On 1 January 2024, a new era began at Quant with the introduction of the 4-day week. The new working model not only influences the way we will work at Quant in the future, it is also about empowering employees to increase their satisfaction and well-being. But without the right mindset, a new understanding of roles and the willingness to think and act independently, it won’t work. Time for an first conclusion.
What sounds simple at first glance was not a hasty business decision, but rather the result of an intensive two-year development process. Behind the four-day week lies a profound transformation process that has redefined Quant as a whole. In various internal LABs, the Quant team spent an entire year working on standardising and optimising processes and tools so that words like efficiency and effectiveness aren’t just empty promises, but can be improved in all areas of the company. An agile mindset has proven to be a must for a successful transformation process – for each person, in the team, at all levels.
The new understanding of roles
Personal responsibility, participation, co-creation and the will to change are the key words here. Transformation means uncertainty, change brings uncertainty. The undertaking will only succeed if all those involved actively participate and become agents of change. But the understanding of roles has also changed at the employer level. Just as important as an inspiring working environment, technical aids and modern infrastructure is the forward-looking handling of emotions – the fears and hopes, feelings and expectations of employees must be addressed and moderated in such a way that positive energy and enthusiasm are generated. As an employer, Quant has thus become even more of a service provider to the team. It is about empowering, enabling and encouraging.
50 weeks after introducing the new working model at Quant, one clear conclusion can be drawn: it works! For us, that is.
According to the 100-80-100 model, the Quant team delivers 100 per cent customer output within 80 per cent of the previous weekly working hours, with no change to their 100 per cent salary. Work is carried out from Monday to Thursday, with Friday reserved for personal interests – individual further training or leisure time.
Thanks to the aforementioned measures to increase efficiency, the work that needs to be done can be completed from Monday to Thursday. Project work and meetings with external parties that nevertheless fall on a Friday can also be handled flexibly, as they are exceptions.
The new model also has a positive impact on overall employee satisfaction, health and well-being, which is invaluable to us as an employer. Although the advantages of the model clearly outweigh the disadvantages, it also challenges us – both individually and as a team. Focused, concentrated, structured – the days are tightly organised. The intensity and workload associated with the 4-day week requires even better time management and a high degree of self-organisation and structured working methods. It would also be presumptuous to claim that our model is applicable in every industry and every company. As a consulting workshop, we are in the fortunate position of being able to design our project work in such a way that the chosen New Work approach works. But there is no magic formula. The conditions for introducing a 4-day week must be right at various levels: the environment (industry), employees, mindset, the chosen model, customers… to name just the key success criteria.
Finally, the introduction of the four-day week marks a milestone on the path to a new world of work, but its successful implementation is an ongoing process. At Quant, we are currently addressing issues such as portfolio management and resource planning, further development of the organisational structure and strengthening of the corporate culture. These are issues that we tackle with concentrated team power, curiosity and enthusiasm. How is it going? We will continue to share our experiences here in the future.
