American men prefer in-office work for career visibility — AMA survey
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A new report reveals a gender divide in how employees view the career impacts of hybrid and remote work arrangements.
According to the American Management Association’s (AMA) survey of 1,000 knowledge workers, men are significantly more likely than women to believe that working in the office boosts their visibility and advancement opportunities.
Among men aged 25-34 who go to the office at least four days per week, 52% said in-person work is “helpful to their careers, and improved their ability to be coached and developed.” In contrast, only 30% of early-career women shared this view.
The gap persists in older age groups too. For those aged 35-44, men (50%) were more prone than women (37%) to say office presence provided “greater visibility to senior leaders and enhanced job satisfaction.”
Additionally, data from Lean In suggests that men disproportionately benefit from on-site work, as they are more likely to be informed about key decisions, feel connected to the company mission, and receive necessary mentorship.
Hybrid work’s impact on rapport building
Despite the reported benefits of hybrid work setups in improving quality of life and job satisfaction for most, the transition to flexible work arrangements poses challenges in maintaining career growth momentum, particularly in building rapport with colleagues.
The AMA report indicates that 67% of daily office goers believe in-person work aids in building stronger connections with peers, compared to only half of those who work remotely at least one day per week.
“Managers and leaders need to ensure their organization’s employees—regardless of gender and workplace environments—are being developed, coached, and given opportunities for advancement equitably,” said AMA President & Chief Executive Officer Manny Avramidis.
Need for training in hybrid work management
The study also calls attention to a significant oversight in current workplace training. According to related research from TechSmith Corp., Global Workplace Analytics, and Caryatid Workplace Consultancy, some employers have not provided adequate training to adapt to hybrid work environments.
The 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report surveyed 900 U.S. leaders and found that while 58% of employees now have flexible work options, nearly 3 out of 4 say their employer has not trained managers on leading distributed teams or established norms for hybrid collaboration.
Effective management training should address the establishment of team norms, meeting management, and inclusivity across various work schedules and arrangements to mitigate disparities that may arise from the flexible work model.
