With in office attendance being prioritised by some employers, a new report is warning workers may be receiving greater rewards for being seen rather than for making an impact — fuelling a rise in performative behaviours.
Nearly two in three employees (66%) believe that visibility is getting more rewarded instead of actual results, according to the 2025 Connext Global KPI Confidence Gap Survey.
Nearly half of employees (45%) also said managers tend to recognise speed and responsiveness over tangible results or innovative ideas.
Recent office-return mandates have linked attendance to rewards and recognition, with companies such as Amazon previously warning employees they could miss out on promotions if they refuse onsite work.
Additionally, data from ResumeBuilder.com last year revealed that 62% of employers enforcing at least one onsite day are planning to use badge swipes to track attendance. Others said they plan to use:
- Manual tracking (50%)
- Wi-Fi (50%)
- Occupancy sensors (43%)
- Under-desk sensors (38%)
As a result, the report found that 69% of employees consider their office-return mandates to be visibility-driven.
‘Productivity theatre’
The report found this perection has led 66% of employees to engage in “productivity theatre,” or performative behaviours that make them more seen at work.
Among these behaviours are taking extra tasks for visibility (34%) or staying late in the workplace to be noticed (33%).
Tim Mobley, President of Connext Global, warned that “outdated benchmarks” are holding back achievements in workplaces.
“Employees are frustrated with being judged on rituals and want recognition for the impact they create,” Mobley said in a statement.
Stop rewarding optics
Addressing the productivity theatre among employees will require employers to stop rewarding optics over outcomes, according to the report.
“That means replacing ‘always on’ availability with clear, outcome-based goals, trading performative busyness for real execution, and holding leaders to consistent standards instead of moving targets,” the report read.
“Organisations that embrace this shift will do more than lift morale — they’ll unleash creativity, sharpen their competitive edge and build workplaces where trust and performance reinforce each other instead of being drained by rituals.”