In the current remote work era, determining productivity can eat up a lot of meeting time. While some CEOs are fine with a completed checklist, others have discovered their staff will fill their days with trivial tasks.
As we move forward with our work-from-home teams, it’s important to examine where work hours go compared to meeting quarterly targets. Combining the multiple perspectives below should give you a better perspective on how to measure productivity while supporting your remote teammates.
“One CEO has a 10-word remote work policy: “If you get your work done, that’s all that matters.” And yet, a report from Qatalag and GitLab shows that remote workers waste an extra 67 minutes online each day doing menial tasks just to prove to their managers and colleagues that they’re working. Is getting your work done all that matters? Or are there additional ways that remote workers can prove their productivity without doing menial tasks?”
1. Establish Clear Expectations and Trust
“As a remote tech-hiring expert, I would say that while a CEO’s focus on output over input is commendable, it’s essential to recognize the nuances of remote work. The 67-minute discrepancy highlighted in the Qatalag and GitLab report is a symptom of a larger issue, which is the need for clear expectations, trust, and effective measurement in remote environments.
“A ‘get your work done’ policy can be a great starting point, but relying solely on output can lead to the exact scenario you mentioned: wasted time spent appearing busy.
“We work with companies that have established clear expectations and deadlines for projects. These expectations go beyond just ticking off tasks and cover things like code quality, communication with teammates, and meeting attendance (even if virtual).
“Regular, focused check-ins—both one-on-one and team-based—can further build trust and keep everyone aligned.
“The bottom line? When employees feel trusted and empowered to manage their own time, they’re far less likely to waste it on busy work. They’ll focus on delivering high-quality results instead of simply logging hours online. This kind of environment will let them take ownership, ultimately leading to a more productive and engaged workforce.” ~Mike Sokirka, Index
2. Focus on Outcomes, Not Output
“Employers of remote teams need to focus on outcomes, not output. Your remote team members aren’t rated on how many widgets they can crank out every hour. More likely, their outcomes are things like high customer retention rates or reduced errors reported by customers. So why on earth would you track their keystrokes?
“Spyware aside, one competency that’s legitimately critical for remote workers is effective communication. A great way to keep everyone on the same page and communicate updates and roadblocks to team members is with user-friendly project management software.
“I’ve had great success with Asana, and I’ve seen teams that work well with Wrike and Trello (so there are several good ones out there). Employers, in turn, should communicate effectively with employees via regular one-on-ones, goal-setting, and performance evaluations. That way everyone on a remote, global team knows where they really stand, whether they are sitting in Canada or Cambodia.” ~Susan Snipes, Remote People
3. Achieve Clear Goals and Share Progress
“Getting your work done is crucial, but it’s not the only thing that matters in our remote company. We care about results, not pointless tasks to look busy. Instead of wasting time proving you’re working, focus on achieving clear goals and sharing your progress. Show us the important things you accomplish, not just your daily to-do list.
“Join in team discussions, help solve problems, and keep learning new skills. Remember, being productive isn’t about looking busy all the time—it’s about making a real difference in your company. Let’s concentrate on what you achieve, not how many hours you spend online.” ~Sharon Koifman, DistantJob
4. Outline Objectives and Micro-Goals
“If remote workers are wasting that amount of time on average, it sounds like there isn’t a strong system in place to support projects. It would help if you had objectives outlined, deadlines in place, and tasks that should be completed to support the objectives.
“To keep it flexible for remote workers, you can have them work towards a micro-goal each week with an outline of tasks that will help them reach the goal. How they do it shouldn’t matter; it keeps them true to their policy.” ~Adriana Richardson, The Lazy Millennial
5. Deliver Quality Over Busy Work
“67 minutes of alleged ‘wasted’ time is a drop in the ocean compared to many in-office workers (as we saw with the employee ‘day in the life’ videos that came from Twitter pre-X). We would rather refer to ourselves as result-chasers, not clock-watchers.
“Our 100% remote team of wordsmiths, strategists, editors, and account managers operate on a simple principle: deliver quality, and we’ll hand you the keys to your own time. It’s not about proving you’re working; it’s about proving your worth.
