Why Your Work Won’t Speak for Itself in a Hybrid World

June 3, 2025 – A hybrid or remote-first work environment prioritizes flexibility by allowing employees to work from various locations, often combining home and office settings. This model supports better work-life balance and can lead to increased productivity and employee satisfaction. It also enables companies to access a broader talent pool unconstrained by geographic limitations. However, in a hybrid or remote-first work environment, doing great work isn’t enough, according to a recent report from The Bridger Group, a 57-year-old executive search firm working exclusively in the building products and commercial interior products industries.

“Gone are the days when simply checking all the boxes and quietly meeting deadlines would earn you recognition or promotion,” the report said. “In the modern workplace, visibility, initiative, and influence are no longer nice to haves—they’re essential career tools.” And according to former Google executive Jenny Wood, author of Wild Courage, the biggest lie you’ve ever been told in your career is this: “Your work will speak for itself.”

The Bridger Group report noted that it won’t, but you can learn to speak for it.

Visibility at Work Is No Longer Accidental

“The shift to hybrid and remote work has broken many of the old visibility mechanisms,” The Bridger Group report said. “Casual hallway chats, post-meeting debriefs, or impromptu brainstorming over lunch have all but vanished in many teams. And with them, the automatic assumption that people see your contributions. This has led to what researchers call proximity bias – the subconscious tendency to value the people we see more often as more productive or valuable. It’s the workplace version of “out of sight, out of mind. And it cuts both ways: managers must shift from measuring presence to measuring outcomes. Employees, in turn, need to stop relying on passive activity and start actively showcasing their impact.”

The Traits You Were Told to Hide? They’re Your Superpowers Now

Ms. Wood’s Wild Courage reframes traits like being “nosy,” “bossy,” or “shameless” not as flaws, but as strategic strengths, especially in today’s remote and distributed teams:

• Being “nosy” becomes curiosity and connection.

• Being “bossy” becomes leadership and initiative.

• Being “shameless” becomes confidence in your impact.

These are survival skills in a workplace where the default mode is often invisible. Ms. Wood argues that courage isn’t a personality trait—it’s a skill. “And if you’re going to thrive in a system where recognition isn’t automatic, you’ll need to build that skill intentionally,” The Bridger report said.

Try the Shameless Monday Email

One of Ms. Wood’s boldest yet simplest tactics is the “shameless Monday email”—a weekly note to your manager sharing two things you’re proud of and two things you’re working on. “It takes five minutes,” The Bridger Group report explained. “It feels awkward at first. But it’s a lightweight, powerful habit to ensure your wins don’t go unnoticed in a world of Zoom calls and Slack messages. Because your manager doesn’t always know what you’re working on. And in a sea of remote work, they shouldn’t have to guess.”

Stop Saying Yes to Work That Doesn’t Move You Forward

Ms. Wood also introduces the concept of “NAP” work—not actually promotable. “These are the behind-the-scenes, helpful-but-hidden tasks that don’t lead to recognition or advancement: taking notes, planning the team party, organizing offsites,” The Bridger Group study said. “If you’re always taking on these tasks, you may be viewed as reliable—but not as strategic. Or promotable.”

Related: Hiring Confidence Slows as Employers Steer Economic Headwinds

As Ms. Wood puts it: “Say yes to the big and no to the small.”

Executive Search: Challenges, Trends, and Hopes for a Hiring Resurgence in 2025

For many search firms in almost all industry segments, 2024 has been a tough year. There are many reasons for the recent downturn, and some firms have experienced a dip in revenues for even longer, according to Tim Tolan, founder, chairman, and managing partner of The Tolan Group. “Lots of changes are on the horizon for 2025 on the hiring front, and search firms are waiting with bated breath while hiring decisions are on hold, and draft fee agreements are (still) sitting in DocuSign waiting to be signed,” he said. “Decisions are dragging, as are active search engagements, as hiring managers and leaders struggle to make hiring decisions in the environment, we are all trying to navigate.”

In the Hunt Scanlon 2024 Executive Recruiting State of the Industry Report, the numbers reflected a double-digit downturn in demand for executive recruiting, with the private equity sector being the most affected. “We’ve seen and experienced that firsthand, but we feel positive changes are on the horizon,” Mr. Tolan said. 

“It’s not selfish,” The Bridger Group report said. “It’s smart. Being selective with your time doesn’t make you difficult—it makes you focused.”

Want High-Impact Work? Get Nosy

So how do you actually get assigned to the big, high-visibility projects? Ms. Wood’s answer: be nosy.

“Not in the gossipy way—but in the curious, engaged way,” The Bridger Group report said. “Ask questions. Get involved. Show you care about the business and your team. The best opportunities rarely come from a job board. They come from conversations, from relationships, from people who know what you’re capable of.”

Finally, don’t wait for permission. Ms. Wood reframes being “reckless” as being action-oriented. The pace of work today favors those who try, test, experiment, and iterate—not those who sit back and wait for direction.

“And you don’t need a title to lead,” The Bridger Group report said. “In today’s flatter organizations, leadership is a mindset, not a role. Whether you’re launching a project, mentoring a teammate, or voicing a bold idea, being bossy just means you care enough to guide. The rules of the workplace have changed. And no, your work won’t speak for itself. But you can speak for it—clearly, proudly, and courageously.”

Related: Predicting Talent Acquisition Trends for 2025

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media