New research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half reveals a complex picture when it comes to worker productivity. Hiring managers report increased productivity amongst their teams, primarily driven by staffing and training their departments. However, some professionals indicate they are putting in longer work hours compared to one year ago, raising concerns about burnout, decreased morale, and turnover, it said.
Christina Morillo
The surveys of hiring managers and workers highlight five key trends shaping employee productivity:
- Productivity is up. Nearly seven in ten hiring managers (68 per cent) report an increase in employee productivity compared to one year ago. 21 per cent report no change, and only 11 per cent report decreased productivity on their teams.
- Staffing and training teams impacts productivity. According to hiring managers, the steps they’ve taken that most contributed to higher productivity are that they hired full-time employees (31 per cent), improved management practices (31 per cent), enhanced staff training (31 per cent), and adopted new technologies (29 per cent).
- AI contributes to increased efficiency for some. 3 in 10 professionals report increased efficiency due to the implementation of emerging technologies, such as generative AI, that can automate time-consuming tasks and free them up for strategic thinking. Gen Z workers are the most likely to have improved productivity using AI (47 per cent), followed by millennials (32 per cent). Less than a quarter of Gen X professionals (23 per cent) feel that generative AI has increased their efficiency, and only 14 per cent of baby boomers.
- Flexibility fuels focus. When asked about incentives and work arrangements that would boost engagement and productivity, workers prioritized:
• Hybrid work options: More than half of respondents (52 per cent) said their productivity increases when offered more hybrid work options.
• Windowed work schedules: More than 4 in 10 workers (42 per cent) say having flexible work hours improves their engagement.
• Compressed workweeks: 27 per cent say they are more productive and engaged when their company offers Summer Fridays. - Many workers are putting in more hours. While productivity is up, nearly 3 in 10 workers (29 per cent) are logging more hours compared to the previous year, led by Gen Z (39 per cent), followed by millennials (34 per cent). Meanwhile, more than half of managers (52 per cent) say they send emails to employees outside of regular business hours, and 28 per cent expect responses before the next business day.
Koula Vasilopoulos
“Increased productivity is very positive news for managers, businesses, and professionals alike,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, Senior Managing Director of Robert Half Canada. “Businesses who maintain necessary staffing levels, adopt new technologies, and invest in learning and development training for their staff see the benefits in increased engagement and productivity. However, this needs to be balanced with a positive work environment including reasonable hours and flexibility, as working longer hours and not establishing work-life balance can quickly offset productivity gains through burnout and turnover.”
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024.
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