Productivity in a hybrid working model

Posted by James Corcoran | Posted 04/08/2022

There are loads of really positive stats and analytics generated when looking at productivity in a hybrid working model but what is the detail behind that? How do you measure ubiquitous productivity?

There is one survey from a big tech company I found particularly interesting. Out of 2000 adults they found that 86% struggled to get through to do lists blaming ‘unnecessary’ meetings, updating colleagues endlessly and last-minute meetings slowing them down.

So is hybrid working the instigator of people’s assumptions on productivity increase? Or are organisations developing and driving more efficient working models and practices working smart?

Smart ways of working are further complicated in our recruitment world where we place people into areas that require certain levels of clearance and therefore physical location, and infrastructure must be considered when assigning teams to deliver projects.

What we have seen is focus from the more successful organisations on analysis of what work requires someone in a specific location and what work doesn’t and therefore providing hybrid working options whilst delivering on projects effectively, quite a tricky job but an achievable one.

What we (Sanderson Government & Defence) have worked hard on in the last year throughout the Covid impact hangover is what tasks do we need to perform each day and are the tasks communicated effectively to each individual. By streamlining daily objects, the necessity for multiple long inefficient meetings is overcome and updating colleagues is structured and never reactive.

So, what three things have I learned in the last 12-months when managing a team within a hybrid environment:

1. Clarity – What is expected, how will it be achieved, who will be accountable
2. Structure – In most ways but importantly, who is working where and when, saves angst if someone isn’t in by 9.05…
3. Trust – Its very easy to continuously check in with the team but that’s unnecessary interruption if point 1 is effectively used.

Now this is a journey we are still on and it’s a continuous learning curve but one that is becoming clearer, and we are in ‘improve’ mode not ‘fix’ mode.

I have struggled a lot to integrate into a hybrid model as a manager but have stuck by the view that shooting from the hip is the wrong thing to do, evolution is sometimes a slow process. Hybrid working is the future and therefore working to get it right now is key.