Productivity theatre, the art of looking busy while at work, can be a dangerous trap for companies and employees to fall into. We look at how companies can shake the habit.

Are your employees busy? Or have they just mastered the art of looking busy? It’s a question that plagues business leaders, owners and managers alike. While employees tend to be productive when left to their own devices, they often feel obliged to make a show of how busy they are when they know that they are being watched by senior management.

This pantomime of presenteeism, often called ‘productivity theatre’, can actually undermine true productivity. We look at what this means for companies and their employees, and how asynchronous hybrid working can mitigate unhealthy work habits.

What is productivity theatre?

Digital presenteeism, or productivity theatre,  is what happens when companies and individuals retain antiquated practices within modern working environments. While more employees may now be freed from the shackles that come with working solely at a main office, their working days are often mired by many of the same constraints they faced when in the traditional working environment.

Conventional offices are often abuzz with constant activity. But how much of that activity actively contributes to the company’s productivity? Probably not as much as you think. In conventional workplaces, employees quickly learn the art of looking busy without necessarily being busy.

That is exactly what Harvard Business School professor Ethan Bernstein discovered when observing mobile phone factories in China. Left to their own devices, employees often devised superior ways to perform their tasks, but reverted to the less efficient official methodologies when observed by their employers.

As he reported to the Harvard Business Review, “In this particular environment, and perhaps many others, what managers were seeing wasn’t real. It was a show being put on for an audience. When the audience was gone, the real show went on, and that show was more productive.”

What is asynchronous working?

The hybrid model is highly conducive to more productive asynchronous working. This is where employees have the freedom and flexibility to accomplish tasks at a time that suits them best, rather than being tied to a strict 9 to 5 where colleagues must complete work at the same time.

Asynchronous working empowers employees to build their working days around their lives, rather than the other way around.

Productivity theatre in the digital workplace

Bernstein’s observations may ring true in working environments where employees spend 100% of their time at company HQ, but what does productivity theatre look like in a hybrid context?

Qatalog founder and CEO Tariq Rauf compiled a report called "Killing Time at Work" to identify the barriers to asynchronous working. This survey of 2,000 knowledge workers in the UK and the US demonstrated that while companies now have all the right tools at their disposal for effective, distributed work, adherence to the 9 to 5 and old working habits risk inhibiting employee productivity.

“We could have restructured work to be asynchronous, allowing us to build work around our lives, but we failed.” mourns Rauf “Now, our research shows we're falling back into old habits--ones that should have been cast aside when we had the chance,".

This commonly includes:

● Expecting employees to stick to 9 to 5 hours, rather than allowing flexibility

● Holding unnecessary Zoom and Teams meetings

● Expecting a response to notifications and emails within a prescribed timeframe

● Creating unnecessary documents and processes so employees merely appear ‘active’

The problem with presenteeism

It’s understandable that managers and leaders want employees to be accountable for how they use their work time. But adhering to the habits mentioned above can breed a culture of digital presenteeism. One where employees feel obliged to conform to perceived managerial expectations rather than going about their working day in the way that best suits them – and the business. This kind of digital presenteeism consumes 67 minutes of a remote employee’s day.

By contrast, Qatalog’s study found that an 81% majority of people believe they are more productive and create higher quality output when they have more flexibility over their working hours.

Join the asynchronous revolution

To maximise the effectiveness of hybrid working,  business leaders, managers and employees must embrace new ways of working that come with this increased flexibility. Entrusting your workforce to manage their own working hours, accomplishing tasks in their own time and in their own way requires a significant leap of faith.

As such, it’s easy to see why video calls, constant back and forth of emails and productivity reports may seem reassuring. But the figures show that employees are far happier and more productive when they have the freedom and autonomy to do things their own way. This means managing their time and their location – be it the company HQ, local flexspace or working from home.

The beauty of the hybrid model is that it provides the perfect balance of freedom and structure. It gives employees a space to use when the home environment is not conducive to productivity, and a place where teams can come together to socialise and strategise when required.

Regus coworking spaces are designed with flexibility in mind, making them perfect for asynchronous working. With business-grade tech, super-fast reliable Wi-Fi, and office space available during flexible hours, your employees can enjoy the freedom and flexibility to unlock their potential.