Is Hybrid Work Creating A Zoom Ceiling?

You've heard of the glass ceiling: a term coined in 1978 by writer Marilyn Loden who used it to succinctly describe the often invisible barriers women and minorities face in the workplace.

While women don't usually experience difficulty entering organizations at lower-to-middle levels, they often get stuck when they seek to advance to leadership positions--and their numbers dwindle.

The phenomenon has been given a name in the most recent Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.Org. "For years, fewer women have risen through the ranks because of the 'broken rung' at the first step up to management," say the report's authors.

"Now, companies are struggling to hold onto the relatively few women leaders they have. And all of these dynamics are even more pronounced for women of color."

More flexibility

One big thing that has helped many women, minorities and those with disabilities to thrive in the workplace was the large-scale move to remote working at the outset of the pandemic.

For these cohorts, the ability to work from home (WFH) has made their lives easier in many ways. No longer subject to challenging access or sensory issues, micro- and macro-aggressions due to race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, they found they could also effectively get the job done.

A study by Stanford of 16,000 workers over nine months found that working from home increased productivity by 13%, for example. Remote employees are happier, too. A survey from Tracking Happiness found that fully remote workers reported a happiness level roughly 20% higher than those who worked in the office 100% of the time.

Remote working is enduringly popular. A recent report from McKinsey found that when people have the chance to work flexibly, 87% of them will take it.

Downsides of remote work

Many employees have discovered they actually really like remote work, and may prefer it as a work-style over being in the office, but WFH has its downsides, and there are ways in which remote workers aren't winning.

Less face-time with managers and leadership teams can be costly for your career progression, leading to what's being called "the Zoom ceiling". If you're working remotely all or most of the time, it's simply far too easy for managers to prioritize those with whom they have in-person interactions, or quite literally see more often.

This is a proximity bias, which benefits those who do go into the office, regardless of whether they are more talented, hardworking or productive.

While it can affect anyone who prefers to work remotely, because women and minorities prefer remote and hybrid models of working, they are the groups that are most at risk from the Zoom ceiling effect. It can result in being passed over for recognition, opportunities, training, and even promotions.

Additionally, the Zoom ceiling effect can impact younger workers. Gen-Z currently makes up about 12.6% of the workforce, and these early-stage career workers need support and coaching, much of which can be lost via a fully remote setup.

Times are changing

There are signs that in the U.S, a shift is occurring. According to new data from Pew Research Center, the rate of WFH is now only 7% higher than it was pre-pandemic. Video call platform Zoom.us has also reported that by May 2022, close to 1.3 billion unique global visitors visited the platform, down from 1.4 billion visitors in December 2021, indicating a return to the office.

While remote working may be contracting, it isn't going away. A McKinsey study found that for job switchers, it is the third most important factor in a job search after career opportunities and better pay.

If you'd like to keep your set-up the way it is but are under pressure to return, you can check out your options on the Science + Nature Job Board. It contains thousands of open roles, like the three below.

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