Productivity theatre has placed a burden on a smaller group of people, the research published today (19 November 2024) suggested, with 40% of workers noticing high-performing colleagues stressed due to over-reliance on their work at least once a week.
Nearly three quarters (72%) of the 2,500 workers surveyed that said their workload was so unmanageable that they have felt the need to take a day off at least once in the last six months.
“Our research shows that many employees engage in productivity theatre because they think it’s the best way to demonstrate they’re busy and productive,” Rebecca Hinds, head of Asana’s internal think tank The Work Innovation Lab, told HR magazine.
“When responsibilities are unclear and accountability is lacking, it’s no surprise that people focus on appearances rather than outcomes.”
Employees feeling undervalued could lead to productivity theatre, according to Jeanette Wheeler, chief HR officer at payroll and finance software provider MHR.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Many organisations are mines of untapped potential. People can become unmotivated if they don’t think their skills are being used in the right way, impacting workforce productivity and the desire to deliver meaningful work.
“Stress and burnout are often the result of people feeling undervalued, which can be caused by a lack of autonomy or ownership when it comes to an individual’s learning and development – leading to so-called productivity theatre.”
Nearly half (44%) of workers also reported that they struggle to remember who is responsible for what on their team, and 40% said they have worked on the wrong task due to a mix-up.
Meanwhile, 70% claimed their manager can be unavailable or unresponsive when they need guidance, while 59% feel micromanaged.
HR is responsible for ensuring people’s skillsets are matched with their tasks, Wheeler added.
She continued: “Working with wider business leaders, HR has a responsibility to make sure it is correctly reviewing people’s skillsets and adopting a ‘match-and-gap' approach, where people are fitted to a project depending on their skillset.
Read more: How can HR use tech to drive employee productivity?
“This is crucial to building a sustainable, high-performance organisational environment.
“HR needs to be provided with the support to implement a project-based approach to working – involving accurately assessing people’s strengths and weaknesses and analysing the skills employees currently have and want to develop.
“Putting this process in place will help ensure employees are recognised for their skillset, leading to a valued workforce with a balanced workload and a full understanding of their responsibilities, and those of their team’s.”
HR and leaders should embrace technology to help employees understand their work, Andy Wilson, senior director of new product solutions at software provider Dropbox, told HR magazine.
He said: “Leaders need to cultivate an environment of open communication where responsibilities are transparently outlined, reducing role confusion and promoting accountability. Seamless access to information is also vital, especially as teams become increasingly distributed.
“Here, tools like collaborative platforms can help maintain clarity on ‘who does what’, by organising work and minimising missteps. Meanwhile, AI-powered universal search tools can empower people to quickly find the content and data they need to keep work moving.”
Read more: HR viewed as the least productive department by employees
Aldermore bank relied on data to improve employees’ productivity, chief operating officer Nick Ulycz, explained.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Aldermore has focused on improving productivity and employee wellbeing in the last 18 months through data-driven insights, a partnership approach and a culture of efficiency.
“We implemented Microsoft Viva to gain valuable and anonymised insights into how our colleagues spend their time. By analysing and cross-referencing with other data, such as engagement survey reports and attrition, we can identify trends, potential bottlenecks, and areas for improvement.
“This data-driven approach empowers leaders to make informed decisions about their teams and allocate resources effectively.
“Using this data, HR collaborates closely with leaders to decipher the difference between deep and shallow work. By unblocking bottlenecks and optimising talent distribution, we ensure that our teams are focused on high-value tasks that are aligned to the goals and purpose of the business.”
