2015 Workplace Productivity Trends

Transcription

1 2015 Workplace Productivity Trends July 1, 2015

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Methodology 3 Demographics 4 Happiness at work = Happiness at home 6 Does your inbox control you? 8 Are all of the meetings you attend necessary? 10 Everyone can improve their productivity and performance 12 Do you exercise at least three times per week? 15 Top 8 Productivity Killers 16 Distractions and interruptions impact on our ability to focus 17 Top Six Productivity Strategies 19 How We Can Help 20 About the Author 21

3 Executive Summary Most people have never been taught how to work. We attend high school and university, and when we hit the workforce we re given technical, communication, leadership and sales training. Learning how to work is generally learnt through trial and error and it can be quite painful. At pac executive we believe that true workplace productivity is all about execution. The equation for high performance is efficiency multiplied by effectiveness. New technologies, social networks and increased consumer demands are having a huge impact on the expectations which are placed upon companies, executives, leaders and frontline staff. Individuals, teams and organisations are under increasing pressure to deliver more with less. Employees are reporting increasing levels of anxiety and depression, with demands at work putting pressure on our families and health. Today individuals receive more information in a day than they would have received in a year of their life in the early 1900 s. It s no surprise that they are feeling overwhelmed as they struggle to prioritise what needs to be done to achieve results. Over the years they ve developed a set of working habits to try and meet the demands of their work, many of which do not serve them. So, how can companies best support their people to help them achieve results while still having a life? How can they attract, retain and motivate high performers? How can individuals take control of the short 24 hours we have in each day for work, rest and play? After 10 years of helping companies, teams and individuals gain significant and sustainable improvements in their performance pac executive decided to complete our own research to gain insights into Workplace Productivity in the year We asked our clients, contacts and social networks to participate in an anonymous survey to provide insight into their workplace productivity challenges and strategies. A total of 1746 responses were received from clients globally with the majority of respondents being based in Australia (1385). The data provided in this report tells a story about workforce sentiment when it comes to workforce productivity. We found some alarming results painting a picture of unhappy workers, people who struggle to meet their goals and achieve work life balance. If we want to encourage sustainable growth and effectiveness for our organisations we need to embrace results focused workforce strategies rather than encourage people to work harder and longer. There are some excellent results being realised by companies which focus on results and teach their employees how to work as individuals and as part of a broader team. These are the companies who are most likely to achieve their strategic outcomes because their people are focused on the right activities, tasks and projects on a day to day basis WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

4 Methodology The survey was developed with input from the pac executive leadership team and leaders within the industry. The survey asked respondents to answer questions relating to their own productivity within the work environment. Different types of questions were utilised throughout the survey including: - Multiple choice (one answer and multiple answer) - Rating scale (five point) - Yes/No/Maybe questions - Ranking questions Respondents were given the option to not answer any questions they didn t feel comfortable answering, and were provided with the opportunity to enter into a draw to win $1000 worth of productivity coaching. Survey topics included: What productivity means to respondents Time of day when respondents are most productive Happiness at work Health and Well Being Environmental impacts Productivity Killers Productivity Strategies This report summarizes the Australian cohort s responses (1385) 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

5 8.32% 4.80% 7.35% 6.06% 22.04% 18.22% 39.28% 0.68% 0.83% 0.38% 11.15% 7.89% 25.42% 20.86% 32.78% 9.01% 12.85% 5.10% 1.11% 1.03% 6.06% 72.30% 4.79% 13.96% 14.20% 10.49% 15.11% 11.56% 10.07% 19.82% Demographics SALARIES OF RESPONDENTS $0- $ 5 0, $ 5 0, $ 7 0, $ 7 0, $ 9 0, $ 9 0, $ 1 1 0, $ 1 1 0, $ 1 5 0, $ 1 5 0, $ 2 0 0, $ 2 0 0, $ 3 0 0, $ 3 0 0, WORKING ARRANGEMENTS F U L L T I M E P A R T T I M E C A S U A L F U L L T I M E S T U D E N T P A R T T I M E S T U D E N T V O L U N T E E R N O T W O R K I N G AGE OF RESPONDENTS U N D E R O R O L D E R HOURS WORKED PER WEEK U P T O N O T W O R K I N G 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

6 44% Gender of respondents 56% Male Female 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

