Niklas Wiesauer

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.

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

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