Remote work has zero negative impact on worker productivity. It is even quite the opposite according to the results of a recent study by the University of Texas which suggests that organizations rely on the teleworking formula to improve their resilience during periods of cataclysms or pandemics. The study, which focused on a sample of 264 participants, follows a report by Hogan Assessments in which the majority of people working remotely say they are at least as productive as in an office. However, Tim Cook and other leaders believe that employees should return to the office because it stimulates creativity and productivity.
The University of Texas team worked on software data provided by a major oil and gas company in Houston. During the study period (January 2017 to December 2018), the company was forced to close its offices due to flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, which required employees to work remotely for an extended period.
Researchers looked at employee technology data (total hours worked per employee, total active work time, keyboard usage per active minute, mouse usage per active minute, words typed per time and the number of typographical errors per word typed) before, during and after Hurricane Harvey. They found that while total computer use declined during the hurricane, employees’ work behaviors during the seven-month period of remote work returned to pre-hurricane levels. This conclusion suggests that remote working does not have a negative impact on the productivity of people launched on the teleworking formula.
This study follows that of Hogan Assessments 43% of workers declared to be more productive at home, 44% declared to be as productive and only 13% declared to be less productive. However, the report shows that workers found remote collaboration more difficult, so the fact that most workers said they felt as or more productive is because they were more productive when working alone.
This is a breach in which Tim Cook and Co. are likely to sink when they are of the opinion that employees should return to the office as it stimulates creativity. The leader of Apple thus follows others who believe that communication works better face to face. Recruiters are convinced that colleagues build better working relationships, for example when they have lunch together, take the time to discuss various topics, even the most mundane, or take part in exercises designed to develop team spirit.
In line with this positioning, they evoke an impact on creativity. The myth that a lack of social interaction reduces creativity and innovation remains deeply rooted. This is one of the arguments on which Marissa Mayer relied to oppose teleworking when she declared that some of the best ideas and decisions come after discussions in the cafeteria or in the hallway, after meetings with people and impromptu team meetings.
However, if recruiters feel that conversations like this can you please verify this? are important, opponents point to the other side of the coin. These indicate that interactions can turn into interruptions that cost more or less in terms of productivity and creativity flow. Third parties in telework argue, for example, that the distractions are unbearable. Phones ringing, people coming in and still feeling the need to interrupt about absolutely everything (whether it’s work related or not) and multiple calls about unrelated projects that result in context switching.
The University of Texas study comes in a context where employees launched on the telecommuting formula no longer want the office. This is one of the most striking findings from a recent survey of a global sample of 32,000 workers across various countries: 64% of workers would consider quitting if asked to return to the office full time. It is a kind of repetition. Indeed, the polls follow one another and the trend that emerges clearly is that employees no longer want a full-time office, even if they have to accept a drop in salary. 52% of employees in this global sample of 32,000 workers in various countries around the world are considering taking a pay cut to avoid returning to the office full-time.
Source : Etude
And you?
Do you find this study relevant or not?
Are you personally more productive working remotely?
What do you see as the major difficulties that limit your productivity in this way of working?
Has the collaboration between you and your colleagues been affected by working from home?
See as well :
Will hybrid working be the new normal for tech professionals? a recent study shows that 86% of these professionals in Europe do not want to return to the office full time
The Arguments Against Full-Time Remote Work, Study Finds It Doesn’t Work For All Worker Categories
The telecommuting option could continue for 2 years because of the pandemic: a valid reason for concern for the bosses? Getting employees back to the office could be increasingly difficult
Teleworking has increased employee productivity by 22%, according to a study by the Sapiens Institute, which also points out that this has saved 9 points of French GDP in 2020.
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