“We’ve ditched the antiquated notion of ‘busy work’ in favor of meaningful metrics. Our writers aren’t judged by hours logged, but by the engagement rates their content generates. Our strategists live and die by the ROI they deliver to clients.
“This isn’t just feel-good management; it’s a battle-tested approach with us regularly outperforming traditional office-based agencies, and I’d wager those 67 minutes pale in comparison to dining and lounging around the office all day.
“‘Give us quality, we’ll provide autonomy’ is the bedrock of our success. By focusing on performance metrics that actually matter, you can create a culture where productivity isn’t performed—it’s achieved. It’s not about where you work or how long you work. It’s about the impact you make.” ~Jason Smit, Contentellect
6. Drive Revenue Growth
“Getting work done is not necessarily correlated with driving business results. If you focus on driving positive outcomes that grow revenue or EBITDA, rather than a long list of tasks, then you will be incredibly valuable and sought-after as high-performing talent.” ~Sean Everett, Evergence
7. Use Project Management Tools Effectively
“We use ClickUp to assign tasks to remote workers. Each task has a timer and an ‘Action List’ attached to the task. The worker starts the timer connected with the task and checks off each action item as they are completed. When they aren’t working on an action item, they pause the timer. It is effective for both us and the worker. They know what they have to do, and we can see if tasks are taking longer than they should. A good SOP helps us create the tasks and action items quickly and lets the worker know exactly what steps they need to take to complete them.”
~Maxine Tubbe, FLEET Car Rental Marketing
8. Shorten Workday for Efficiency
“One way to tackle this is by reducing the workday from 8 hours to 6. When employees have less time to get their tasks done, they focus more and work more efficiently. A shorter workday motivates employees to be more productive, as they aren’t trying to fill time with busy work.
“From my experience, it’s very effective. When I implemented a 6-hour workday, my team initially worried about meeting deadlines. But soon, they started prioritizing better, communicating more, and finding creative solutions. Their productivity increased, and the quality of their work improved because they weren’t burnt out from long hours.
“Making this change showed me that it’s not about the number of hours worked, but the quality of them. Trust your team to manage their time and focus on outcomes, and you’ll organically create a more productive and positive work environment.
“Reducing work hours can be a game-changer for you, as it was for me. It pushes employees to use their time wisely and focus on what truly matters. It enhances productivity but also fosters a healthier work-life balance, making everyone happier and more motivated.” ~Grzegorz Robok, Comfort Pass
9. Produce Quality Work and Improve Relationships
“Producing quality work without wasting time posturing to convey that one is working is more important than trying to fill up a business workday with peripheral gestures to justify to oneself that they’re actually working. Some people engage in these excessive menial tasks to make themselves feel better.
“This is not any different than working in the physical office, regardless of whether other people are around to assess the ‘optics’ of who is working or not. More people waste time in the office engaging in menial tasks, including side chatter and impromptu ‘Do you have a minute?’ conversations, instead of producing results and then moving on with their workday.
“Get your work done. Do it well. Instead of focusing on menial tasking, find ways to improve existing work relationships in the process. This will help employees find efficient ways of working remotely by creating healthy outcomes in less time. Mediocre companies with control issues care about micromanaging their employees to see who can best posture without merit. REAL companies care about RESULTS.” ~Sasha Laghonh, Sasha Talks
10. Articulate Accomplishments Clearly
“Getting your work done is obviously important, but it’s not the whole picture.
“In remote work, clearly articulating what you’ve accomplished is just as important. You need excellent communication skills to make remote work successful. It’s not about filling time with menial tasks to prove you’re working. Instead, focus on being able to effectively articulate the work you did.
“Don’t be afraid of looking like a ‘show-off.’ You need to learn how to sell yourself and the value you bring more when you’re working remotely. It’s a fact of life. Remote work thrives on a blend of productivity and strong communication.
