When a few weeks ago Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, was lethal with teleworking, stating that “the engineers who started in the Meta office perform better than those who did it remotely”, we already analyzed how he was leaving many aspects or causes without analyze by stating this.
What Zuckerberg does not specify in this information is whether this result could have other causes: a more elaborate reception by the company when a person arrived at the company, compared to the reception given during the pandemic years, which were accompanied by massive hires in Meta, could be one cause. Or it may be due to staff demotivation in these years of uncertainty, which has been analyzed by studies. Or a possible labor discontent due to the decisions made by the company in recent years.
In fact, after Zuckerberg said this and with the massive layoffs experienced in the company, many now former Meta workers They have told on their social networks how they were hired during pandemic times, working online from the beginning and that there was nothing to do but believe they were selected to steal talent from the competition.
Zuckerberg He has followed here the speech marked by other large CEOs of technology companies like Elon Musk (he has even said that teleworking “is crap”), Sam Altman, leader of OpenAI or Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon who says that people in offices tend to be more engaged.
And now a new study looks at how these claims totally ignore other causes that can lead to a drop in productivity beyond working at home or in the office.
Historic drop in productivity
Labor productivity is down, according to new May data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Specifically, it fell 2.7% in the first quarter of 2023 in the business sector, the largest decline in 75 years.
As labor output declines, Zippia company data analysis revealed that 68% of American workers are not engaged. Gallup defines employee engagement as “the degree of employee involvement, enthusiasm, and commitment to their work.”
In its State of the Global Workplace report, Gallup states that if the involvement is low this “costs the world economy an amount similar to 11% of world GDP”.
Factors that lower productivity
Beyond throwing balls out and blaming the drop in productivity on employees and the flexibility offered by teleworking, there are other causes that come from the company. That is to say that by blaming telecommuting, CEOs are just throwing the balls out.
To help rectify the productivity problem, companies They can make various decisions. For example, improving training and development to help employees learn new skills is something that employees want and that helps them in their motivation and involvement in the company, especially millennials and Gen-Z.
Flexible work arrangements can improve workers’ work-life balance, reducing stress and burnout and increasing productivity. Other idea: a positive work environment will improve employee morale and worker performance.
Entrepreneurs must keep an eye on employee burnout and intercede by assessing the workload and offering workers more breaks and access to mental health counseling.
A study from Stanford University has found that remote workers are actually 13% more productive than their counterparts in the office. The report shows that remote workers are less likely to take sick days and more likely to be satisfied with their work.
a new context
The world has changed a lot in three years. And that the CEOs blame the fall in productivity on telecommuting, helps them take responsibility for how they could improve the situation in their companies to help their workers cope with the world in which we live.
As the expert Jack Kelley recalls for Forbes, the confluence of the health, geopolitical and economic crises has contributed to the disengagement of workers and a general decrease in productivity.
Covid-19 disrupted work routines and caused widespread absenteeism. The war in Ukraine has caused an increase in energy prices, which has made the cost of basic things very high. The Great Resignation has caused a shortage of workers, making it more difficult for companies to find and retain qualified employees.
High inflation and the increase in the cost of goods and services are factors that contribute to the low productivity of workers. When As the cost of living rises, workers may find it difficult to meet their needs basics, such as food and shelter. This can lead to stress and anxiety, making it difficult for workers to stay engaged or focus on their work.
Images | Siavash Ghambari and Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash