A Delhi-based founder has shared how a young employee he hired changed his views on long working hours and workplace productivity.
In a LinkedIn post, Kanan Bahl, the founder of Fingrowth Media, admitted that he had earlier believed that employees who strictly worked by the clock were not of much use. However, he said that one employee changed his perspective.
“I hired a young CFA. She refused to work for even a minute after 6:30 p.m. Earlier, I was of the impression that those who work by the clock are of no good use. They never do any good work. But she was different,” Bahl wrote in the LinkedIn post.
He said that the young employee hardly took tea or coffee breaks, did not waste time in banter during office hours and hardly spoke to anyone during office hours unless it was about work.
Bahl said that the employee was able to accomplish more in her 9-hour workday than many people who spent around 13 hours at work. “She was doing more work in 9 hours than most people who were clocking 13 hours a day,” he wrote.
Bahl also revealed that he routinely tested candidates during interviews by asking whether they would be willing to work 14-15 hours a day for several weeks. However, he said he was glad that he forgot to ask the young CFA that question during her interview.
“You can do great at your job even if you work by the clock. You need to be focused and disciplined,” Bahl concluded.
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What did social media say?
The post prompted a discussion around productivity, work hours and whether spending more time at the office necessarily translates into better performance.
One user wrote, “I don’t think anyone can work for 9 hours without break, I understand gossiping is unhealthy but not even talking it’s counterproductive, and over working or rigidly sticking to a clock are both unhealthy practices.”
“Its high time that we stop glorifying people based on the number of hours they clock…what time they come and leave office…or based on their attendance in office… I feel attitude, intent, efficiency, productivity and results matter more than anything else,” commented another.
“Output beats hours. Focus always wins over extra time. Work smart: 9 focused hours (including short breaks) easily beat 13 lazy hours. No wasted time: Less idle chit-chat means more work done. Clear boundaries: Strict timing forces sharp concentration,” wrote a third user.
“This is a powerful reminder that productivity isn’t measured by the number of hours you spend at your desk, but by the value you create in those hours. Discipline, focus and the ability to protect your time can often outperform long working hours. The real question isn’t ‘How long did you work?’ but ‘What did you accomplish with the time you had?'” said another.
