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Smartphones are top drain on workplace productivity

June 11, 2015

Smartphones, the Internet and chatty co-workers rank as top productivity killers that get in the way of actual work, according to a survey released today by CareerBuilder. And 45% of survey respondent said the distractions lead to compromised quality of work.

“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.”

When asked to name the biggest productivity killers in the workplace, employers cited the following: 

  1. Cell phones/texting: 52%
  2. The Internet: 44%
  3. Gossip: 37%
  4. Social media: 36%
  5. Email: 31%
  6. Co-workers dropping by: 27%
  7. Meetings: 26%
  8. Smoke breaks/snack breaks: 27%
  9. Noisy co-workers: 17%
  10. Sitting in a cubicle: 10%

Survey respondents reported the productivity killers led 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%

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 taking a sponge bath in the bathroom sink
  • 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 sending inappropriate pictures to other employees

This survey was conducted online within the US by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,175 hiring and human resource managers between Feb. 11 and March 6, 2015.