What You’re Missing by Not Tracking Productivity by Location

In this article, we’re going to discuss:

• How work location impacts focus, collaboration, and results.
• Why surface-level data can mislead performance decisions.
• What top performers reveal about your current setup.
• How employee system monitoring software connects productivity to where work happens.

If you track productivity but rarely separate it by location, you’re missing crucial data. Where your team works can either energize them or drain their results, depending on how well the type of work aligns with their environment. 

Without location-specific insights, it’s easy to misunderstand where productivity is soaring or slipping (and why).

In this article, you’ll learn how to use remote workers management tools to interpret location-based productivity data, avoid common misreadings, and align your team’s workspace with the demands of their roles. 
‍

The Hidden Role Location Plays in Team Performance

Where your team works matters more than you might realize. Some environments naturally boost collaboration and creative thinking, while others can diminish focus and productivity.

One 2023 survey from Slack’s Future Forum found that 42% of knowledge workers say they’re more productive when working remotely, especially on focused, individual tasks. But for projects that require spontaneous discussion or brainstorming, over 60% said being in-office helps them move faster.

The problem is that most companies don’t match work type to work environment. Without location-level productivity data, assuming one model fits all is easy.

But if you’re not segmenting productivity by location, role, and task type, you’re missing the deeper story. An employee who’s underperforming in-office might thrive remotely, and vice versa.
‍

Before You Trust the Numbers, Ask Where the Work Is Happening

Most productivity data looks definitive: time logged, tasks completed, apps used. When it comes to hybrid work, monitoring attendance and productivity is essential to understand if your model is working effectively. But if you don't tie that data back to where the work is happening, you'll only see part of the story.

Productivity monitoring tools like Insightful can help. Insightful’s Location Insights feature connects productivity data to specific work environments, revealing how location truly affects performance.

Here’s what it helps you do:

• See productivity trends across remote, hybrid, and in-office setups
• Track hybrid policy compliance down to specific days and teams
• Break down performance by employee, team, or location
• Identify which environments drive results and which create friction
• Optimize space planning with real data on how office space is used

The space your team chooses actively shapes how well they work. So, before you jump to conclusions about your team’s performance, ask whether the workspace itself might be driving the outcome. 
‍

Are office-based teams productive or just visible?

Just because people are showing up doesn’t mean work is moving forward. In-office days often involve more face time and more meetings, which looks like engagement but can easily cut into focus time. Without visibility into what’s actually getting done, it’s easy to assume activity equals output.

If you’re relying on basic attendance tracking or app usage alone, these patterns are hard to spot. Tools like Insightful let you segment productivity by location, so you can see whether in-office work drives results or just fills calendars.
‍

• If in-office time shows high activity but output isn’t improving, it may be a sign that visibility is masking inefficiency.
  
  
• If in-office work consistently aligns with project progress, it could be the right setting for roles that rely on collaboration or structure.
  ‍

Are remote teams delivering or just disconnected?

Remote work often appears quiet—there are fewer meetings, check-ins, and visible activity. But that doesn’t automatically mean performance is slipping. It could mean your team is getting work done without the noise.

If you’re not using a productivity tracking tool, you’re likely flying blind. Even with basic reporting, remote work can still look flat unless you measure output alongside activity.


Wondering how to track remote employees more effectively? Insightful helps surface the difference, showing when remote teams are performing and when they actually need support.
‍

• If remote work looks inactive but goals are still being hit, you may be underestimating how much value is coming from focused, distraction-free time.
  
  
• If outcomes and engagement both seem low, it’s a sign that remote conditions may not be supporting the work, and a deeper look is needed.
  ‍

Is your hybrid policy supporting performance or just enforcing presence?

Hybrid mandates can look successful on the surface. Employees follow the schedule, show up on required days, and attendance appears stable. But without location-specific productivity data, it’s hard to tell whether that structure is helping work get done, or just ticking a box.

Leaders who lack visibility into how location impacts outcomes often assume hybrid is “working” because it’s being followed. But compliance doesn’t equal effectiveness. With tools like Insightful, you can compare performance by location, day, and team and see whether your policy is enabling output or just adding friction.
‍

• If hybrid schedules are followed but output is flat, your policy may be driving attendance without creating value.
  
  
• If performance is stronger on remote days, it may be time to rethink how much in-office time your teams actually need.
  ‍

Are high performers thriving in spite of your model, or because of it?

When a few individuals or teams consistently outperform, it’s easy to treat them as exceptions, the “self-starters” who succeed no matter what. But without segmented data, you can’t see whether their success is actually tied to how and where they’re working. 

Some teams may quietly reshape their schedules or work locations to suit their needs. If you’re not measuring outcomes against those choices, you risk enforcing policies that limit the conditions that made them successful. Tools like Insightful help connect performance with patterns so you can scale what’s working instead of stifling it.
‍

• If top performers are thriving outside your hybrid structure, it may be time to loosen restrictions and let others follow their lead.
  
  
• If standout results align with certain locations or routines, use those trends to guide smarter scheduling and policy decisions.
  ‍

Turning Insights Into Action

You don’t need complex systems to start making smarter location-based decisions. You just need the right visibility. When you connect productivity to where work is happening, you can spot friction faster and fix what’s not working before it grows.

Here’s how: 

• Segment productivity by location to see how different environments impact results.
• Track deliverables alongside attendance to avoid confusing presence with performance.
• Compare hybrid compliance with actual output to test if the model is working.
• Look at top-performing teams to identify location setups that support their success.
• Use Insightful to reveal patterns that surface when work, role, and environment align.
  

That’s exactly what Stratum Benefits did. On paper, their hybrid policy looked solid. Office days were consistent, and teams followed the plan. But performance wasn’t improving. After rolling out Insightful, they segmented productivity by location and saw clear differences: some roles thrived in-office, others performed better remotely.

With that insight, they scrapped the one-size-fits-all schedule and aligned location expectations with how different teams actually worked best. The result was higher engagement, better output, and a hybrid strategy that finally matched the work itself, not just the rules.
‍

Make the Most of Your Tools with Workstyle Intelligence

Knowing where your teams work is one thing. Understanding how that environment shapes their results — that’s where the real value lies. With Insightful, you can connect performance to place and lead with facts, not assumptions.
‍

✓ Track productivity trends across remote, hybrid, and in-office setups.
✓ Correlate location data with actual outcomes, not just attendance.
✓ Identify which teams need focus time and which thrive on in-person collaboration.
✓ Spot inefficiencies hidden by office visibility or remote silence.
✓ Build location strategies that reflect how work really gets done.
‍

Start your 7-day free trial or schedule a demo with Insightful today.

‍