Attendance clock with a taste of the past.
Is an employee who has free time for life outside of work a better employee? (Photo: ShutterStock)
Recently, a VP of Customer and Human Resources at a large and well-known fintech company was interviewed by one of the media channels. When she was asked in the interview about the character of the potential employee they are looking for during the recruitment process, she answered without hesitation, "If an employee tells me he is a nine to five type, he is less likely to be a good fit us.
It is true that the work wears out over time, but on the other hand the employees feel a part and that it is in their interest that we succeed."
It is very easy to identify the subtext to which the VP is aiming.
In her eyes, a nine-to-five type is an employee who invests less, is not fully committed to the company's success, and probably his thoughts often wander to the moment when he will sign a card and leave the workplace to continue his daily routine.
That VP is of course not alone in the campaign, and her expression reliably reflects the perception prevalent among many human resource managers in a variety of industries, and not only in high-tech. This is a perception that holds that an employee is better and more productive when he devotes and invests a large number of hours in the workplace, beyond the usual or regular In the law.
When you dive into the numbers, you find that the average working hours per week and per year in Israel are about 9% higher than in most OECD countries, when in Israel people work an average of 40.6 hours per week, compared to 37.3.
Hi-tech workers.
Excellent conditions for long working hours, only that studies show that as the working day gets longer, productivity actually decreases (Photo: ShutterStock)
Ramen faucet in the kitchen, or more hours at home?
Many studies are written on the relationship between employee productivity and the number of working hours.
One of the most comprehensive of them was published last year by the Knesset's Research and Information Center and claimed that efficiency decreases as the scope of work increases, due to burnout and fatigue.
I mean, the correlation between the number of working hours per employee and the level of productivity per working hour in Israel is distinctly negative. In countries where labor productivity high, the employed work less and prefer more leisure.
But even if we put economic efficiency aside and go back just for a moment in the time tunnel, 150 years back, we will find that one of the popular chants of workers when the first unions began across Europe and the US was "8 hours work, 8 hours Leisure and 8 hours of sleep".
So it is true, today we are in a completely different era and in a much more dynamic, challenging and technological job market, but you will be surprised, the human soul has remained the same.
The balance between managing a personal and family life and the daily work routine was true in the 19th century and is relevant in the 21st century as well.
It is quite easy to get confused when high wages, expensive parties and a host of indulgences are on the table, or as the "entrepreneur" from the Great Land show, Nadir Hackerman, put it : Free ramen tap and Tesla for every employee.
The real price of these pleasures involves the absence of long hours from home, little time with the children and the spouse and a feeling of disgust and burnout that directly affects the efficiency and productivity of the employee.
When a new civil year is upon us and companies are busy with balance sheets and summaries, it is time for HR managers to rethink their course and especially to replace outdated concepts.
The desire of candidates for the position, no matter how senior, in maintaining the balance between personal life and professional life is just as important and perhaps even more important than the sources of their life and the professional experience they have gained.
The writer is an expert in labor relations and a communications and strategic consultant for committees and organizations.
Lecturer in the Department of Labor Studies at Tel Aviv University
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