A recent survey conducted by Ciphr - a prominent HR and payroll software provider in the UK - sheds light on the perceptions surrounding employee productivity within British workplaces. The survey, which polled 1,000 employed adults across various organisations, offers intriguing insights into how workers perceive their own productivity, as well as that of their colleagues and departments.
According to Ciphr's findings, a staggering 92% of respondents view themselves as productive or very productive. However, when asked to assess the productivity of other departments - particularly HR, marketing and senior management - the sentiment takes a noticeable dip. Only 62% of employees regard their HR department as productive or very productive, marking it as the least productive department among those surveyed.
These statistics underscore a significant discrepancy between self-perception and external assessment of productivity in the workplace. While employees tend to rate themselves highly, they express more scepticism when evaluating the productivity of their colleagues and departments they have less contact with.
The phenomenon of proximity bias appears to play a pivotal role in shaping these perceptions. Employees tend to favour individuals and teams they interact with regularly, potentially overlooking the contributions of departments like HR and senior management, whose work may be less visible on a day-to-day basis.
Interestingly, the survey also reveals disparities in perceptions between in-person and remote workers. While 82% of in-person employees believe their colleagues are productive, only 52% extend the same sentiment to fully remote workers, highlighting a level of distrust directed towards remote work arrangements.
Furthermore, Ciphr's research establishes a strong correlation between perceived productivity and employee experience. Workers who consider themselves very productive tend to report higher levels of engagement, job satisfaction and loyalty to their organisations. Conversely, those who perceive themselves as neither productive nor unproductive express lower levels of engagement and satisfaction, indicating a potential link between productivity and overall workplace morale.
However, it is important to note that productivity remains subjective and can vary greatly depending on individual roles and responsibilities. While many employees rate themselves as highly productive, it's challenging to ascertain the accuracy of these self-assessments. This ambiguity underscores a degree of distrust among employees regarding the productivity levels of their colleagues and departments.
Moreover, Ciphr's findings uncover a significant disparity between the self-perceived productivity of leaders and employees' perceptions of their leaders' productivity. While 99% of senior management rate themselves as productive or very productive, only 67% of employees share the same sentiment, highlighting a notable gap in perception between leadership and frontline staff. This disconnect underscores the need for leaders to bridge the perception gap and foster a culture of transparency and accountability within their organisations.
Claire Williams - Chief People and Operations Office at Ciphr - stated:
“The disparities around perceived productivity evidenced in Ciphr’s research highlights the need for organisations to ensure they have robust performance management frameworks in place, which include clear and measurable goals, documented performance reviews, transparent metrics and KPI’s, and feedback mechanisms. And these need to be well-communicated across the business. That way every employee understands how they can achieve their objectives and track their progress. They can also clearly see how other teams and departments contribute to organisational success."
