When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many companies quickly switched to remote work. Since then a hybrid work culture has persisted, with employers claiming that in-person work improves productivity.
A new study from Adobe for Business has surveyed more than 1,000 full-time employees to find out if hybrid workers are actually doing better than their on-site and fully remote peers.
It finds that more than half (56 percent) feel they’re more productive now than last year, but 77 percent admit to working beyond their scheduled hours, the highest among the work location types analyzed. Responding to emails and messages is the top ‘off-the-clock’ task, with hybrid workers most likely to do so (44 percent), and on-site (31 percent) employees being the least likely. They’re also 91 percent more likely than on-site workers to research or problem-solve a complex issue outside of working hours.
Interestingly hybrid staff have the most tasks automated of any work setup, yet they still believe at least 30 percent more could be automated. Employees see significant potential for AI automation to reduce the time spent on low-impact tasks, which is expected to allow them to focus on improving work quality and achieving better work-life balance. While AI automation remains limited, with only 11 percent of daily tasks automated, workers believe that nearly a quarter could be.
81 percent of hybrid workers feel that a unified project management system would improve their work-life balance. Those in marketing (54 percent) and finance (53 percent) are most likely to expect a unified workflow to reduce their levels of stress.
The study concludes:
Productivity thrives when organizations address challenges like hours lost on low-value tasks, automation that’s barely used, and scattered workflows that slow teams down.
Unlocking this potential isn’t about working harder or faster. It’s about providing people with the right balance of clarity, tools, and processes, so they can focus on the work that matters most.
You can read more on the Adobe for Business blog.
Image credit: stokkete/depositphotos.com
