From Human Resources to Whole Humans: Rethinking Productivity With Trevor Noah

June 25, 2025

The 40-hour work week. The punch clock. The hourly wage. 

These are the productivity frameworks that have shaped our modern work-life. Their defining feature? Productivity = butts in seats. For most of us, throughout most of our working life, the hallmarks of productivity have been the amount of time input, rather than output quality. Even when studies (and common sense) show that these outdated modes aren’t so great for employee mental health. 

As Trevor Noah puts it: 

"When do you breathe? When do you do nothing? When do you just feel how you are as a human being?"

At Lyra’s 2025 Breakthrough Conference, we were lucky to host HR and benefits leaders from across the globe. Conversations went deep. But none sparked quite as much introspection as our interview with comedian, author and mental health advocate, Trevor Noah. 

In conversation with Lyra VP Chris Jackson, Noah asked us to reconsider the fundamentals:

What if leaders are thinking about productivity all wrong? 

From Noah's perspective, it’s the obsession with "visible time at work" that gets in the way of a fundamental human truth: that mental space and downtime are essential components of productivity, rather than spaces to fill with work.

This "empty space"—on our calendar and elsewhere—holds the key to true mental health and where employers should look first when supporting workforce well-being. "You don't grow muscles when you lift weights," Noah reminds us, "they grow in rest. It's the same thing for your mind."

The mistake many companies make, according to Noah, is drawing direct correlation between the time an employee spends working and the value they bring to the business. Instead, he argues, let's build environments that foster genuine human productivity and mental well-being simultaneously. Not because it's "good for productivity" (though it usually is) but because it's good for people.

When you foster the whole person, output can actually stay consistent even when “hours” are more fluid. Whether that's a shortened work week, shortened workday, or recognizing the importance of unscheduled time—employers need to invest in the resources that prioritize the humanity of their workforce, rather than expecting them to operate like machines. 

Trevor Noah’s call-to-action for all employers: encourage time to think 

Most CEOs understand, intuitively, that the best work often happens outside of "work hours". In his conversations with leaders, Noah says, "they tell me the great idea didn't come from the intentional meeting. The great idea came from a conversation at the water cooler."

To facilitate these creative leaps, we need environments that value time to think. Many employees “work” (brainstorm, strategize, and check to-dos off their list) outside of work hours, so let’s not penalize them for needing time away from their desk during work hours. To do that:

• Evaluate employees based on output rather than "face time". Noah warns against valuing the appearance of work more than the work itself. "If you're the last person in the office," he says, "I actually don't think you're the best worker."
• Recognize the importance of unscheduled time for creativity and mental processing. Allow employees flexibility–whether that means flexible hours, flexibility with shift assignments, remote work, or less of an emphasis on “demonstrating” productivity while they’re at work. 
• Build organizational rhythms that incorporate proper rest and recovery as essential components of productivity rather than demanding employees be in a constant "on" position. This could mean anything from encouraging employees to block their calendars for deep work or decompressing after long meeting days to building a culture where managers tell their juniors to log out of Slack while on vacation. 

When you create a holistic work environment, and ethos, you make room for great ideas to show up.

"The person doesn't stop working for you when they leave the office," says Noah, "and they don't get to charge you for having a great idea for the business when they're not there. So give them the leniency to be human while they’re in the office."

4 core tenets for shifting from a “time-based” to “human-centered” work culture

If you’re already working hard to create opportunities for whole-human expression at work, you’re not alone. Many leaders are battling long-ingrained patterns that can be tough to break.

So how do we start to build opportunities for employees to thrive in reality, not just on paper? It all starts, Noah says, with a change of perspective. 

Core Tenet #1: Practice human-intuitive decision-making. Too often, change is motivated by data rather than by our intrinsic sense of value—we want the data to prove there's a benefit before we implement new resources. But, Noah says, "You're a human. You don't always need the data to know what's good for other humans."

Core Tenet #2: Foster sustainability, not blood, sweat, and tears. Our expectations for employees can't be "as much as possible, as fast as possible." It's like burning a fire as hot as it can go, then being surprised when it burns out. "Find the balance," says Noah "Give it the wind it deserves, fan the flames, and watch it grow."

Core Tenet #3: Nurture reciprocal relationships. When people are getting paid as they should and getting the time they need, Noah says, "they'll treat the customer with the same respect." When you’re out in the world, take notice of how employees at other companies treat their customers. If they're helpful and kind, that's probably a reflection of how their leadership treats them. 

Core Tenet #4: Build an authentic community, not “forced family”. Instead of pre-determining how employees should build community, make space for authentic connections. "You're not a family," says Noah, "and there's nothing wrong with that." Foster a genuine desire for connection with space, not mandatory affection.

From productivity machine to whole human being

At its core, human-centered productivity is simple: treat people as complete human beings, not resources.

For HR and benefits leaders, this message is particularly poignant. "Forget the resources part as much as possible," says Noah, "Think about the 'human' thing more. I have yet to find a world where that doesn't benefit you."

When we recognize that employees are complete people whose whole lives affect their capabilities—we take the first big step toward a human-centered workplace.

In our work at Lyra with HR and benefits leaders, we know that creating workplaces where employees feel creative, happy, and free to show up as their full selves is powerful. Maybe the answer is in loosening our definition of productivity itself in order to foster the rest and respect employees need to thrive.

We were grateful to sit down with Trevor Noah at this year's Breakthrough. Engaging in deep conversations around well-being and productivity is at the heart of what we do at Lyra. If you need help transforming your organization's perspective on mental health, reach out. 

We'll help you get the conversation started.