“It’s about doing the work—but also making sure everyone knows about the work you’ve done.” ~David Martirosian, Galaxy Growth Media
11. Show Productivity Through Smarter Methods
“While getting work done is essential, remote workers can prove their productivity through smarter methods. Clear communication, setting goals, and using collaboration tools effectively can showcase progress. Delivering high-quality work, seeking feedback, and engaging in professional development demonstrate dedication and efficiency, making your contributions visible and valued without the need for menial tasks.” ~Sanjana Thakur, QASource
12. Maintain Responsive and Transparent Communication
“This is one of the many areas where I would say communication is the key to success as a remote worker. Responsive and transparent two-way conversation between remote workers and their managers and team members is the best way to set managers’ and coworkers’ minds at ease and show them that you are doing your work.
“This starts with responding promptly to messages that are sent to you. That doesn’t need to mean your inbox is always open and you interrupt other work to respond. Instead, my best advice is to set 2-3 established time periods during the day that you’ll respond to messages—many of our remote workers do this in the morning, just before lunch, and a last time in the afternoon.
“Along with this, make sure you actively contribute to any collaboration you’re asked or invited to contribute to and send regular updates on the status of your projects. The right frequency of these messages will depend on your role—in many cases, a daily update is the best choice, while for others it could be every other day, or a few brief messages throughout the day, as your work calls for.
“In the end, I do think that getting your work done is all that matters, like the CEO you quoted said. But doing those tasks doesn’t help anyone if your team doesn’t know what you’ve been working on. Staying in regular communication with your team will keep you more connected to them and help to show everyone that you’re contributing equally as a remote worker.” ~Rob Boyle, Airswift
13. Focus on Impact and Innovation
“Let me be blunt: that 10-word policy is overly simplistic and potentially harmful. ‘Getting your work done’ isn’t all that matters—it’s about the impact you create, the innovation you bring, and how you contribute to the company’s growth.
“Remote workers shouldn’t need to ‘prove’ their productivity through busywork. When we went remote, I initially worried about productivity. However I quickly realized that tracking hours or tasks was counterproductive. Instead, we focused on outcomes and impact.
“For instance, our marketing team’s efforts contributed to our 60% growth in 2023, despite economic challenges. That growth speaks louder than any time log. We’ve implemented a few strategies to showcase productivity without resorting to menial tasks like regular impact reports, cross-functional projects, open communication channels, and results-oriented KPIs.
“This approach has not only boosted productivity but also improved job satisfaction. When we trust our team to deliver without micromanagement, they often exceed expectations.” ~Emelie Linheden, Younium AB
14. Recognize In-Office Time Wasting
“Do in-office workers spend the entire 8 hours they’re in the office with their nose to the keyboard, hammering out work at 100% efficiency? No, no they do not. Anyone that has worked in an in-office environment will be able to tell you that you waste significant amounts of time per day doing things that would not be considered work.
“Trips to the break room, getting stopped to chat by random coworkers, waiting for the microwave in the lunchroom, getting settled after your commute, hiding in the bathroom, etc., etc. This isn’t even accounting for the sheer drop in focus that heads-down roles have in the office, given that the typical open-office environment can knock you out of any flow state extremely effectively.
“Looking at time ‘wasted’ is counter-productive so long as the volume of work remains satisfactory, and is an excellent way to alienate your employees with over-monitoring and micromanaging. It is symbolic of an old way of company leadership, one that needs to go the way of the dinosaurs for a company to thrive in our current talent environment.” ~Greg Listopad, November Consulting
15. Foster Open Communication and Task-Based Check-Ins
“There are other ways to prove productivity without doing menial tasks all day. Even I feel unappreciated if I have to prove I’m working during my work hours. I think instead of asking for menial tasks, managers should focus on open and consistent communication with their team members. They can ask remote workers to maintain an open to-do list, updating it regularly to show progress. One thing they can do is provide side-by-side comparisons or before-and-after images to foster a culture of productivity and trust in remote teams.
“Another effective but not widely-used method is task-based check-ins for remote workers. In task-based check-ins, remote members attend meetings centered around their specific tasks or projects. Managers can discuss progress, obstacles, and next steps with team members, and team members can communicate their challenges and milestones, so they’re aligned, which ultimately leads to concrete outcomes. In this manner, remote workers will not have to do menial tasks to prove that they are productive and working.” ~Yogesh Kumar, Pinnacle Infotech
16. Try the “Total Output per Hour” Formula
“The real problem behind these menial tasks is micromanagement, which isn’t healthy.
