Productivity shared is Productivity doubled
What price would employees pay for more free time and more freedom? The question went to a team of a well-known publisher where the distribution of certain positions to two persons each appeared to have led to higher efficiency and solution-oriented actions. Should the model, which was originally intended for young mothers, also be applied in other parts of the company independent of gender, age and position?
First of all, it was the much quoted Generation Y that wanted to leave the hamster wheel. The young employees decided to rebalance the ratio between job and private life and thereby also got the older colleagues to rethink things as well. If someone is only at work in either the morning or afternoon, then the motivation is higher and the results better. This has now been confirmed scientifically through a survey carried out by the German Forsa Institute for Social Research.
It has now been two years since the publishing company with the help of its advisors from Global DiVision found out which tasks can be reasonably distributed over two persons. In the subsequent employee survey, the resonance was so good that the Executive Board has started its gradual implementation. Today, 27 percent of the positions are filled in halves right up to middle management, and the trend is increasing: “Especially in times of online media, time is a very rare commodity. Through the new system, the mistake rates have dropped and deadlines for publications are being complied with better,” confirms the publishing company’s management.