7 24.24% 32.54% 33.02% 44.54% 45.75% 48.61% 45.92% 42.27% 44.77% Happiness at work = Happiness at home There is no doubt that happiness at work leads to happiness at home and vice versa. If you ve had a bad day (or year) at work, it is inevitable that you will take the frustration and stress home with you. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) statistics tell us that Australians work around 1676 hours per week at work. Considering that 33% of our respondents indicated that they are unhappy at work, it should be no surprise that 46% of employees struggle to achieve work life balance, and meet their personal goals (44%). More work needs to be done in helping employees manage their workload in a way that reduces stress and helps them gain a sense of control over their outcomes both professionally and personally. Additionally, employees need permission to invest time in themselves, taking back personal time and time for their family. Employees who are happy at work are happier at home and vice versa. 33% 44% 46% Not happy at work Struggle to consistently meet personal goals Struggle with work-life balance Not happy at work Struggle to achieve goals Struggle with work-life balance ALL W O M E N M E N Men were 9% less likely to report being happy at work than women WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

8 When asked to indicate whether they agree with the statement: I am always successful in achieving my personal goals, women were 6% less likely to indicate they agreed or strongly agreed they consistently achieved their goals. When asked to indicate whether they agree with the statement: I have good work life balance, women are slightly more likely (1%) to report they do not have good work life balance, nearly 46% of the total cohort reported struggling with work-life balance WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

9 51% 55% 57% 62% 61% 66.36% 66.20% 63% 68.14% Does your inbox control you? The majority of respondents (66%) say they are most productive between the hours of 7 am and 12 noon each day. Many waste this magic time by opening their inbox as their first action of the day. Many of the s that we receive each day bear no relationship to the projects, task and activities that lead to employee and company success, by prioritising we are effectively wasting our most productive hours, and setting the tone for our day to reacting to what other people tell us is important. In fact, changing our approach to managing is one of the most important ways that we can take back control of our day. We help our clients cut out double handing information by batching communication and creating boundaries so that they aren t slaves to their smartphones while also being responsive to the few s which are important. 62% 55% 66% Delete s without reading them in full Check work every 10 to 15 min or whenever an alert comes through Most productive between the hours of 7 am and 12 noon Delete s without reading them in full Check work every 10 to 15 min or whenever an alert comes through Most productive between the hours of 7 am and 12 noon ALL W O M E N M E N When asked if they agree with the statement: I often delete s without reading them in full. Just over 62% of the full cohort indicated they deleted s without reading them in full with no significant difference (only 1.87%) between the genders in their approach to reading WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

10 When asked to indicate how often they check their , 55% of all respondents indicated they check work every 10 to 15 minutes or whenever an alert comes up. Women were 6% more likely to check their every 15 minutes or more than men. When asked to indicate the time of the day they feel most productive, just over 66% of the total cohort indicated they are most productive between the hours of 7 am and 12 noon. Both men and women were about the same in this regard, with 2% more men than women indicating they are more productive between 7 am and 12 noon than other times of the day WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

11 38.76% 38.74% 37.07% 55.02% 48.08% 62.17% 76.27% 76.35% 76.09% Are all of the meetings you attend necessary? How telling is it that while 76% of respondents believe the meetings they conduct are productive and necessary whereas only 39% believe that the meetings they attend are productive and necessary? There s no denying that we are spending too much time in unproductive meetings which are often run without agendas and with the required preparation put into each meeting to ensure outcomes are achieved. Every time you accept an invitation to a meeting, you are giving up valuable time which can be spent on other priorities. Too many people accept requests without question, and call meetings to discuss issues that could be resolved with phone calls or s. While meetings have their place, we encourage our clients to ask the question, Is this meeting really necessary? and ensure there is always an agenda that is followed closely so that outcomes are achieved from every meeting. 55% 76% 39% Spend at least two hours per day in meetings Believe: The meetings I conduct are productive and necessary. Say: The meetings I attend are productive and necessary Spend at least two hours per day in meetings Believe: The meetings I conduct are productive and necessary. Say: The meetings I attend are productive and necessary ALL W O M E N M E N 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

12 55.02% of respondents indicated they spend more than two hours per day in meetings, with men indicating they spend more time in meetings than women. When asked to indicate whether they agree with the statement: The meetings I conduct are productive and necessary there was a very small difference between the genders. When asked to indicate whether they agree with the statement The meetings I attend are productive and necessary only 38.76% of the total cohort agreed with this statement, again with no significant difference between the genders WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

13 56.60% 56.85% 56.48% 85.54% 83.92% 85.94% 83.01% 84.23% 85.25% Everyone can improve their productivity and performance Very few people turn up to work and plan to do bad job. In fact 86% of people claim that they are productive at work. 84% of people will however admit that they could be more productive with training. 76% of respondents said they would be more likely to stay in an organization that invests time and resources in their professional development to help them be more productive. 43% of people think that their colleagues are not productive at work! It s clear that there is a gap between how most people perform, how they see themselves and their team members. High performing organisations provide training to both individuals and team members to ensure that they work well individually, have a shared language, and a process and system for working together. 86% 56% 84% I am productive at work My colleagues are not productive at work I could be more productive with training I am productive at work I could be more productive with training My colleagues are not productive at work ALL W O M E N M E N When asked whether they are productive when working on tasks assigned to them, 85.54% of the total cohort agreed or strongly agreed that they were. However, when asked whether they felt their colleagues were productive, only 56.6% of the cohort felt they were. There was no significant difference between the genders on these two productivity factors WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

