Managers are the glue holding together hybrid and remote work environments. But without the right support, even the most talented leaders can struggle.
On this episode of People Fundamentals, Ashley Litzenberger is joined by Ranya Nehmeh, senior HR leader, lecturer, and co-author of the upcoming book In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work. Nehmeh’s research challenges assumptions around remote and hybrid work, offering a data-driven perspective on how collaboration, trust, and innovation are affected over the long term.
Ranya explains how early-career employees are struggling without in-person guidance, why proximity bias is one of the most damaging — and hidden — risks of hybrid work, and how companies can think differently about promotions and manager readiness. She also shares practical advice for managers who want to build intentional practices for managers, ensure equity, and measure effectiveness in ways that connect directly to retention and business outcomes.
Listen in for actionable insights on how to strengthen your managers and create an inclusive, high-performing workplace.
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The hidden challenges of hybrid work
Ranya and her co-author Peter Cappelli wrote In Praise of the Office to provide a more balanced view of hybrid and remote work. While productivity rose in the early days of pandemic-induced remote work, the deeper organizational effects are harder to ignore.
“The picture is much more nuanced than a simple ‘remote good, office bad.’ … Because companies were so focused on output, they missed this silent erosion of trust, of mentorship, of informal feedback loops — all of these things that are very difficult to quantify but are really vital for sustainable performance,” Ranya says.
One area of particular concern is new employees. “The people who suffer the most in this are really new employees and early-career professionals,” Ranya explains. “When you're in office, you learn by example. You learn from seeing things. But in remote settings, there's no one to watch. You can't ask for help easily.”
Hybrid organizations need to be especially diligent, she adds: “Their practices have to be more deliberate, more intentional, and really focused on how to include people who are at home and the ones in the office.”
Proximity bias and the dry promotion problem
One of the most damaging risks in hybrid settings is proximity bias, where visibility drives advancement more than actual contribution.
“Proximity bias is very real,” Ranya says. “It's one of those very quietly damaging side effects of hybrid work. It's the tendency to favor people that we see more often, not necessarily because they are better at work or the better achievers, but simply because they're there, because they're visible.”
Her advice: Managers need to shift their focus. “It's very important that managers need to stop thinking about visibility as ‘Who's nearby?’ and rather start redefining it as ‘Who's contributing to these tasks? And how do I make sure, as a manager, that everyone is seen equally?’”
Traditional promotion practices often compound the problem by elevating star performers without measuring their leadership potential. This often leads to worse team performance, Ranya says, citing research from Alan Benson at the University of Minnesota. “We see that when we mistake performance here for leadership, we tend to put the wrong people in charge.”
The rise of “dry promotions,” where employees receive new responsibilities or titles but no pay bump, creates new risks. “On paper, a dry promotion looks like a step up, but in reality, it can really feel like a trap in the long term,” Ranya says. “If a manager suddenly goes from leading three people to 10 people but is still in the same grade or salary level, that's really a red flag.”
How to make manager effectiveness measurable
Improving hybrid work comes down to enabling managers with the right tools, training, and measurement.
“Managers need to have regular check-ins and feedback conversations. In a hybrid environment, if it's not scheduled, it just doesn't happen, and that creates a risk of silence also being mistaken as alignment,” Ranya explains. “The key here is not just to tell managers to have more conversations with their people, but rather to enable fewer but more meaningful conversations.”
Feedback, goal clarity, and psychological availability are at the top of her list. “One of the main things I would say is feedback. I think we need short, quick feedback as soon as things happen, good and bad,” Ranya says. “Something else I would add is goal alignment and clarity. In hybrid teams, ambiguity kills the momentum.”
Ultimately, companies need to measure manager effectiveness as a leading business indicator. “It can tell you how well your team is being led before you start seeing things like turnover spikes or missed goals or employee disengagement,” Rayna says.
By focusing on intentional practices, addressing proximity bias, and measuring manager effectiveness, HR leaders can equip managers to succeed in today’s complex environments. The payoff is clear: stronger teams, higher retention, and a culture where employees feel supported and can do their best work.
People in This Episode
Ranya Nehmeh: LinkedIn
