• Overall, 43% of professionals say they work most productively in the office or workplace, followed by 41% who believe they’re most productive at home or remotely, whilst 12% say in a shared workspace 
• Senior level professionals say they are more productive when working from home, compared to entry level and junior professionals who say they work best in the office 
• Professionals aged between 20-29 and those over 50 say they are more productive in the workplace, versus those aged between 30 and 49 who are more productive at home
• 10am to midday was voted as the most productive hours of the day by professionals (40%)
• Majority (38%) of professionals say ways of working which are adapted to individual needs where possible makes hybrid working more productive 

Generations and professionals at different points in their career are split on where they work most productively – further fuelling the office vs remote work debate in new research released by Hays.

The research, based on a survey of nearly 15,000 professionals and employers, found that half (50%) of entry level and junior professionals say they are more productive in the office, versus just under a third (32%) who say they work more productively at home. In contrast, 44% of intermediate level professionals are more productive working from home, compared to 41% in office. 

The split is even more obvious between management level professionals, as over half (51%) say they are more productive at home whereas 36% say the office, and director level, whereby 53% of professionals work more productively at home compared to 34% in the office. 

According to the research, in terms of age, younger and older groups of professionals say they are most productive in the workplace:

• Nearly half (49%) of 20-29 year olds say they work best in the office versus 38% who say they’re more productive at home 
• 44% of over 50s say they are most productive in the office versus 38% who say they work best remotely 

In comparison, professionals belonging to the middle age groups believe they work most productively from home:

• 45% of professionals aged between 30-39 say they are more productive when working from home versus 40% who say from the office 
• 44% of 40-49 year olds say they’re most productive at home compared to 41% who say the office

10am to midday is the sweet spot for productivity

The research reveals that 10am to midday were voted as the most productive hours of the day by professionals, with 40% rating these hours as most productive. This was followed by almost a third (32%) who said 8am to 10am. 

What staff want when it comes to new ways of working

When asked which of the following makes hybrid working more productive, majority (38%) of professionals believe ways of working which are adapted to individual needs where possible, followed by 28% who say encouraging clear boundaries between work and personal life when working remotely.

Just under a quarter (24%) of professionals value the importance of employers investing in appropriate tools and technologies to facilitate a hybrid working model. 

Most (64%) professionals want to see their employer build a culture where employees feel safe sharing their views on our way of working, followed by 53% who say bosses should regularly celebrate employee achievements, regardless of where they’re working.

More than half (52%) voted for the importance of ensuring managers are trained to manage hybrid teams, 46% say organisations ought to publish hybrid working policies to demonstrate transparency and a further 46% of professionals believe employers should regularly survey staff to gauge sentiment and identify areas where working practices can be improved.

Barney Ely, Director at Hays specialising in HR, comments: “It’s clear from our research that factors such as age and seniority play an important part in assessing where professionals work most productively. For instance, those working in more junior level roles believe they benefit from the workplace environment, where they can be supported by others.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, employers ought to consider the needs of each staff member as individuals. Where a person works most productively depends largely on their lifestyle, learning style, nature of work, age, seniority and the list goes on, so we need to appreciate that this hybrid working debate is not black and white. 

Ultimately, there needs to be a shared sense of trust, open communication and understanding when it comes to navigating flexible working arrangements so that employers feel assured their staff are being productive and professionals feel listened to and able to carry out their jobs in the best way possible, whilst also achieving a crucial work-life balance.”

About the research: The survey was conducted between the 10th of August – 11th September 2023 and received 14,915 responses. 

Contact
 
Chloe May
PR Executive
chloe.may@hays.com

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2023, the Group employed over 13,000 staff operating from 252 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2023:

• the Group reported net fees of £1,294.6 million and operating profit of £197.0 million;
• the Group placed around 76,800 candidates into permanent jobs and around 245,000 people into temporary roles;
• 15% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 30% in Germany, 21% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW);
• the temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees;
• Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (10%), are the next largest
• Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA