- Employers must not take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to team decisions
Some 60 percent of remote workers fear that working from home could hinder their career development.1 As firms continue with hybrid working arrangements, employers risk making decisions about promotions and development based on who they see most often, rather than who is best for the job.
Questionmark, the online assessment provider, warns employers to ensure managers are given the right tools, training and data they need to make fair decisions, and avoid unconscious bias, which may take many forms.
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“Proximity bias” is an unconscious tendency to favor those who we see regularly. Increasingly-popular hybrid working arrangements mean teams are more likely to be working from different locations. This could lead to those who work remotely, or who are not in the office at the same time as relevant decision makers, being disadvantaged.
Neil McGough, General Manager of Questionmark, said: “Now more than ever, employers need to put the right people in the right roles. In a world where teams are disparate, they cannot allow themselves to fall into an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. They must ensure that decisions on promotions, team structures and career development are based on real evidence.”
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By checking the skills of workers through online tests and assessments, employers obtain real information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members. This can help them challenge any unconscious biases, including proximity bias, and make important people decisions, such as promotions and internal appointments, based on real information. This makes it easier to promote the right people and create appropriate career development opportunities for each team member.
The Questionmark enterprise-grade platform makes assessment content easy to create and adapt. The platform automatically marks papers and instantly compiles results. It is easy to spot trends and patterns. When the stakes are high, the platform provides a range of anti-cheating measures.
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