Most companies (57%) report they are actively identifying and eliminating “time wasters” (i.e., behaviours, obligations and other things that waste time in a workday). The most identified and eliminated “time wasters” include online distractions (45%), disorganization (45%), unnecessary tasks such as redundant approval processes and reporting (39%) and unnecessary meetings (35%).

 

By eliminating “time wasters” in a workday, employees may be able to feel more in control of their time. Most companies (82%) say they have taken actions to ensure employees feel more in control. These actions include offering flexible hours (41%), communicating the importance of work/life balance (36%), offering remote work options (34%) and discouraging unnecessary meetings (28%).  

 

The vast majority of Canadian employees agree that companies should take steps to help employees feel more in control of their time through methods like flexible work hours (68%), offering remote work options (52%), communicating the importance of work/life balance (51%) and additional paid time off (44%). 

 

Today’s workforce has so many factors fighting for its attention that it makes sense to implement tactics to increase focus and productivity; but it must be done mindfully, according to Express CEO Bill Stoller. 

 

“Successful companies are ones where employees are engaged and feel valued,” he said. “Once that foundation is in place, these workers will buy into a culture of efficiency because they believe in a higher purpose for their employment.”

 

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, 2022, among 506 Canadian hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in Canada who are employed full-time or self-employed, work at companies with more than one employee, and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 4.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. 

 

The omnibus survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from Dec. 13-15, 2022, among 1,050 adults ages 18 and older. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 3.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

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At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022

and more than 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/CA.

  

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment  

International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor 

supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.