Workers pledge hybrid work is best to be productive

70% of Kiwi workers believe hybrid work has a positive impact on their productivity levels
32% of workers believe working in the office full-time has a negative impact on their productivity
94% say the work environment has an impact on their productivity

Auckland, 7 May 2025 – Employees believe a hybrid work arrangement has the most positive impact on enhancing their productivity, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half finds.

When asked to outline the impacts on productivity of different work environments, only 6% of employees stated it does not matter where or when they work, as they do not believe it would impact their productivity.

Workers believe working at home has the greatest positive impact on their productivity levels, whether that is for some (70%) or all (63%) of their working week. Similarly, with 32%, working from the office full time was reported as having the highest negative impact on productivity of all ways of working.

	Working from home full time	Working from the office full time	Hybrid work	Working outside of traditional hours
Positive impact	63%	42%	70%	57%
Negative impact	16%	32%	8%	16%
No impact	22%	26%	23%	27%

Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 500 full-time office workers in New Zealand

“Workers find that the blend of in-office and at-home work optimises their productivity by leveraging the unique advantages of each environment,” says Megan Alexander, Managing Director at Robert Half. “But most New Zealand employers now require full-time office attendance as business leaders recognise that the absence of in-person work hinders the collaborative culture that leads to increased productivity.

“In saying this, many organisations are providing flexible work hours, giving employees the option to adjust their day when needed as an alternative, which is shown to have positive effects on worker productivity, motivation, and engagement. The most successful organisations will be those that find the right balance between flexibility and accountability.”

RobertHalf_NZ_May_productivity.pdf

Notes to editors

About the research

The study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted online in November 2024 by an independent research company among 500 full-time office workers in finance, accounting, and IT and technology. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs as well as large private, publicly-listed and public sector organisations across New Zealand. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management, and trends in the workplace.

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm.  Robert Half New Zealand has an office in Auckland. More information on roberthalf.com/nz.

For more information    

Courtney Fletcher

PR Manager

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