The virtual workplace may not be going anywhere, but unfortunately, neither is
There will be an estimated 36 million remote workers in the U.S. within the next three years, according to Upwork, and women and minorities in particular are in danger of slamming into the “Zoom ceiling,” a term for the potential career barriers remote work is creating.
“The Zoom ceiling is akin to the glass ceiling in that it stops people from being able to ascend to higher levels of leadership,” says Dr. Elora Voyles, an industrial organizational psychologist and people scientist at workforce management software company Tinypulse. “And women and minorities are more likely to pick remote jobs, leading to more invisible barriers in their career progression.”
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While women have struggled with the shift to remote, it has been beneficial for some who have been able to balance caregiving responsibilities with work. And minorities have benefited from being away from the physical workplace, too, Dr. Voyles says.
“Minorities are choosing remote work because it's a way to avoid microaggressions that they might normally be subjected to in the workplace,” Dr. Voyles says. “In-person, it's a little bit easier for someone to make an off-color comment than in a Zoom setting.”
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While Future Forum noted that Black workers were 26% more likely to feel they are being treated fairly when compared to results from 2020, virtual harassment can take place regardless. But though remote work could put some distance from potential ignorance, it may also be covering up professional accomplishments, explains Dr. Voyles.
“Managers are not getting a full view of the impact remote workers are making in terms of performance and contributions,” she says. “There isn’t much of an opportunity for casual conversation or even mentoring. Managers may falsely believe remote workers are not as dedicated.”
Dr. Voyles suggests acknowledging the inequality between in-person and remote workers by setting up clear policies surrounding communication and performance expectations. This means frequent one-on-one meetings with managers, consistent feedback and check-ins within teams.
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This also extends to equality within those meetings — hybrid teams should all enter meetings from their computer, whether they are in the office or not, to avoid sidebar conversations and less virtual engagement. Additionally, employers will need to revise their performance evaluation methods to equally assess remote workers.
Most importantly, leaders need to articulate policies that increase flexibility for all workers, to avoid unfair assumptions from perpetuating, says Dr. Voyles.
“Many people who are working in-person may think remote workers are less committed or off doing family things,” she says. “It’s important to allow everyone that flexibility so there isn’t this negative connotation with working remotely.”
Remote work is here to stay, and to foster equality, it may come down to changing the way management and employees view work. Flexibility should be seen as the norm, and not a weakness for those who clock in from home.
“The Zoom ceiling is something that has been relatable to many people, and it’s very real,” says Dr. Voyles. “This is going to impact career opportunities if human resources and business leaders are not proactive about making sure those opportunities are equal and fair.”
