The workplace has changed dramatically in the past two years, and it looks like hybrid working is here to stay. And with 74% of employees saying a mix of in-office and remote work is the best way forward in a post-COVID world, how does this affect their productivity?
Does the way we manage productivity and well-being for in-office employees still work in a hybrid workplace? Companies need to adapt their review processes and the metrics they use to track employee productivity to reflect the new work dynamic.
Tracking productivity doesn’t just give managers greater visibility into what their teams are achieving, it also gives them the ability to adapt to circumstances sooner and find solutions to wider systemic issues.
Which metrics should you track?
In a world that creates more data every second than can feasibly be processed, it’s easy to get lost in the stats and figures—especially when it comes to productivity. And knowing which data is useful can help bring things into focus.
It’s important to determine which metrics to track and stick to them. Metrics should be applicable to all employees, and also recognize the fact that some employees are working from home, while others are working in the office. For example, if your business uses Microsoft 365, you might want to track:
- Messaging and calls on Teams
- Emails being sent via Outlook
- Video meetings scheduled to take place
- Active Teams chats
When looking at employee productivity metrics, always remember to take what you see with a pinch of salt. Behind these numbers is a person who may have had a difficult day with the kids, suffered from a patchy Wi-Fi connection all morning, or could be struggling with mental health issues.
How productivity insights help organizations succeed
When surfaced correctly, productivity insights should paint an accurate picture of your virtual working environment. They shouldn’t be used as a means of ‘spying’ on employees and/or applying pressure if they are falling behind. Instead, use these metrics to see where employees might need extra support.
Overall, the aim of these insights is to give business owners and management teams the visibility they need to help inform company changes. Almost every business in the world is still adapting to the ever-changing global landscape, and gaining a better idea of how your employees are handling these changes gives you a huge advantage.
So, what are the specific advantages?
Team visibility
Getting real-time insights into employee productivity allows management to make more informed decisions when it comes to their teams. For example, if a team is seeing a drop in productivity at a certain time of day, it might be in the manager’s interest to introduce a break, team meeting, or regular teambuilding around that time to re-energize the team.
This level of visibility allows you to optimize your employees’ time and effort, so they are happier and more productive.
Individual well-being
A drop in productivity could be a sign of fatigue, burn-out, or mental health issues. Being able to spot this through data insights means employees who might be uncomfortable having a conversation about well-being can get the support they need.
Well-being became much more difficult to monitor and nurture during the pandemic—as visible signs of fatigue and burn-out were harder to spot with remote employees. However, with early warning signs through insights, you can intervene and provide support sooner.
Proper use of apps
Remote teams rely heavily on digital collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams. This kind of software has come to define the new hybrid working standard, making collaboration between in-office and remote employees a possibility.
Making sure everyone is using these apps for their intended purposes is important for both employee productivity and job satisfaction. And having the ability to track how workers are using these tools across your company allows you to ensure they are being used correctly.
Remember that usage will vary depending on the employee’s team, how often they work from home vs. in the office, and what their communication style is.
Some people prefer video calls, while some prefer to express their ideas through messaging or even email. Taking a holistic view of app usage tracing will paint a more accurate picture of the online workspace you are building and could show you what needs to be done to ensure it thrives.
A new outlook on productivity
Traditionally, productivity monitoring considers how employees act in the office and how focused they appear to be on their work. Now that a new way of working is becoming the norm, it’s time for a shift in mindset. One that focuses not on what employees are doing, but what they are contributing.
Ernest Hemingway said, “Never mistake motion for action.” Being at work and doing work has become different things for modern workers. Office-based rules for productivity have traditionally concentrated on employee input, not their output. However, with the shift to remote work, employees are holed away in their own private offices/kitchen tables/bedrooms, and the focus has shifted to more useful output metrics.
Tracking these new metrics will help your business create a leaner, more efficient way for your teams to work. In the process, you’ll create a more productive, happier workforce with a greater sense of well-being. Instead of requiring activity data from sales teams, focus on leads and deals closed. Instead of looking at clock-in times for your workers, look at the tasks they’re completing within that time.
Measuring employee productivity is FREE with MessageOps
At a time when the workplace is rapidly evolving, make sure you’ve got the metrics you need to improve your organization. With key insights into Microsoft Teams usage and Outlook email stats, our free activity measurement platform gives you visibility across your entire company.
Inscape Productivity Insights by MessageOps tracks progressive data, such as private chat messages, video calls, mail traffic flow, and more to paint a fuller picture of where your Microsoft collaboration tools are being used as intended.
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