1000 things we tried for new work. Here are the results.

They tried reducing to a 32-hour work week, and it failed. Here's what they learned and the surprising strategy that worked instead.

#1about 5 minutes

Defining new work and its impact on employee happiness

The concept of "new work" is introduced as a response to rising workplace stress and burnout, aiming to improve employee retention and attraction.

#2about 4 minutes

Implementing a 36-hour work week with productivity rules

The company reduced the work week to 36 hours by eliminating "all-in" contracts, shortening standard meeting times, and using OKRs to maintain output.

#3about 5 minutes

Building a remote culture with unlimited vacation and offsites

A successful remote-first culture with unlimited vacation relies on a foundation of trust, reinforced by a mix of large annual offsites and smaller, regular team gatherings.

#4about 3 minutes

Creating an attractive office space people want to use

To encourage voluntary office attendance, the workspace was redesigned with different work zones and employee-led "squads" were empowered with budgets to make improvements.

#5about 3 minutes

Developing a transparent formula-based salary model

A new salary model provides transparency and predictability by using a five-part formula based on a base rate, field, salary third, company success, and loyalty.

#6about 1 minute

Using tailored benefits and gamified development plans

Employees can choose their own benefits or take the cash equivalent, while gamified, role-specific development plans provide a clear path for career progression.

#7about 4 minutes

Anchoring employee benefits in a strong company purpose

New work initiatives are most effective when they are connected to a clear and inspiring company purpose that guides all activities, from benefits to client events.

#8about 4 minutes

Q&A on balancing trust, safety, and productivity

The discussion covers how to balance trust with performance management to maintain psychological safety and how OKRs are used to measure productivity.

From learning to earning

Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.