Closing the Literal Visibility Gap: Four Strategies for Career Advancement in a Remote or Hybrid Role

In our last article, we looked at the gap between doing great work and ensuring that work is recognized. Visibility, we argued, isn’t about becoming louder or more self-promotional. It’s about making sure your contributions are understood by the people making decisions about your career.

Remote and hybrid work introduce another layer of complexity: even when your work is visible, you may not be.

The distinction matters because career advancement depends on more than measurable output. Trust, familiarity, sponsorship, mentorship, and influence are built gradually, often through interactions that seem insignificant in the moment but prove important over time. A conversation before a meeting begins, a quick question in the hallway, or an impromptu lunch with colleagues may appear inconsequential, but those moments accumulate.

The challenge, then, is not simply making your work visible. It’s learning how to close the literal visibility gap when some of those interactions are no longer possible.

Proximity Bias

The idea that physical proximity influences career outcomes is supported by a growing body of research.

An analysis of two million white-collar workers in the United States, reported by The Wall Street Journal, found that employees who worked entirely in person or on hybrid schedules were promoted at a rate of 5.6 percent in 2023. Fully remote workers were promoted at a rate of 3.9 percent, a difference of roughly 31 percent. Fully remote employees were also more likely to be laid off.

This does not necessarily mean managers consciously favor people they see in person, but rather that they can have an unconscious tendency to associate physical presence with commitment and reliability, resulting in what researchers call proximity bias.

It is important to note that the research also suggests that hybrid work does not carry the same penalty as fully remote work. Even limited in-person interaction appears to help close the gap, likely because it creates more opportunities for relationship-building, informal feedback, and visibility.

Research from Natalia Emanuel, Emma Harrington, and Amanda Pallais highlights another part of the challenge. Studying software engineers at a Fortune 500 company, they found that employees who worked near one another received significantly more feedback than those who did not. Women, in particular, both gave and received more mentoring when they were physically closer to colleagues.

For leaders, this matters because many career-shaping experiences happen through relationships: receiving feedback, building sponsorship, mentoring others, and being included in important conversations. When those interactions no longer happen naturally, they need to be created intentionally.

Four ways to close the literal visibility gap

Understanding the role that proximity plays is the first step. The next is being intentional about replacing informal interactions with new ways to build relationships, trust, and visibility.

1. Know who needs to know you

Think beyond your manager. Sponsors, mentors, peers, former colleagues, and cross-functional partners all influence how opportunities are created and how reputations are built.

Make a list of the people who are most important to your career development. Ask yourself:

• Who understands the scope of my work?
• Who would advocate for me if an opportunity arose?
• Who has influence over promotions, compensation, or high-profile assignments?
• Whose perspective do I value?
• Who should I know better than I do today?

Then create a plan. That might mean scheduling a quarterly check-in, reconnecting after a major project, inviting someone for coffee when you’re in the office, or finding opportunities to collaborate across teams.

2. Create visibility moments, not more meetings

If you have a hybrid schedule, be strategic about when you are in the office. Reserve those days for the interactions that benefit most from being face-to-face: performance conversations, mentoring discussions, project kickoffs, difficult conversations, and meetings with key stakeholders.

A day in the office spent answering emails is unlikely to change how people experience your leadership. A day spent strengthening important relationships might.

If you work remotely, create opportunities for interaction that might otherwise happen naturally. Small actions matter. Turning your camera on when appropriate, following up after meetings, sharing useful information, congratulating colleagues on accomplishments, or introducing people who could benefit from knowing one another can reinforce a sense of connection and continuity.

3. Make mentorship, given and received, visible and scheduled, not incidental

Research suggests that women are especially likely to lose access to the informal feedback, mentoring, and sponsorship that physical proximity often creates.

If you mentor others, remember that talent development is leadership work. Make time for it, be deliberate about it, and ensure that senior leaders understand the role you are playing in developing others.

If you are looking for mentorship, decide whose perspective you need and ask for time directly. Rather than asking for general advice, ask specific questions about challenges you are facing, experiences you should seek, or skills you want to develop.

4. Design visibility for your team before they need it

Leaders have an opportunity to address the same challenges for others that they may be navigating themselves.

Rotate presentation responsibilities, encourage different team members to lead discussions, and intentionally recognize contributions in meetings rather than relying on the most visible people to receive the most recognition.

Pay attention to who receives stretch assignments, who gains access to influential projects, and who benefits from mentoring and sponsorship.

The strongest leaders don’t just manage their own visibility. They create environments in which others can thrive as well.

Visibility is a shared responsibility

The burden of overcoming proximity bias should not sit entirely on the person experiencing it. Organizations have a responsibility to create equitable access to information, feedback, mentorship, and advancement opportunities.

But while those systems continue to evolve, leaders can still be intentional about the relationships and interactions that shape how their work and leadership are understood.

Closing the visibility gap is not about being everywhere or constantly proving your value. It is about understanding how trust, influence, and opportunity are built and then creating those conditions deliberately, regardless of where you work.

At Evolved People Coaching, we work with leaders who are navigating exactly these questions. Together, we help clients strengthen executive presence, build strategic relationships, increase their influence, and develop a plan for the next stage of their careers.

If you’re wondering whether your work, your leadership, and your potential are as visible as they should be, it may be time for a more intentional strategy.

Book a consultation HERE