Workers and employers disagree on hybrid work productivity benefits: Robert Half

A majority (63 per cent) of employees believe that hybrid work arrangements have positive impacts on their productivity levels, a survey by recruitment firm Robert Half Found. Despite this, 40 per cent of employers planned to mandate in-office days in a bid to boost productivity.

“Hybrid work is the sweet spot for productivity according to workers as in-office and at-home environments offer them certain benefits,” Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half said.

“Employers, meanwhile, recognise that the absence of in-person work hinders the collaborative culture that leads to increased productivity. The most successful organisations will be those that find the right balance between flexibility and accountability.”

As Australian productivity levels slump, employers are implementing a variety of policies in a bid to improve their workers’ productivity performance. These have included measures designed to upskill employees and optimise workflows, as well as stricter performance metrics and in-office mandates.

Half (50 per cent) of employers have opted to increase training and professional development opportunities, 48 per cent have optimised workflow management and 43 per cent have implemented automation and digital transformation initiatives in efforts to improve productivity.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent of employers have enforced tougher performance metrics and 39 per cent mandated in-office days. An additional 40 per cent planned to mandate in-office days in 2025.

A majority (86 per cent) of employers believed that it was challenging to improve productivity while ensuring their workers had work-life balance.

In contrast, most workers (63 per cent) believed that hybrid work had a positive effect on their productivity, while 15 per cent believed it had a negative effect.

Less than half (45 per cent) of workers believed that working from the office full time had positive impacts on their productivity, while 30 per cent said it had a negative impact.

The survey revealed a disconnect between employer and employee views on workplace flexibility. While workers mostly appeared sold on the benefits of hybrid work, employers still indicated a belief that mandating office attendance could boost productivity.

“With Australia’s productivity levels slowing down, employers and employees are seemingly at odds around what an optimal work set-up looks like,” Gorton said.

“While the majority of employees value hybrid or remote work, employers want to prioritise productivity and see in-office mandates as a way to accomplish this goal, while also continuously prioritizing employee wellbeing to avoid burnout and retain top talent.”