” Without our team, we are nothing. They are the most important asset of our studio and their mental health is the most important thing for them and therefore for us. Burnout in our industry is real and a common problem. Worse still, it is a problem that cannot be effectively treated, only prevented. begins by explaining Rob Cunningham, CEO of the studio and one of its three founders. He pursues : ” So we tested a four-day work week with multiple project teams and collected all possible before and after data: code and content submissions, task estimates vs. actuals, mental health surveys, feedback verbal, interviews, and closely monitoring the results. The results were astounding. Productivity did NOT drop and literally everything else improved: quality, effectiveness, efficiency, morale, interpersonal relationships, etc. There was an overabundance of positivity. Making the four-day week our new policy moving forward was a no-brainer. “.
Blackbird Interactive is not the first studio to choose a four-day week to ensure the well-being of its employees. Eidos Montreal and Sherbrooke also announced the implementation of this new work organization in October of last year. Four days for 32 hours of work, instead of the 40 hours in force until now: the measure, discussed at the national level in certain countries, is here implemented by the companies themselves. At Blackbird Interactive, this decision was made after being proven during a test period in situ : “ We are an agile company and within a few weeks we implemented a four-day work week pilot for two of our projects. We recognize that we need to create systems that provide flexibility for our people to grow both professionally and personally. says Pam Lee, Human Resources Manager within the company.
The idea for the four-day week literally came from our employees. When we asked our employees for feedback on retention ideas, the four-day week was by far the most popular.
The studio further explains that this reflection was initiated during the confinement period, which put its teams to the test of enormous stress by seriously complicating their task: “ Our team was under enormous pressure and on the verge of burnout due to the nature of working from home during a critical time in production, with the added stress of Covid. Once the trial was over, it was obvious that the four-day week saved us. I don’t think we could have gotten to where we are today without her. explains Jessica Klyne, lead producer on Hardspace: Shipbreaker.
Of course, this choice is not completely disinterested. On the one hand, it responds to the challenge of retaining the talents employed by the company, maintaining their well-being and therefore their productivity. But also that of recruiting new developers in an increasingly competitive environment where the promises of accomplishment at work and balance between personal and professional life are increasingly put forward by companies in the sector. Blackbird makes no secret of it, but nevertheless mentions its wish to see this form of organization become widespread in the future: “ Arrangements that respect work-life balance are absolutely going to be a competitive advantage for Blackbird, but it’s also important to share what we’ve learned. We would love to see other studios join us in this healthier and more efficient way of making games. »