belonging challenges and discussing them openly allows teams to reflect on how to effectively address those experiences as they arise. Contradictory as it may seem, openness when discussing issues of belonging is an evidence-based practice that helps foster an inclusive climate.

3. Have an on-call “belonging” coach for executives

This service allows managers to have a resource at their disposal to learn more about microaggressions or to help them navigate between the various management challenges they face. These coaches can also help managers strengthen their important personal communication skills. Based on the warmLine service Intel implemented in 2016, Baker Tilly has used a similar approach for employees and plans to do the same for managers soon, Lloyd said.

Withum took a different approach, hiring a full-time coaching team to support the entire organization, which included the option to offer full-time roles from the business teams based in the company’s talent management function. Specifically for Managers and Senior Managers, the coaches helped leaders increase their effectiveness in leading a team of people from diverse backgrounds, while delivering excellent business outcomes for clients and helping to fulfill commitments outside of work.

Keep in mind that different engagement strategies are needed to lead employees who work in person, hybrid, or remotely, and that these different strategies are counterintuitive to many managers. For example, one way managers could engage remote employees would be to create the virtual equivalent of “water cooler” chats by hosting open hours for employees to drop by.

4. Improve performance evaluation documentation requirements

Maintaining quality records of performance throughout the employment relationship (not just during the performance appraisal period) is also critical. Adding and aligning all of the critical work employees do for leading employee resource groups or for vital endeavors like coaching, mentoring and sponsorships are important investments that must be recognized as part of the overall value that each individual brings to the organization each year .

At the same time, leaders should encourage employees to regularly track their own performance achievements and other feedback. This is an important part when it comes to performance evaluation time. Then the manager and employee can compare recordings, and this action helps reconcile different memories of events and mitigate distance bias.

Overall, the best way to retain all employees is to equip leaders with the tools they need to ensure their own accountability for keeping their finger on the pulse of all team members. Following these steps above can help ensure that.