14 When asked to indicate whether they believe they could be more productive through training, 83.92% of the total cohort indicated that they felt they may be more productive through training with no significant difference between the genders WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

15 Women are 5% more likely to look after themselves by eating healthy than men 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

16 11.80% 9.13% 14.53% 16.88% 15.22% 19.50% 31.54% 27.85% 35.55% 54.38% 53.46% 51.02% 50.69% 51.18% 56.13% Do you exercise at least three times per week? Healthy workplaces encourage employees to maintain their health and wellbeing. Compelling evidence tells us that exercise is just as (if not more than) important for your brain as it is for your body, and that people who include exercise in their day are more likely to be productive at work and be higher performers. Men are slightly more likely than women to exercise on a regular basis, while women are more likely to modify their diet to maintain their health. Ensuring that employees have regular breaks for exercise, and indeed to stand up, offers clear commercial benefits. Likewise, encouraging healthy eating helps employees manage their energy over the course of a day. 50% 12% 64% I exercise three are more times per week I never exercise I look after myself by healthy eating 50% of the total cohort indicated they exercise at least three times per week with men being 12% more likely than women to exercise at least three times per week. 12% of respondents indicated that they never exercise, again with women being more likely than men to never exercise. Women are 5% more likely to look after themselves by eating healthy than men (66% vs 61%) with 64% of the total cohort making this claim. WHEN DO YOU EXERCISE? All Women Men N E V E R W E E K E N D S D U R I N G B R E A K S A F T E R W O R K B E F O R E W O R K 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

17 Top 8 Productivity Killers TOP PRODUCTIVITY KILLERS All Women Men I N T E R R U P T I O N S D I S T R A C T I O N S U N P R O D U C T I V E A N D U N N E C E S S A R Y M E E T I N G S E M A I L O V E R L O A D P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N L A C K O F F O C U S P O O R P L A N N I N G M E S S Y E N V I R O N M E N T The top eight productivity killers reported by the cohort were: Interruptions Distractions Unproductive and unnecessary meetings overload Procrastination Lack of Focus Poor planning Messy Environment Women reported that they were 4% more likely than men to be impacted by distractions and personal procrastination. Whereas, men were more likely to be impacted by poor planning WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

18 67.13% 69.31% 70.79% 72.17% 74.02% 76.07% 76.14% 75.76% 74.86% Distractions and interruptions impact on our ability to focus Interruptions are caused by others, distractions are caused by ourselves. Experts estimate that we spend 2.1 hours per day consumed by interruptions. It takes between minutes to refocus after being interrupted or distracted. 86% of respondents work in office environments, with 28% working from home, 13% working on the road, and 7% working in non-office environments. 74% of respondents claim to prefer working from the office, verses 26% who prefer the home environment. 69% 76% 75% I find myself distracted by noise levels at work The atmosphere of my office influences my productivity I am more productive in an office environment OUR ENVIRONMENT I find myself distracted by noise levels at work The atmosphere of my office influences my productivity I am more productive in an office environment ALL W O M E N M E N Around 69% of respondents agreed that noise levels in the workplace can be distracting, with women 5% more likely to report noise levels as a distraction than men. These days many people are taking up the option to work from home at least one day per week, 74% of respondents reported being more productive in the work environment, with men 4% more likely to report this preference WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

19 7.71% 6.23% 5.17% 9.63% 10.92% 8.71% 11.59% 10.06% 14.34% 11.76% 10.48% 17.00% 20.71% 20.11% 23.89% 37.60% 37.97% 36.12% 2.45% 2.29% 2.37% 5.22% 4.06% 5.29% 12.88% 11.99% 18.77% 15.75% 16.71% 20.46% 28.16% 28.75% 28.27% 28.22% 28.04% 28.55% Respondents report logging into social media more often at home than at work. Unless your role requires you to log into social media, for maximum productivity we recommend batching social media use rather than checking it regularly. Social media can be a distraction and can impact negatively on our energy levels. HOW OFTEN DO YOU LOG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA AT WORK? All Women Men E V E R Y 1 0 T O 3 0 M I N U T E S H O U R L Y 2-5 T I M E S P E R D A Y D A I L Y W E E K L Y N E V E R HOW OFTEN DO YOU LOG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA AT HOME? All Women Men E V E R Y 1 0 T O 3 0 M I N U T E S H O U R L Y 2-5 T I M E S P E R D A Y D A I L Y W E E K L Y N E V E R 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

