Productivity is a key metric for business success today, and competitive organizations are constantly seeking new ways to promote it in evolving environments. As teams work across in-office, hybrid and remote models, leaders must find new ways to empower productivity in sustainable ways.
We’ve gathered the best resources on productivity from a variety of reputable sources to make this easier for you. Take a look at these top productivity resources for help measuring, understanding and ultimately boosting productivity in your organization.
1. Industry reports and workplace trend analyses
The first step in increasing productivity is to understand where your organization stands. Industry reports give you macro-level insights and benchmark data to show how trends in remote work or other models may impact your company in the future. Use these resources to guide goal setting, OKRs or strategy refresh cycles.
- ActivTrak 2025 State of the Workplace
- Owl Labs State of Remote Work
- Gallup State of the Global Workplace
- Gartner Workplace Predictions
- McKinsey Global Institute: Productivity and Prosperity
2. Leadership development and productivity playbooks
In today’s evolving business landscape, productive leadership means learning to manage energy, not just time. These leadership development resources will help you develop new skills to boost workplace productivity — for both yourself and your operations. Use the playbooks to create productivity scorecards aligned to business objectives, and to manage employees more effectively.
- Harvard Business Review Guide to Being More Productive
- MIT Sloan Productivity Insights
- McKinsey Operations Insights for 2025
3. Hybrid and remote work guides
Remote and hybrid work are here to stay. Use these resources to learn how to maintain productivity outside the office to enable flexibility without sacrificing performance. Get strategies to enhance accountability and track output in distributed teams while prioritizing work-life balance and mental health in various work environments. Plus, avoid common pitfalls like inconsistent policies, culture gaps and over-measurement or invasive surveillance.
- How to Support Remote Employees
- How to Set Employee Expectations for Remote Work
- How to Make Hybrid Work Successful
- Managing Remote Work Culture
4. AI tools for HR and workforce management
AI is increasingly common across HR departments as teams work to automate repetitive tasks like scheduling and onboarding, giving leaders time to focus on more important work. Check out these links for tips on using AI to identify patterns in engagement, turnover and productivity — and for accelerating decision-making with real-time AI-assisted recommendations.
- 6 Use Cases of AI for HR Operations to Maximize Productivity
- IBM: AI and the Future of Human Resources
- How to Leverage AI Tools and Assistants to Boost Productivity
5. Workforce analytics platforms
Analytics is foundational to productivity management today. Leaders need visibility into activity trends, focus time, collaboration and distractions to fine-tune policies and procedures. The right tools and reports make it easy to identify high or low performers, compare teams and optimize workflows to increase productivity. Use these resources to learn how digital-first platforms empower objective decision-making, regardless of where team members are working.
- What is Workforce Analytics?
- 10 Benefits of Workforce Analytics
- What is Predictive Workforce Analytics and How Can You Use It?
From knowledge to execution: Get solutions from ActivTrak
As leaders prioritize improving productivity, it’s a good idea to look for advice and observations from industry reports, playbooks and guides. But that’s just the first step. You also need objective data to identify gaps and lead the productivity charge in your organization.
ActivTrak provides the data and insights you need to improve productivity in your workforce. Our productivity management software empowers you with real-time data and productivity trends, allowing you to establish benchmarks now and track progress over time. Whether your team is hybrid, remote or fully in-office, arm yourself with the right data and insights to promote a more productive work environment. Get a demo today to see how ActivTrak’s insights boost productivity, no matter where employees work.