“Honestly, there isn’t much of a workaround other than clearly communicating that the outcomes of your work are what truly matter. Managers should focus on measuring the amount of work completed. There are formulas out there for calculating employee productivity. One common method is the ‘total output per hour’ formula, which looks at how many items of work were completed in a certain number of hours. This can help employers gauge team performance and pinpoint areas that need improvement.
“In my opinion, the best way to measure productivity is by setting clear goals and outcomes and then measuring performance against these benchmarks. For instance, if you set a goal for each sales team member to make 100 calls per month, establish 20 contacts, and secure 10 sales, you can measure success accordingly. If someone makes 120 calls but only achieves 5 sales, they’re not meeting the standard. However, if another employee makes only 80 calls but secures 15 sales, they’re actually exceeding the sales goal. Even though they made fewer calls, they surpassed the sales target. This approach focuses on the end results rather than just activity levels.” ~Kyle Kozlowski, Eco Temp HVAC
17. Use Tools for Tracking Progress
“Getting the job done surely is a huge part of it, but that’s not all. Transparent communication and measurable outcomes are, we believe, the real deal in proving productivity. Instead of wasting time on menial tasks, remote workers can make use of project-management tools for tracking progress and sharing regular updates. This keeps everybody informed but also shows real contribution rather than activity, driving a results culture rather than an activity culture.” ~Jacob Kalvo, CyberSecurity Expert, Co-Founder & CEO, Live Proxies
18. Be Flexible and Meet Deadlines
“I think that in addition to getting your work done, it’s important to be flexible. Making yourself available to meet deadlines, take phone calls, and collaborate with your co-workers is more important than simply completing menial tasks. As an employee, I take pride in being productive and coming through for my colleagues. Managers don’t need to become helicopter supervisors when they can see consistency and results.” ~Chris B., Minuteman Press International
19. Set Well-Defined Deliverables and Milestones
“I would say this usually happens when there aren’t very well-set deliverables and intermediate milestones people need to achieve—thus employees feel constantly the need to prove they are available, and bosses feel the pressure to keep checking on them—and also when people are working in positions that do require ad-hoc contact and to be available to respond to specific requests (say business development or customer service positions, for instance).
“For the second one, there isn’t that much to do, but for the first, as a leader, defining well your team’s final outcomes and then creating routines to follow up on this and make sure people have the support they need should be enough to make sure they have the autonomy to do their jobs without having to pretend they are working.
“As an employee, you should make sure you are doing what’s a priority and then giving enough visibility of that to your leaders. Hopefully, that should be enough to keep people clear of doing menial tasks just to prove they’re working.” ~Fernanda Camilo Aguiar
20. Establish Transparency and Clear Expectations
“I am certainly much more productive while working remotely. This is, of course, entirely subjective, but I usually clock in at least an hour of overtime on a daily basis. It’s much easier to maintain focus when you can control the distractions in your surroundings.
“As for the report results, those 67 minutes weren’t necessarily wasted—this is attention spent on something else. Managers should ask themselves, “Why do my employees choose to focus on unproductive tasks?”
“In my opinion, establishing transparency in a remote setting is a two-way street. Perhaps the employee is overworked or, on the flip side, doesn’t have enough tasks. Whatever the root cause is, proper task delegation, clear expectations, and setting realistic deadlines are the best ways to prevent this from happening.
“Moreover, and to counter the aforementioned report, I wonder how those 67 minutes would measure up if we were to study how much time is wasted on “watercooler” chit-chat at the office. Throughout the day, people tend to take multiple breaks, visit each other’s desks to socialize, and sometimes extend their lunchtime a tad bit longer.
“This is a well-known and acceptable part of office culture. Some people would argue that this is good for team morale, which is true. But if we are strictly talking about task productivity, it’s time wasted on things that don’t drive tangible results.
“If you are a results-driven business, the quality and speed of task completion are some of the most valuable metrics. Knowledge workers, in particular, understand that nobody can be 100% focused on complex tasks for eight hours straight.” ~Bilyana Ivanova
Image: Envato
This article, "Is Completing Tasks Enough? Exploring 20 Methods to Measure Productivity in Remote Work" was first published on Small Business Trends
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