70% of Workers Say Visibility Is Rewarded More Than Results at Work

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Oct 06, 2026, 06:09 ET

More than half have used tactics to appear busy, and 1 in 5 spend at least one-quarter of the workday managing appearances

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting ahead at work may depend on more than simply doing a good job. According to the latest Visibility at Work report from MyPerfectResume®, a premium resume-building service, 70% of U.S. workers believe employers reward highly visible employees more than those who quietly produce strong results.

The national survey of 1,000 U.S. workers found that 56% have used at least one behavior to appear busy or productive at work, while 65% spend at least some portion of their average workday managing appearances rather than doing meaningful work.

Key Findings:

Visibility is seen as more rewarding than results: 70% believe highly visible employees are rewarded more than workers who quietly produce strong results.
More than half have tried to appear busier: 56% have used at least one behavior to appear busy or productive at work.
Appearance management consumes meaningful work time: 1 in 5 workers spend at least one-quarter of their average workday managing appearances rather than doing meaningful work.
Pressure to look productive is widespread: 56% feel it sometimes, often, or constantly; 77% experience it at least rarely.
Immediate responses have become a visibility tactic: 84% respond to messages immediately, primarily to signal attentiveness.
Workers worry about appearing idle: 82% have worried that appearing "too idle" could negatively affect their job security or career growth.

"Employees are paying attention to what gets noticed and rewarded at work, and many believe visibility plays a meaningful role," said Dr. Jasmine Escalera, Career Expert at MyPerfectResume. "When workers feel they need to respond immediately, remain visibly active, or constantly demonstrate that they are busy, attention can shift away from the quality and impact of their work. For employees, the challenge is making their contributions visible through clear results and communication without feeling pressure to constantly perform busyness."

70% Say Visibility Is Rewarded More Than Results

Seven in 10 workers believe highly visible employees are rewarded more than those who quietly produce strong results, while 30% do not believe workplace visibility leads to greater rewards.

25% say definitely
45% say somewhat
21% say not really
9% say not at all

More Than Half Have Used Tactics to Appear Busy

More than half of workers (56%) have used at least one behavior to appear busy or productive at work. Delaying simple tasks was the most commonly reported tactic.

25% have delayed simple tasks to appear busy longer.
18% have sent emails, messages, or status updates mainly to appear active or available, while 17% have stayed online, logged in, or at their desk longer than necessary to stay visible.
17% have stretched out tasks or revisited completed work, while 16% have taken on visible busywork or unnecessary tasks to avoid appearing idle.
15% have kept communication or work platforms open while not actually working, and 14% have typed loudly, moved around frequently, or acted rushed to look productive.
13% have pretended to multitask, take notes, or stay highly engaged during meetings, while 11% have scheduled unnecessary meetings or blocked off calendar time.
44% have never intentionally tried to appear busier than they were.

65% Spend Work Time Managing Appearances

Nearly two-thirds of workers spend some part of their workday managing appearances, including 20% who spend at least one-quarter of their day doing so.

35% spend none of their workday managing appearances
25% spend less than 10%
20% spend 10%–24%
10% spend 25%–49%
6% spend 50%–74%
3% spend 75%–89%
1% spend 90%–100%

77% Feel Pressure to Look Productive or Available

More than three-quarters of workers feel at least some pressure to look productive or constantly available, including 30% who experience it often or constantly.

12% constantly feel pressure
18% often feel pressure
26% sometimes feel pressure
21% rarely feel pressure
23% never feel pressure

That pressure also shows up in communication, with 84% saying they have responded to messages immediately at least rarely to signal attentiveness, including 68% who do so frequently or occasionally.

82% Have Worried That Appearing Idle Could Hurt Their Career

More than eight in 10 workers have worried at least rarely that appearing "too idle" could negatively affect their job security or career growth. More than half (57%) experience this concern frequently or occasionally.

17% frequently worry that appearing "too idle" could negatively affect their job security or career growth
40% occasionally worry
25% rarely worry
18% never worry

Workers Say the Pressure Reflects Broader Workplace Culture

Half of workers say that pretending to look busy reflects pressure to constantly prove their value, while roughly three in 10 cite burnout, job insecurity, monitoring, or a lack of trust.

50% say workers feel pressure to constantly prove their value.
33% cite burnout or disengagement, and 33% point to job insecurity.
30% say productivity is confused with visibility, while 30% say companies focus too heavily on surveillance or monitoring.
28% say employees do not feel trusted by management.
17% say modern workplaces reward performative behavior, while 12% say it is not a serious issue.

Job-market conditions may also play a role, with 43% saying they would feel less pressure to appear busy if the job market were stronger.

35% Are Most Stressed by Pressure to Appear Productive or Available

Actual workload is the most commonly cited individual source of workplace stress, selected by 38%. However, 35% say their greatest stress comes from pressure to appear productive, available, or responsive.

38% say their actual workload
20% say pressure to constantly appear productive
18% say job insecurity or fear of layoffs
15% say pressure to always appear available or responsive
9% say fear of falling behind coworkers

To view the full report and obtain more information, please visit https://www.myperfectresume.com/career-center/careers/basics/visibility-at-work or contact Nathan Barber, Public Relations Specialist, at [email protected].

Methodology

This report's findings are based on a national survey of 1,000 U.S. workers. Respondents answered a mix of single-selection and multiple-choice questions about workplace visibility, pressure to appear productive, behaviors used to appear busy, responsiveness, job security, workplace stress, and perceptions of how productivity and performance are rewarded.

Demographic Breakdown:

The survey sample included 50% female respondents, 49% male respondents, and 1% who identified as another gender. Age distribution was broad, with 14% aged 18 to 24, 19% aged 25 to 34, 18% aged 35 to 44, 17% aged 45 to 54, 15% aged 55 to 64, and 17% aged 65 to 99.

About MyPerfectResume

MyPerfectResume Resume Builder with professional templates is designed to help job seekers elevate their careers. The easy-to-use platform was created to eliminate the hassle of resume writing, offering professionally written examples, free expert tips, step-by-step guidance to make a resume, and valuable interview advice to create an outstanding job application effortlessly. Since 2012, MyPerfectResume's Resume Builder has helped more than 11 million job seekers create their perfect resumes online. Its comprehensive employment surveys have been featured in Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, CNBC, USA Today, BBC, and more. Stay connected with MyPerfectResume's latest LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook updates. Follow MyPerfectResume as a preferred source in Google to receive more workforce trends, career insights, and labor market research in your personalized search experience.

SOURCE MyPerfectResume