The ongoing debate over moonlighting companies has come forward providing suggestions over moonlighting. Microsoft Satya Nadella chief executive officer (CEO) has coined a new term called ‘productivity paranoia’.
Satya Nadella said there’s a real disconnect between the management and the employees over productivity.
“Thriving employees are what will give organizations a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic economic environment,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft.
What is productivity paranoia?
According to a survey on corporate attitudes by Microsoft, it has been found that 85 percent of managers are worrying that they can’t tell if employees are getting enough work done, while 87 percent of the workers say that productivity is fine, which can undermine trust and lead to “productivity theatre”.
Satya Nadella called this feeling of both sides ‘productivity paranoia’.
“Leaders think their employees are not productive, whereas employees think they are being productive and in many cases even feel burnt out,” he said in an interview.
The result of the ‘Work Trend Index Pulse’ hinted at a fundamental disagreement between employers and employees over productivity with reference to the hybrid mode.
As many as 20,000 employers across 11 countries participated in this survey. To help leaders navigate the new realities of work, the Work Trend Index Pulse report points to three urgent pivots every leader should make:
- End productivity paranoia: 87% of employees report they are productive at work, but 85% of leaders say the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence their employees are being productive. Leaders need to create clarity and alignment around company goals, eliminate busy work that doesn’t support those goals, and listen to their people — 57% of companies rarely if ever, collect employee feedback.
- Embrace that people come in for each other: 73% of employees say they need a better reason to go into the office besides company expectations — but they would be motivated to go in if they could socialize with co-workers (84%) or rebuild team bonds (85%). Digital communication will be crucial to keep people connected inside and out of the office — both employees and leaders rank communication as the No. 1 most critical skill needed to be successful in their roles this year.
- Re-skill to re-recruit your employees: 55% of employees say the best way to develop their skills is to change companies. However, they also say they would stay longer at their company if it was easier to change jobs internally (68%) or if they could benefit more from learning and development support (76%).
The data makes clear that hybrid work has created a growing disconnect between employees and leaders. They’re at odds about what constitutes productivity, how to maintain autonomy while ensuring accountability, the benefits of flexibility, and the role of the office.
To bridge this gap, a new approach is needed that recognizes work is no longer just a place but an experience that needs to transcend time and space so employees can stay engaged and connected no matter where they are working.
