How to Ensure Productivity in a Remote Environment

A recent Microsoft survey concluded that managers have something called “productivity paranoia.” They’re afraid that remote workers aren’t getting enough done, despite the fact that remote workers nearly unanimously report being MORE productive when working from home.

But the folks in charge of this study don’t think that proving either point with employee surveillance is the right idea:

“There’s a growing debate about employee surveillance, and we have a really strong stance—we just think that’s wrong” — Jared Spataro, a Microsoft VP.

Our team agrees with Spataro. Measuring employee “productivity” with tech tools that keep track of things like mouse clicks and hours logged on does not account for time employees spend thinking, on the phone or otherwise working without necessarily moving their cursor around.

As recruiters for the past 20+ years, we’ve have seen first-hand how successful employee-employer relationships begin and end with trust.

Our team at Evolve leverages an approach we’ve coined “long-term hybrid” – staying connected on a weekly basis but gathering for in-person work sessions every week, month or quarter as needed. Our relationships get built in the time we see each other in a way that establishes trust for long-term success when we’re not in person.

How is your organization ending the “productivity paranoia” for managers? Is hybrid work the best option? Or do we need to replicate eyeballs on staff in their homes?

Check out the full article in Bloomberg here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-22/microsoft-msft-says-managers-shouldn-t-spy-on-staff-to-ensure-they-re-working?utm_campaign=hrb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew