Employees may be spending time demonstrating how busy they are instead of concentrating on meaningful work. A recent survey suggests that the perception of being rewarded for visibility is influencing workplace behaviour, raising questions about how organisations measure productivity and recognise employee contributions.
A poll by MyPerfectResume found that 70% of surveyed employees believe highly visible workers receive more rewards than colleagues who quietly deliver strong results.
The findings highlight a workplace pattern known as performative busyness, behaviours intended to signal productivity or engagement without necessarily improving actual work outcomes.
According to the survey, 25% of respondents said they had delayed simple tasks to appear busy for longer, while 17% had stretched out tasks or revisited work they had already completed. Another 16% reported taking on visible but unnecessary work, and 13% said they had pretended to multitask or appear especially engaged during meetings.
These findings reflect respondents’ reported experiences and perceptions; they do not establish how widespread the behaviour is across all workplaces.
Why Are Employees Trying to Look Busy?
The survey points to pressure around job security, recognition, and management expectations.
Half of respondents said they felt pressured to constantly prove their value. Meanwhile, 30% believed their employers focused too heavily on surveillance and monitoring, and 28% said they did not feel trusted by management.
Concerns about appearing unproductive may also affect how employees communicate. The poll found that 84% had responded to messages immediately at least occasionally to signal attentiveness, with 68% reporting that they did so frequently or occasionally.
The report also found that 65% of respondents said at least some portion of their average workday was spent on what it described as productivity theatre rather than meaningful work.
Taken together, the findings suggest that some employees may feel pressure to demonstrate visible activity when expectations around performance, availability, or recognition are unclear.
When Visibility Becomes More Important Than Impact
Visibility is not inherently a problem. Managers need to understand what their teams are working on, and employees should receive recognition for meaningful contributions.
The problem arises when visible activity becomes a stronger signal of performance than the quality, value, or outcome of the work itself.
For example, an employee who regularly stays late, responds to messages immediately, or volunteers for additional tasks may appear highly committed. Yet these signals do not necessarily demonstrate better results than those of a colleague who completes work efficiently and maintains reasonable boundaries.
A separate 2025 Connext Global KPI Confidence Gap Survey, cited in earlier reporting by HRD Canada, found that 66% of surveyed employees reported engaging in behaviours intended to make themselves more visible at work.
Although the studies used different measures, both point to a question for employers: are performance systems rewarding meaningful contributions, or encouraging employees to manage appearances?
How HR Can Reduce Performative Busyness
HR teams can help organisations create an environment where employees are evaluated on meaningful contributions rather than constant demonstrations of activity.
1. Set clear, outcome-based goals
Define what success looks like for each role. Clear objectives and appropriate quality measures make it easier for managers to evaluate results instead of relying on visible activity or hours spent online.
2. Review performance and recognition practices
Assess whether promotions, bonuses, and praise consistently reflect results, collaboration, quality, and impact. Employees should not have to appear constantly occupied to demonstrate their value.
3. Establish realistic communication expectations
Not every message requires an immediate response. Agree on appropriate response times and distinguish genuinely urgent requests from routine communication.
4. Build trust and reduce unnecessary monitoring
Monitoring should serve a clear business purpose. Excessive tracking can encourage employees to focus on appearing active rather than completing important work.
5. Train managers to recognise different working styles
Some employees demonstrate their contributions through frequent communication, while others work more independently. Managers should evaluate performance fairly across different working styles, taking account of role requirements and actual results.
6. Protect time for meaningful work
Frequent meetings, unnecessary reporting, and constant interruptions can leave employees with less time for their core responsibilities. HR and managers can review these practices to reduce avoidable work.
Building a Culture That Rewards Real Contribution
Performative busyness is not simply an individual productivity issue. It can also signal a mismatch between what an organisation says it values and what employees believe is rewarded.
When workers feel they must constantly prove their worth, they may prioritise visibility over efficiency, responsiveness over focused work, and activity over impact.
HR leaders can help address this by making performance expectations clearer, improving manager capability, and aligning recognition with meaningful contributions.
The goal is not to make employee effort invisible. It is to ensure that visibility supports a fair understanding of performance rather than becoming a substitute for it.
Source: MyPerfectResume employee poll, with additional context from the 2025 Connext Global KPI Confidence Gap Survey.
