30% of employees working from home experience decreased productivity

Specialist recruitment firm Robert Walters investigates the current state of work style and productivity during coronavirus pandemic

On April 30, specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Japan announced the results of a survey on work from home productivity which was answered by 501 company employees working from home in Japan.

The survey responses showed that more than half have been working from home for almost two months since late February/early March. However, maintaining productivity is currently an urgent issue. 

30% of office workers working from home experience productivity decline

When employees working from home due to the COVID-19 outbreak were asked whether they felt a change in their productivity levels compared to working in the office, 50% said they felt “no change.” 30% reported a “decrease in productivity” and 20% reported an “increase in productivity.”

Factors behind productivity decline: companies need “communication,” “concentration,” and “system” measures

When asked what factors reduced productivity while working from home, “difficulty in communicating with colleagues & third-party partners” ranked first (63%), “difficulty in maintaining concentration” ranked second (45%) and “technical problems” ranked third (44%). Taking into consideration prolonged work from home arrangements due to the coronavirus outbreak as well as the Tokyo Olympics, companies need to develop measures to maintain employees’ productivity. These results suggest that companies need to develop digital tools and systems for communication, and devise ways to maintain the concentration of employees.

20% experience increased productivity: “flexible schedules,” “better ability to focus,” “working in a relaxed environment”

On the other hand, survey results revealed that 20% felt that their productivity had improved when working from home. When asked what factors increased productivity, a “more flexible schedule” ranked first (75%), “better ability to focus” ranked second (70%) and a “comfortable and relaxed environment” ranked third (55%). In recent years, offering telework/remote work has been a way of gaining an advantage when it comes to attracting top talent. These results indicate that there are a certain number of company employees who are fully productive while enjoying the benefits of working from home.

Shigeki Yaginuma, Marketing Director at Robert Walters Japan, who oversaw the survey, commented: “Picking up communication as an example, companies that respond quickly use multiple online tools flexibly to suit the situation and purpose. They are introducing the best tools for one-on-one conversations, stakeholder meetings, online events for hundreds of people, video content, file sharing, etc. Even more proactive companies are using this opportunity to improve their work, stay focused, and manage their employees' mental health.

(Survey period: April 1st to April 10th, 2020, Target: Company employees registered with Robert Walters Japan and living in Japan n=501)