A majority of hiring managers, 68%, are identifying and eliminating employee time wasters such as online distractions and unnecessary meetings to improve workforce productivity, according to a report by Express Employment Professionals.

The most common items being targeted for elimination include disorganization, 44%; online distractions, 44%; unnecessary tasks such as approval processes and reporting, 42%; interruptions, 39%; and unnecessary meetings, 38%, according to the report.

“Today’s workforce has so many factors fighting for its attention that it makes sense to implement tactics to increase focus and productivity, but it must be done mindfully,” Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller said in a press release.

The biggest inefficiencies Express franchise owners see are unnecessary and lengthy meetings, emails, cellphone calls and unlimited access to social media.

“Employees are not able to complete all their tasks, but they check their social media pages constantly throughout the day,” Nancy Reed, an Express franchise owner in Texas, said in a press release. “Another distraction is spending too much time chatting with others, either in person or via platforms like Microsoft Teams during the workday. Having the flexibility to collaborate and build a great team is important, but if employees are unable to properly manage their time and complete tasks while doing so, then it can become a distraction.”

The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, 2022, among 1,002 US hiring decision makers.