by Brianna Crandall — July 15, 2015—A somewhat humorous recent survey from human capital solutions provider CareerBuilder reveals activities and distractions at work that reduce productivity, including a few items that improved workplace design, sound management and/or space management could help alleviate.
From hiding in the bathroom to testing the powers of hypnosis, some workers will do just about anything to avoid doing actual work while on the clock, according to CareerBuilder. In the company’s recent survey, employers discuss the most common productivity killers in the workplace, as well as the most bizarre things they have caught employees doing while on the clock.
The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from February 11 to March 6, 2015, and included a representative sample of 2,175 hiring and human resource (HR) managers across industries and company sizes.
Killing time—and productivity
Thanks to smartphones, chatty co-workers and never-ending Twitter feeds that provide hours of distraction, the obstacles that get in the way of actual work are seemingly endless, says CareerBuilder. When asked to name the biggest productivity killers in the workplace, employers cited the following:
- Cell phones/texting: 52%
- The Internet: 44%
- Gossip: 37%
- Social media: 36%
- E-mail: 31%
- Co-workers dropping by: 27%
- Meetings: 26%
- Smoke breaks/snack breaks: 27%
- Noisy co-workers: 17%
- Sitting in a cubicle: 10%
The strangest non-work activities workers have done on the job
Employers were also asked to reveal the most unusual or most memorable things they have found an employee doing when they should have been working. Some of the more memorable answers included:
- Employee was trying to hypnotize other employees to stop their smoking habits.
- Employee was visiting a tanning bed in lieu of making deliveries.
- Employee was looking for a mail order bride.
- Employee was playing a video game on their cell phone while sitting in a bathroom stall.
- Employee was drinking vodka while watching Netflix.
- Employee was sabotaging another employee’s car tires.
- Employee was sleeping on the CEO’s couch.
- Employee was writing negative posts about the company on social media.
- Employee was searching Google images for “cute kittens.”
- Employee was flying drones around the office.
The consequences of distraction
With so many distractions around, it is almost surprising any work gets done at all — and sometimes it does not, says CareerBuilder. Productivity killers can lead to negative consequences for the organization, including:
- Compromised quality of work: 45%
- Lower morale because other workers have to pick up the slack: 30%
- Negative impact of boss/employee relationship: 25%
- Missed deadlines: 24%
- Loss in revenue: 21%
Killing the productivity killers
Nearly 3 in 4 employers (74%) have taken at least one step to mitigate productivity killers, such as blocking certain Internet sites (33%) and banning personal calls/cell phone use (23%). Other efforts to mitigate productivity killers include:
- Scheduled lunch and break times: 21%
- Monitor e-mails and Internet use: 21%
- Limit meetings: 16%
- Allow people to telecommute: 13%
- Have an open space layout instead of cubicles: 12%
Four ways to turn procrastination into productivity
“Between the Internet, cell phones and co-workers, there are so many stimulants in today’s workplace, it’s easy to see how employees get sidetracked,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder. “The good news is, taking breaks from work throughout the day can actually be good for productivity, enabling the mind to take a break from the job at hand and re-energize you. The trick is finding the right (work-appropriate) activities that promote — rather than deplete — energy.”
Haefner offers the following tips for productive procrastination:
- Schedule “play” breaks. Give yourself permission to take a break, and set a definite ending time. Not only will you have something to look forward to after you have worked hard, you will also know when it is time to get back to work.
- Surround yourself with productive people. Much like laughter, productivity can be infectious. Watching how others make themselves productive can inspire us to act similarly.
- Make yourself accountable to your (social) network. If you cannot seem to motivate yourself to finish (or start) a big project, post on your Facebook wall that you will do it. Making yourself publicly accountable will make you more likely to actually do something.
- Just walk away (literally). To help concentration, go for a 10- or 20-minute walk. Research shows that a few minutes of light exercise can rejuvenate the brain and lead to sharper cognitive function.
