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For many organisations, the debate around remote work boils down to one main question: are remote workers more productive?
The answer isn’t so straightforward. Framing the discussion solely around productivity oversimplifies the complex dynamics at play. Even the term itself lacks an agreed-upon definition. For developers, for example, do we measure productivity with lines of code written? Time spent in meetings? Projects worked on? Hours logged at the office?
Furthermore, the decision often isn’t solely choosing between working full-time from the office or working full-time from home. A significant number of businesses have opted for hybrid schedules, allowing them to work in the office on certain days and remotely on others.
Given these ambiguities, it’s not a surprise that many studies on remote or hybrid work produce contradictory findings. Therefore, it’s worth asking why in most conversations about remote work we ask about productivity first, instead of leading with other factors like flexibility and how it impacts employee happiness, retention and recruitment.
Factors like workplace happiness are extremely important and sometimes overlooked in the conversation around remote work. Not only is it absolutely crucial to building a productive workforce, but it is also essential to retain talent and develop a stronger workforce. As written by Sean Achor, author of the book The Happiness Advantage, “Happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%.”
This workforce happiness can only be achieved by understanding what is important to your employees. For example, our recent developer survey showed that, for the past three years, flexibility has remained the top reason developers would stay in a role. Developers in the 44 and younger age bracket stand out as all identified the increased importance of flexibility. 70% of mid-career developers ranked it the most important reason to stay at their job compared to 65% for early-career developers and 59% for new tech talent.
But, while this is the case for most developers, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and understanding the demands of employees specific to their sector, their team and their individual preferences is crucial to building an engaged and productive workforce.
Considering employee preferences also plays a pivotal role in improving recruitment and retention of talent. In the technology industry, where the competition for skilled professionals is intense, catering to the desires and needs of employees can be a strategic advantage. Not only does it enhance recruitment efforts but it also fosters a positive reputation in the industry, contributing to a stronger and more resilient workforce.
As the debate shifts beyond individual productivity metrics, companies must recognise what is valued by their workforce and those entering the respective industry. Using the developer community as an example again, the ability to offer hybrid schedules or remote work options reflects an understanding of the diverse range of preferences of employees, especially the younger generation of developers who prioritise flexibility in their work arrangements.
By now, many businesses have already established what they think is the right approach to remote working for their organisation. This decision should be made beyond the narrow lens of productivity metrics. At Stack Overflow, for example, we operate as a fully remote company and embrace a remote-first philosophy because it aligns with the values held by our employees and community of developers.
Enhancing productivity in a business’ chosen working model requires leadership to weigh other extenuating factors, most notably artificial intelligence. In the UK, just over a third of developers are already using AI in their development process, and three-quarters are favourable to introducing AI tools to their daily jobs.
Generative AI has only added complexity to the remote work debate in 2024. As last year’s hype from its rise matures into a larger debate around company usage policies and industry regulation of AI tools, all businesses will need to prioritise how to maximise staff productivity alongside staff happiness to stay competitive, secure and retain the best tech talent, and succeed in the new GenAI era to ultimately build cross-functional (and global) AI Centres of Excellence.
By Joy Cicman Liuzzo, VP of Product Marketing, Stack Overflow
