41% of U.S. Workers Say They are Most Productive Outside of 9-5 Work Hours, According to Research from Fiverr
September 19 2023 - 8:00AM
Fiverr International Ltd. (NYSE: FVRR), the company that is
revolutionizing how the world works together, has compiled findings
from a study exploring the work preferences of various age groups
and demographics. Fiverr conducted a global study of 9,129 workers
(employees and freelancers), including 2,008 workers in the US, in
partnership with Censuswide. The data suggests that, in order to
maintain a diverse and competitive workforce, advanced
organizations will need to embrace various working styles, and
value skills and output over hours worked. The findings help
explain the broad appeal of flexible work and the recent growth of
the freelance population, which is predicted to make up 50% of the
US workforce by 2030.
"We at Fiverr are well aware that people can do great work
outside the bounds of a 9-5," said Michal Miller Levi, Senior
Director of Market Research and Insights at Fiverr. "Research has
shown that the corporate work structure often fails to accommodate
the needs of diverse talent, from young workers to parents, who
thrive with flexibility and control over their work lives. This
next-gen talent pool is the driver of the freelance population
growth in recent years as they seek the control to work where and
when they are most creative and productive. Fiverr’s freelance
community has demonstrated that with the flexibility to work
wherever they want, at the hours of their choosing, they’re able to
produce the highest-quality work and carry projects over the finish
line."
Among respondents in the US, data showed:
Generations are divided on remote versus in-office work
– but not the way many expect.
- Almost a third (32%) of workers surveyed said they prefer to
work from home or to choose where they work each day.
- Baby Boomer workers surveyed were most likely to prefer
flexible or remote work, with 40% citing their optimal work
environment as either remotely at home or being able to choose
different places depending on the day. Meanwhile, Millennial and
Gen X respondents were less likely to say the same (29% and 32%
respectively).
- Baby Boomer respondents were least likely to cite working in a
private or shared office environment as their preference (24%).
Whereas, Millennial (32%) and Gen X (36%) workers surveyed were
more likely to claim this as their preference.
- The large majority (76%) of respondents who said their current
work arrangement did not meet their ideal preferences attributed it
to the fact that they were required to be in the office more often
than they preferred2.
- Among workers surveyed who said they preferred to work from
home, 63% said they wanted to save money & time commuting. Over
a third (35%) said they found it distracting to work in an office
space.
- Close to three in ten (28%) of millennial workers surveyed who
said they preferred to work remotely said it’s because it makes it
easier to manage childcare responsibilities.
For most, a 40-hour work week looks more like 30 hours,
or even 20.
- Just over three-quarters of US workers surveyed (76%) say they
could complete their current workload in a 4-day week3. Millennials
are most likely to report feeling they could complete their work in
4 days, with 87% agreeing3.
- US workers surveyed estimate they are productive for an average
of 31 hours per week. Just over 1 in 5 US respondents (21%)
estimate they are only productive for at most 20 hours per
week.
- Entrepreneurs are the early birds — almost half (47%) of
business owners surveyed said they were most productive between
7am-10am, rather than during the standard work day.
Several key themes from the global data include:
Workers want to cut back on meetings, and collaborate
in-person when it matters.
- Globally, 46% of workers surveyed whose work requires them to
work with or around others, either virtually or in person, prefer
to have no more than one meeting a day4.
- When it comes to meetings, however, 59% of workers surveyed
would prefer them to be in-person, either in an office or in
another location, such as a coffee shop.
- More senior workers surveyed are more likely to prioritize
in-person interaction — close to half (48%) of respondents at
the Director level said they wanted to work with colleagues
regularly or all of the time.
- Meanwhile, 29% of entry-level
workers surveyed said they would prefer to communicate with
colleagues through messaging platforms like Slack or via text.
Work-life balance and flexibility are key to the success
of younger workers.
- Nearly a third (27%) of Gen Z workers surveyed reported feeling
most creative and inspired outside of 9-5 work hours.
- Entry-level workers surveyed were around 20% less likely than
the most senior workers (Directors) to report that their job met
their ideal work preferences (58% vs 80% respectively3).
MethodologyThe research was conducted by
Censuswide, among a sample of 9,129 employees and freelancers (aged
16+) in the UK, USA, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, France and
Australia. Among this sample was 2,008 US employees and freelancers
(aged 16+). The data was collected between 08.18.2023 – 08.30.2023.
Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research
Society and follows the MRS code of conduct which is based on the
ESOMAR principles.
Footnotes
1’In the very early morning (before 7am)’, ‘In the evening
(5pm-7pm)’, ‘At night (7-9pm)’ and ‘Late at night (After 9pm)’
answers combined.
2 ‘I prefer to work remotely some days during the week, but I am
required to work in-person 5 days a week’ and ‘I prefer to work
remotely all of the time, but I am required to work in-person some
or all days of the week’ answers combined.
3 ‘Somewhat agree’ and ‘Strongly agree’ answers combined.
4 Respondents were shown two prompts, ‘Virtual meetings’ and
‘In-person meetings’. This percentage has been calculated by
combining the answer options ‘Once daily’, ‘Less than once a day,
up to a few times per week’ and ‘Less than once a week, but still
regularly’ for each prompt. (45.24% and 47.11% respectively). The
percentage for meetings as a whole has then been calculated by
finding the average of these two percentages.
About FiverrFiverr’s mission is to
revolutionize how the world works together. We exist to democratize
access to talent and to provide talent with access to opportunities
so anyone can grow their business, brand, or dreams. From small
businesses to Fortune 500, over 4 million customers worldwide
worked with freelance talent on Fiverr in the past year, ensuring
their workforces remain flexible, adaptive, and agile. With
Fiverr’s Talent Cloud, companies can easily scale their teams from
a talent pool of skilled professionals from over 160 countries
across more than 600 categories, ranging from programming to 3D
design, digital marketing to content creation, and video animation
to architecture.
Don’t get left behind - come be a part of the future of work by
visiting fiverr.com, read our blog, and follow us on Twitter,
Instagram, and Facebook.
Media Contacts: Molly Nolanpress@fiverr.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/391e6d4f-b0ad-415f-afff-d02e83f34a86
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