New research from Massey University indicates that the majority of workers in New Zealand who operate in hybrid work arrangements are “more productive and innovative” than their counterparts in traditional works.
According to the findings of a study conducted by wellbeing@work, which surveyed between 1000 and 1135 New Zealand representative employees over the course of six different months between November 2021 and December 2023, it was discovered that the number of people engaging in hybrid work had increased to 41.7%. This represents an increase from 28.4% in June 2023 and 32.3% in December 20224.
According to 1 News, Jarrod Harr, a researcher at Massey University and the author of the study, stated that he “wasn’t surprised” by the findings.
Some of it can be attributed to two different things. The first is the trust that you receive from your company when they allow you to work from home, which motivates you to put in a little bit more effort,” he explained. You simply get that time to decompress away from your coworkers and colleagues, and possibly a pressing deadline, which is why I believe we are seeing some gains in that area. However, when it comes to things like creativity, you just get that time as well.
In all likelihood, it appears that the workforce in New Zealand is engaged in hybrid work at a higher rate than at any other time in history.
In light of the fact that managers are the ones who establish the standards for what is anticipated in hybrid work models, Harr hypothesised that the reason for its success is due to trust.
“It’s actually fairly easy to understand. Your responsibility as a leader or a direct manager is to lay forth the expectations that you have for your employees. If they are being met, you should be happy, and if they are being exceeded, you should think to yourself, “Wow, I just realised that I’m onto something special here.”
Due to the fact that the data can be followed, organisations are able to monitor the development of their employees regardless of whether or not they are physically present in the workplace. This makes it more cost-effective for workers to work from any location, as noted by Harr.
“I believe that the majority of those employers out there in New Zealand are on to something,” I explained.
