Why Time is the Enemy of Top Talent
Aug 24, 2025
Have you ever worked 60 hours and watched someone who worked 40 get the promotion?
Were you expected to be at your desk by 8:00 AM, even though your most productive hours are in the afternoon?
Ever felt guilty asking for "time off" when you needed to take your child to a doctor's appointment?
Welcome to the tyranny of time that outdated belief that hours worked equals value delivered. And it's exactly why top talent is walking past your front door without even knocking.
"We're still using time as the currency of work," explains my friend, Jody Thompson, co-creator of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)™. Think about how deeply this mindset infiltrates our work cultures:
- We track hours worked.
- We measure vacation days.
- We evaluate "face time" in meetings.
- We judge people who arrive "late" or leave "early."
- We equate presence with productivity.
All of this obsession with measuring time despite research that shows the average employee is only productive for about 2 hours and 53 minutes during an 8-hour workday. Yet we insist on measuring butts in seats instead of results achieved.
From Chronos to Kairos: A Revolutionary Shift
The ancient Greeks had two words for time:
Chronos: Clock time: minutes, hours, days, weeks
Kairos: The right or opportune moment: the fullness of time
Traditional work cultures operate entirely in chronos, but top talent today seeks kairos. They want to work when they're most productive, whether that's 6:00 AM or midnight.
Research shows organizations offering flexible work arrangements receive 31% more applications from qualified candidates. But as Jody emphasizes, "Flexibility programs today, like hybrid and four-day workweeks are all built around the idea that work happens Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. That's why it's flexible.”
Something far different than what Henry Ford did is required today. True transformation requires more than modified time structures. It requires a fundamental shift from "time plus presence equals results" to "results, only."
The R.O.W.E.™ Revolution
What exactly is a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)™? As Jody describes it, it's a management strategy where "employees are evaluated on performance, not presence."
In a R.O.W.E.™ culture:
- People are free to work whenever and wherever they want.
- There are no mandatory meetings.
- All that matters is that the work gets done.
- There's no judgment about how people spend their time.
Such an approach drives measurable business outcomes. Companies implementing ROWE™ principles see:
- 35% decrease in voluntary turnover.
- 41% decrease in health-related costs.
- 18% increase in productivity.
- 52% decrease in work-related conflict.
Trust as the Foundation
"Trust is so important," Jody believes. "We need to start looking at how we trust people in a different way and help people with clarity so that they can be trusted to do the work."
Many leaders worry employees will take advantage without time structures. The opposite is true: people generally exceed expectations when given autonomy and clear outcomes.
Christine, an operations director, transformed her department with "Trust First," i.e., she assumed trust rather than required it to be earned. She eliminated time tracking completely and focused solely on agreed-upon deliverables.
The initial adjustment was challenging, but within six months, productivity increased by 37% and voluntary turnover decreased by 62%. The message was clear: When you trust people, they generally live up to that trust.
Eradicate "Sludge" from Your Culture
One of Jody's most powerful concepts is "sludge"—the judgmental comments about how people spend their time:
- "10:00 and you're just getting in?"
- "Leaving again at 3:00 to pick up your kids?"
- "I wish I could come in late every day."
This sludge is toxic to your culture and nails your front door shut to top talent. As Jody sees it, "Judgment represents everything wrong with culture."
The antidote is "sludge eradication." When someone makes a judging comment about time, respond with: "Is there something you need?"
This simple question shifts focus from judgment to outcomes. If someone needs something, they can ask directly rather than passive-aggressively commenting on schedules.
Clarify What Really Matters
"When we're talking about five different people that we're thinking about for that job, of course we're going to take the person that's in the office more because they're dedicated," Jody notes, highlighting faulty logic that pervades hiring decisions.
The solution? Absolute clarity about outcomes and expectations. Time becomes irrelevant when outcomes are clear.
The key to attracting top talent in a results-focused culture is making outcomes crystal clear during the interview process. Instead of discussing hours, vacation policies, or office presence, focus on:
- Clear deliverables: "Here's what success looks like in this role."
- Impact measures: "Here's how we measure your contribution."
- Collaboration expectations: "Here's how your work connects with others."
- Autonomy guarantees: "Here's the freedom you have to achieve these results."
Your Results-Only Challenge
Ready to break free from the time trap and create a culture that naturally attracts top talent? Try these three front door-opening actions this week:
- Audit Your Language: How often do you mention time in discussions about work? Challenge yourself to replace time references with outcome references.
- Identify One "Sludge" Statement: Find one time-based judgment common in your culture and develop a strategy to redirect it toward outcomes.
- Transform One Time-Based Policy: Convert one policy into a results-based expectation. Start small—meeting attendance or project deadlines.
Be patient as you transform from a time-focused to a results-focused culture. As Jody emphasizes, "It's zigzag. You're going to do one thing and it's going to lead to another thing."
The Bottom Line
The best talent today doesn't want to sell you their time. They want to deliver exceptional results on their terms. When you break down the front door of time tyranny, you open it wide to autonomous achievers who will transform your organization.
Stop managing time. Start measuring results.
What's your question about creating a results-only work environment? Ask Dr. Joey here.
Taken from Dr. Joey's latest book, Open the Front Door: How to Attract Top Talent Today, that’s available here on Amazon.
Subscribe to the Work Positive Newsletter
Get the latest blog, podcast, and other resources weekly that help you Work Positive.
We detest SPAM and guard your information carefully. Unsubscribe any time we violate your trust.
