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The lockdown could seriously affect the career prospects of certain groups of workers who work remotely, even if they have stable jobs in sectors not economically affected by the pandemic.

At least three broad groups of workers have “unfair” career outcomes regardless of their productivity when they work from home, according to Gartner consultancy, which is continuously researching the problem. You are:

• Digital introverts – Employees who are less vocal in virtual meetings
• Women – Remote working is detrimental to the advancement of women workers and gender equality in the workplace
• Junior staff – Inadequate distance learning opportunities mean new hires have difficulty making progress

These individuals could be a major aviation risk for companies if the job market finally recovers ”- Brian Kropp, Gartner

Brian Kropp, director of human resources research at Gartner, told Personnel Today that these employees’ problems could lead to customer loyalty problems later in the year.

He said: “With the UK under a third national lockdown and offices closed for much of the year, companies need to consider the impact of continued remote working on different groups of employees. Our research shows that many employees have unfairly hindered their career opportunities by working remotely and that these individuals could pose a major aviation risk for companies if the job market finally recovers. “

Business leaders, HR, and supervisors had to grasp the reality that many people Gartner referred to as “digital introverts” were having difficulty or feeling uncomfortable attending virtual meetings and instant messaging platforms. This could be done despite the joy of attending meetings in offices. Kropp said such people could be “more reserved, more work-oriented, or because they lack digital skills.”

Ironically, some of this group of workers enjoyed being able to work from home – they simply lacked the desire to express themselves in virtual meetings.

Kropp said, “We find that while many of these employees enjoy the privacy of remote work, they are more likely to be ignored by managers for promotions during their remote work time.

“This is because of the bias in favor of those who are more visible. In fact, we’ve found that with a mix of people working remotely and in the office, those who work remotely (and therefore less visible) are twice as likely to receive corrective feedback. “

The move to the virtual workplace has also adversely affected women’s careers, according to Gartner’s research, in part due to old-fashioned gender demarcation.

Kropp said: “Remote work is also proving to be detrimental to the advancement of women workers in the workplace, and we expect the gender pay gap to worsen in 2021. Much of this can be attributed to the growing childcare responsibilities that many women assume. But the pandemic has also left many key gender equality initiatives behind or lost in the virtual world. “

The last group to lose consists of young professionals and trainees. These have been held back by a lack of personal collaboration and training with senior executives. We find that in times of remote working, trainees are less engaged due to factors such as insufficient training and lack of appreciation as part of a team, which slows their development. “

Kropp said that since people would be unlikely to return en masse to offices after the pandemic ended, it is important that companies come to terms with the fact that remote working is a different experience for different groups of employees.

He said, “Even if the current vaccination process successfully defeats the virus, we estimate that 48% of employees will be working remotely at least temporarily in the post-pandemic world. Companies must work to understand the needs of these groups of employees and to find effective support mechanisms. “

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