A Cirano study shows that the more time we spend in the office, the less efficient we are. (Photo: Studio Republic for Unsplash)
DAMN JOB! is a section in which Olivier Schmouker answers your most exciting questions [et les plus pertinentes] about the modern business world… and of course its shortcomings. An appointment to read Tuesdays and that Thursdays. Would you like to participate? Send us your question to [email protected]
Q. – “We are increasingly talking about a decline in productivity due to teleworking. That may be true, but I wonder if it doesn’t also apply to office work: Various managers tell me about the sad sight they see in the office today, namely tired, irritable employees who are even on the verge of burnout. Wouldn’t the decline in productivity actually be widespread? – Cybele
A. – Dear Cybèle, the managers you usually talk to are indeed right: Quebec is actually experiencing a decline in labor productivity. According to Statistics Canada, the value earned by workers per hour worked fell by 1.5% in 2022 compared to the previous year; and in 2021 it was down 3.9%. This means that all Quebecers now produce less wealth – goods and services – when they work for an hour than in previous years.
In a recent column to which you refer, Cybèle, I presented data showing that workers were generally less productive while telecommuting than in the office. The current enthusiasm for teleworking is therefore an element that can partially explain the decline in labor productivity.
What is it like working in the office? Has he also lost weight recently? A study by the Interuniversity Center for Research in Organizational Analysis (Cirano) entitled “The facets of working in hybrid mode (second questionnaire)”, carried out by Ali Béjaoui, Sylvie St-Onge, Ingrid Peignier and Félix Ballesteros Leivas, provides some valuable information about this topic.
Researchers surveyed 4,550 Quebec workers about their current work lives, such as their commitment to their work and their well-being at work. They made sure to divide respondents into different categories based on their work style (100% at work, works remotely one day a week, works remotely two days a week, etc.). They found that those who work in the office say they do not perform optimally:
– Workers who spend 100% of their time in the office report having an efficiency (goal achievement) score of 4.17 (on a scale of 1 to 5); However, the overall average is 4.30.
– For those who work remotely 1 day per week, the value is 4.23.
– And for those who work remotely 2 days a week, the value is 4.26.
In other words: the more time we spend in the office, the more our performance deviates from average performance.
The study provides some clues that could explain this phenomenon.
– The commitment to work is then below average (3.83): value of 3.80 if you are in office 100%; Value of 3.78 when remote controlled 1 day per week; Value of 3.76 if you are away 2 days a week.
– Affective commitment to one’s own organization is below average (4.1): value 4 if one is 100% in office; Score 4.01 when remote controlled 1 day per week; Score 4 if you are remote 2 days a week.
– Well-being is also below average (4.14): value 4.02 for 100% office work; Score 4.10 when remote controlled 1 day per week; Value of 4.07 when working remotely 2 days per week.
– Worse, the feeling of being on the verge of burnout is above average (2.63): value of 2.73 if you are in the office 100%; Value of 2.77 when remote controlled 1 day per week; Value of 2.74 if you are away 2 days a week.
– And not surprisingly, the intention to leave the employer soon is above average (1.89): value of 1.99 if you are in office 100% of the time; Value of 2.06 when remote controlled 1 day per week; Value of 2.02 if you are away 2 days a week.
In summary, the more time we spend in the office, the less committed we are to our work and our organization, the more dissatisfied we are, the closer we are to burnout, and the more we want to look elsewhere to see whether that’s the case grass is good. Greener. Which, among other things, leads to poorer performance at work.
Cybèle, we are seeing a decline in work productivity both in the office and remotely. This is indeed a general decline.
Dear employers, here lies your big challenge for 2024: If you really want to be productive again, awaken the desire in your employees to give 110% again. And to achieve this, perhaps the solution is quite simple: what if you asked them directly what would enable them to achieve this?
By the way, the French writer Gustave Flaubert said in a letter to Louise Colet: “Demanding oranges from apple trees is a widespread disease.”