Why Productivity Measurement Still Feels Off to Employees — and How to Fix It

Productivity is still largely judged based on output: What was delivered, how much, and how quickly? These measures are useful, but they were developed for a different time.

Across advanced economies and increasingly in emerging markets, work is now primarily service-based and knowledge-driven. Results depend not only on what people produce, but on how easily work can move through systems, processes, and teams. At the same time, AI tools are changing how work gets done. Tasks that once took hours can now be completed in minutes, but the systems and dependencies around that work remain.

New APQC research brings these modern business conditions into focus. It shows how access to information, coordination across teams, and process design shape productivity in ways traditional measures do not capture. The study, led by APQC research leads Madison Lundquist and Lynda Braksiek, also points to ways organizations can measure productivity more completely, to build employee trust and improve strategic decision making.