A Microsoft report reveals a new trend in the era of hybrid work: productivity paranoia.

A new Microsoft Work Trends report reveals that the move to hybrid work and increased workloads are leading to productivity paranoia.

87% of employees report being more productive at work, and 85% of leaders say the shift to hybrid work is making it harder for them to be confident their employees are staying productive says. This shift has led to productivity paranoia, where leaders worry about whether people are productive and on the right tasks.

Only 12% of leaders say they have complete confidence in their team’s productivity. However, nearly 90% of employees report being more productive at work.

Additionally, since the pandemic began, the number of meetings per week for the average Microsoft Teams user worldwide has increased by 153%. Employees are inundated with meeting invitations, with declines and tentative acceptances increasing over the past two years.

When it comes to returning to the office, 73% of employees and 78% of business decision makers say they need a better reason than simply company expectations.

The report also found that socializing and connecting with colleagues is important to employees. His 84% ​​of employees are motivated to go to the office by the promise of socializing with colleagues, and 85% by rebuilding team ties.

Microsoft also announced an extension to Microsoft Viva: Viva Amplify. It is designed to engage employees and connect them when they are working remotely. Featuring a Viva Engage Leadership Corner, it provides an inviting space for employees to interact directly with leadership.

Microsoft Viva enhancements also include a new integration between Viva Learning and LinkedIn Learning, making it even easier to access LinkedIn Learning Hub content within your Teams workflow .

Plus, the new Viva Connections home experience brings all your Microsoft Viva apps together in one place, and Viva briefing emails offer more personalized productivity recommendations.

The company is also rolling out Viva Sales, the platform’s first role-based experience app. Viva Sales combines the seller’s CRM with Microsoft 365 and Teams to deliver a more streamlined, AI-powered selling experience. It opens to the public on October 3rd.