Managers chose the in-office profile more often for promotion
With fictional profiles, hybrid and remote workers trailed in-office workers for promotions and raises, with no clear difference between hybrid and remote.
The key idea
In the experiment, in-office profiles were chosen more often for promotions and raises than hybrid or remote profiles.
The study, in plain language
UK managers with supervisory responsibilities evaluated fictional profiles with different work arrangements. They chose whom to promote, give a raise, and provide with training.
Hybrid and fully remote profiles were chosen less often than in-office profiles for promotions and raises. No differences were detected between hybrid and remote profiles on those two decisions. Training showed a different pattern: fully remote profiles were chosen less often than hybrid profiles.
What they found
- Compared with in-office profiles, hybrid profiles were chosen less often for promotion and raises.
- Fully remote profiles were chosen less often for promotion, raises, and training.
- No robust difference between hybrid and remote profiles appeared for promotion or raises, but remote profiles trailed for training.
Something to think about
Think about your own work: where do you do it, and how much do you think that matters when someone decides whom to promote?
How they studied it
In a survey experiment, a final sample of 937 UK managers with supervisory responsibilities evaluated 2,804 fictional profiles. Each profile varied in work arrangement and other attributes, and participants chose whom to promote, give a raise, and train.
What the study cannot show
- Hypothetical decisions are not actual promotions or raises.
- Results depend on the scenarios and the British managers who took part.
The original study
Managerial (dis)preferences towards employees working from home: Post-pandemic experimental evidence
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
