Work — Four-day week
Four days a week since 2022. The numbers got better, not worse.
It isn't a perk. It's a productivity strategy. We took an entire day out of the week and forced ourselves to redesign the operation around output — and the result was higher revenue per head, lower attrition, and a hiring pool we'd never had before.
Operating principles
01
Output, not attendance
Hours measured don't measure work done. Once you stop pretending they do, the operating model has to change.
02
Meetings are the enemy
Most of the day we 'lost' was meetings that didn't need to exist. Async-first defaults claw the time back.
03
Hire the calibre that doesn't need supervising
A four-day week is a self-selecting filter for senior, motivated operators. That's a talent strategy, not a wellness perk.
04
Tooling and automation are mandatory
You can't take 20% of the working week out of the calendar without serious tooling. AI workflow automation isn't optional.
Outcomes since 2022
What actually moved.
- Revenue per headUp ↗
- Voluntary attritionDown ↘
- Senior hire offer-acceptanceUp ↗
- Sick daysDown ↘
- Glassdoor sentimentUp ↗
Work it through with me
No-fluff session.
If you're an agency or services business considering the move and you want a no-PR-fluff session on what actually breaks, get in touch.
Email hello@garethhoyle.com