You’re A Time Waster And Your Boss Knows It

How do you spent your time at work? Are you constantly busy completing work-oriented tasks? Or are you easily distracted by your surroundings? How many hours of your work day do you waste? Pay attention next time you’re in the office. The answers might surprise you.

If you’re a time waster, you’ll enjoy the article that we recently stumbled upon. It’s a very cool study from CareerBuilder that reveals the “Top Ten Productivity Killers At Work.” The study looked at 2,138 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 3,022 full time private sector workers in a wide variety of industries. The results are interesting.

Are you curious about what is distracting the masses and creating a world of time wasters? The biggest productivity killers are:

• Cell Phones and Texting – 50%
• Gossip – 42%
• Internet Surfing – 39%
• Social Media – 38%
• Snack Breaks or Smoke Breaks – 27%
• Noisy Co-Workers – 24%
• Meetings – 23%
• Email – 23%
• Co-Workers Dropping By – 23%
• Co-Workers Putting Calls On Speaker Phone – 10%

Technology seems to be the biggest issue. Cell phones, internet, social media,and email make up the majority of distractions. The second major category is co-workers. What’s actually shocking is what some employees were found doing while on the clock! Here are some shocking examples of real life time wasters:

• Blowing bubbles in sub-zero weather to see if the bubbles would freeze and break
• Married employee looking at a dating site
• Caring for a pet bird that was smuggled into the office
• Shaving legs in the women’s bathroom
• Laying under boxes to scare people
• Having a wrestling match
• Sleeping, but claimed to be praying
• Taking selfies in the bathroom

Would you ever do any of these things while at work? Hopefully not. You can discover more shocking examples in the press release. This study has shown employers that they need to address this issue. The study says that 73% of employers are trying to address these issues so that the company can maximize it’s time – otherwise, what are they paying you for?! Here is what employers are doing:

• 36% are blocking certain Internet sites
• 25% are prohibiting personal calls and cell phones
• 22% are monitoring emails and Internet usage
• 19% are scheduling lunch and break times
• 14% are allowing people to telecommute
• 13% are implementing an open space layout instead of cubicles
• 12% are limiting meetings
• 11% are restricting use of speaker phones if not in an office

Do you think these efforts are going to make a difference? What would you do to increase productivity in your office? Tell us in the comments below!

If you’re easily distracted, here are some tips from the press release that may help you boost your productivity:

• Organize and prioritize
• Limit interruptions
• Avoid unnecessary meetings
• Get personal on your own time
• Communicate wisely
• Don’t delay the inevitable

All of this information from CareerBuilder has also been crafted into a cool infographic that’s worth a look. Hopefully you aren’t a time waster. It could cost you your job or ruin your chance at a good reference. As always, JobMonkey is here to help you find your next job.