“ The real challenge is how productivity is measured fairly, consistently and credibly when teams are no longer visible in the same way.”

Hybrid and remote working are no longer experimental models in Ireland. For many organisations, they are now the norm. With the introduction of the statutory Right to Request Remote Working, HR leaders are being asked a more complex question than whether hybrid work is possible. The real challenge is how productivity is measured fairly, consistently and credibly when teams are no longer visible in the same way.

From working closely with Irish organisations at different stages of growth, one theme comes up again. Productivity has not declined in hybrid environments, but traditional ways of measuring it no longer fit. This requires HR to lead a shift in thinking, not simply introduce new tools.

Who is this challenge most relevant for?

This topic matters to both operational and strategic HR leaders, but in different ways.

HR Managers and HR Business Partners are often responsible for implementing performance frameworks, supporting line managers and responding to employee concerns about fairness.
Heads of People and HR Directors are accountable for productivity at an organisational level, governance, risk and alignment with business strategy.

A strong productivity model must work at both levels. It needs to support day-to-day management while standing up to board-level scrutiny.

What does productivity mean in a hybrid or remote team?

One of the most common mistakes organisations make is assuming productivity means the same thing it did in fully on-site environments.

In hybrid and remote teams, productivity is less about visibility and more about value created over time. This means focusing on outcomes, quality, consistency and contribution rather than presence or hours logged.

In Ireland, this shift is particularly important. The Right to Request Remote Working places an obligation on employers to assess requests objectively. If productivity is not clearly defined, decisions risk appearing subjective or inconsistent.

Should productivity be measured by hours or outcomes?

There is no single correct answer. Most Irish organisations use a combination of both models.

1. Time-based productivity models

What this looks like

Monitoring working hours
Availability expectations
Response times
Logged activity

Advantages

Easy to understand and implement
Familiar to managers
Useful in regulated or operational environments

Limitations

Encourages presenteeism
Can undermine trust
Less effective for knowledge-based roles

From our experience, time-based models tend to work best where work is transactional or customer-facing. However, when applied too broadly, they can damage engagement, particularly in professional and specialist roles.

2. Outcome-based productivity models

What this looks like

Clear objectives and deliverables
Quality and impact of work
Progress against agreed goals
Contribution to team outcomes

Advantages

Aligns strongly with hybrid working
Builds autonomy and accountability
Encourages better performance conversations

Limitations

Requires strong goal-setting capability
Can expose gaps in management skills
Takes time to embed

Many Irish organisations are moving towards outcome-based models but often underestimate the level of clarity and capability required to make them effective.

How can HR leaders measure productivity without micromanaging?

This is where HR can add real strategic value. The goal is not more data, but better strategies.

Practical approaches that work well include:

Clear role expectations documented and regularly reviewed
Quarterly goal-setting linked to team and business priorities
Regular check-ins focused on progress, not activity
Defined success measures agreed upfront

In our work with clients, we see that productivity issues often stem from unclear expectations rather than poor performance. Hybrid working simply exposes this more quickly.

What metrics should HR use to assess productivity in hybrid teams?

Productivity should never be assessed using a single metric. A balanced approach works best.

Common metrics used by Irish organisations include:

Delivery against agreed objectives
Quality and rework rates
Customer or internal stakeholder feedback
Engagement and wellbeing indicators
Absence and turnover trends

Importantly, these metrics should be reviewed together. Looking at productivity in isolation from engagement or retention often leads to short-term decisions that create long-term problems.

How does the Right to Request Remote Working impact productivity measurement?

Under Irish legislation, employers must be able to demonstrate that decisions around remote working are fair, transparent and based on clear criteria.

This means HR leaders need:

Documented productivity frameworks
Consistent application across teams
Evidence-based decision-making
Clear communication with employees and managers

Organisations that cannot articulate how productivity is measured are more exposed to challenge, not because hybrid working reduces performance, but because inconsistency increases risk.

What role does trust play in productivity?

Trust is not a “soft” concept in hybrid working; it is an operational requirement.

Where trust is low, organisations default to surveillance, rigid rules and control mechanisms. These approaches often backfire, leading to disengagement and attrition.

|Where trust is high, productivity frameworks focus on clarity, accountability and support. From what we see across Irish organisations, trust-based models are more sustainable, particularly in competitive talent markets.|

One of the most consistent patterns we see is that hybrid working has not created productivity problems; it has revealed existing ones.

Organisations with clear roles, capable managers and aligned expectations tend to thrive in hybrid environments. Those without these foundations often struggle, regardless of where work takes place.

For HR leaders, this presents an opportunity. Measuring productivity in hybrid teams is not about tighter controls. It is about better conversations, clearer structures and more intentional people strategy.

Final thoughts for HR leaders in Ireland

Productivity in hybrid and remote teams is not something to be monitored from a distance. It requires active design, strong leadership capability and HR confidence.

The organisations getting this right are not asking how to watch people work. They are asking how to enable people to do their best work, wherever that work happens.

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