20 83.69% 86.85% 86.60% 85.64% 87.99% 86.22% 87.39% 85.92% 88.07% 97.12% 97.21% 96.06% 95.32% 94.61% 96.68% 95.17% 97.41% 96.11% Top Six Productivity Strategies When asked to identify their top productivity strategies respondents agreed they did so by: Being Clear On My Priorities Using Appropriate Planning Focussing On High Value Activities Setting Goals and Reviewing Them Regularly Using Technology Efficiently Managing Personal Energy Mindfulness is becoming more popular within the corporate environment with 67% of respondents indicating they felt it was an important productivity strategy, particularly with women (72%). TOP SIX PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES All Women Men B E I N G C L E A R O N M Y P R I O R I T I E S A P P R O P R I A T E P L A N N I N G F O C U S S I N G O N H I G H V A L U E A C T I V I T I E S S E T T I N G G O A L S A N D R E V I E W I N G T H E M R E G U L A R L Y U S I N G M Y T E C H N O L O G Y E F F I C I E N T L Y M A N A G I N G M Y E N E R G Y Using Mindfulness Technicques Men 63.85% Women 72.00% All 67.14% 58.00% 60.00% 62.00% 64.00% 66.00% 68.00% 70.00% 72.00% 74.00% 2015 WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

21 How We Can Help pac executive offers a range of solutions from one-on-one to one-on-many programs, face to face and e-learning solutions. Optimal performance is realised through efficiency with effectiveness. Our coaching and training ensures that executives and employees are efficient by teaching them how to manage information workflow, helping them to fully utilise their technology, and by identifying and overcoming time wasters; and effective by focussing on the right activities through aligning strategy with execution. Delivery Methodology Based on our understanding of adult learning and changing habits, the coaching program has been designed to implement new learning immediately. That is why each week 30% of learners time is spent learning and 70% is spent doing. This approach ensures that we help you change habits in order to achieve better results. Learning Outcomes Our focus is on lifting personal productivity and organisational performance helping you get the most out of each day. The Coaching Program enables participants to align what they do on a day-to-day basis with high return activities. Our coaching team will work with you to help you understand your preferred working style, pace, and your current productivity barriers. We then provide you with support to achieve sustainable habit change. Key outcomes for the participants include: Reduced stress and information overload Greater control of personal work flow Greater ability to achieve KPI s An extra hour per day on key objectives Greater work life balance and peace of mind Key outcomes for your organisation include: Unlocked capacity of work teams Significantly increased return on investment on your biggest asset - your people Increased revenue with direct impact on the bottom line Execution of long-term business initiatives Why pac executive? pac executive s Human Capital business was established to provide our clients with services that assist them in selecting the right people for their business, and to optimise the performance and retention of their workforce. We work closely with clients, assisting them in diagnosing their issues, designing and developing appropriate and effective solutions and supporting them in the implementation of these initiatives. Our team has extensive experience in a wide range of areas including productivity coaching and training, psychometric assessments, executive coaching, human resources, learning and development, training and facilitation. We believe that happy people perform better. We also believe that there is a direct link between happiness at work and happiness at home (and vice versa) WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,

22 About the Author Cholena Orr is the Director- Human Capital for pac executive. She offers close to 20 years experience working in Human Capital and people management. Phone: Cholena is a business builder who is passionate about mindfulness and lifting people up. Cholena heads pac executive s Human Capital business. She provides consulting services to our clients on improving the productivity of teams through executive and leadership effectiveness coaching, facilitated team based learning and the provision of technology to assist individuals in planning and working more effectively on a day-to-day basis. Every two years Cholena takes herself off to the mountains to meditate for ten days in silence for ten hours each day. She s been doing this since 1999, at the same time raising a son with her childhood sweetheart (and husband) and managing a successful career. As a leader, Cholena has a style which is both commercial and compassionate. She believes that good business is about doing the right thing. She also believes that it s important to learn from others and to pass her knowledge on to others. She has 20 years experience working in all kinds of environments and knows firsthand how easy it is to be ineffective and inefficient. She used to work long hours both at home and at work, soon realising that this approach was unsustainable and had impacts on her relationships and her family. Cholena has a long history in Human Capital consulting having been in the industry since 1998 working for brands like Mercer, Suncorp, the Queensland Government, Hallis and Profusion Group. Cholena cites career achievements to include building Greenfield sites, creating new teams, and building new businesses. To achieve these results she had to learn how to work smarter rather than harder, how to manage her energy and even more importantly how to coach others to get the best results possible in the most efficient and effective way possible WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS - JULY 1,