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Despite an undeniable change in morals, companies continue to worship productivity. Some use subterfuges to check that their employees are working well. But it is not always easy to flush out the slackers, as they have become masters in the art of appearing super-productive, without necessarily being so.
The widespread use of teleworking has brought flexibility to employees’ daily lives. It is easier for them to schedule time in their workday to do a wash, pick up a package or go to a medical appointment. The tacit counterpart is to start work earlier or finish later, depending on everyone’s availability and desires. Of course, some people take advantage of the situation and give themselves long breaks, without too much guilt.
However, most employees perform their professional duties honestly, whether they are in person or working remotely. 67% of those surveyed in a survey by the company Workhuman* say they do their work on time. Problem: their superiors remain suspicious of them. 48% of managers surveyed believe that some members of their team are pretending to work.
To describe this new state, the Workhuman agency calls it “fauxductivity.” Falsely productive employees use tricks to appear to be dedicated to their jobs. They show up very early in the morning by sending a “hello” to their colleagues, insert themselves into email loops, or speak once or twice during a video meeting before discreetly turning off their camera and microphone, hoping that no one will question them afterwards. When they are in the office, they like to pace the open space with a noisy step, complaining to anyone who will listen that they are underwater.
Managers more concerned than those managed
But, contrary to what one might think, this phenomenon concerns employees who have responsibilities more than those who do not. 38% of senior executives would engage in “fauxproductivity”, as would 37% of managers. In comparison, less than a third (32%) of non-managers would engage in this practice.Executives and managers are the guardians of corporate culture“, says the Workhuman survey.”They pretend to be productive more than their non-managerial counterparts, suggesting that the pressure to perform comes from above.“.
There are several reasons why “fauxductivity” is so prevalent in companies. Employees often engage in the practice to maintain a healthier balance between their personal and professional lives or to protect themselves from burnout. Others do it because they feel they don’t have enough work. Whatever the reason, faking work is often much more time-consuming than actually being engaged. And potentially harmful.
Indeed, there is only one step between “fauxductivity” and disengagement. A Gallup study shows that 62% of employees worldwide feel unengaged in their work. In a spirit of resistance, some are resolving to slow down to rebalance things in their own way. The challenge for companies is to boost employee motivation so that they are no longer tempted to pretend to be productive, but simply are.
*This investigation was conducted by the Workhuman agency among 3,000 full-time employees in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland.