Our Human Resources Blog

What's the first thing most people do when they sit down at their desks in the morning?  Most would answer- "check my emails".  How many times a day do you think the average employee checks their emails?  5? 10? 20 times a day?

Based on research done by RescueTime, a firm that develops time management software, a typical office employee checks emails 50 times a day and uses instant messaging 70 times a day. In addition to the email interruptions, employees are constantly distracted by buzzing BlackBerrys, ringing cell phones and incessant email alerts. With regular interruptions it's virtually impossible for employees to stay focused. Technology interruptions not only sidetrack workers from their jobs, they also undermine their attention spans and increase their stress. 

The average desk worker loses 2.1 hours of productivity everyday due to interruptions and distractions. Email volume is said to be growing at a rate of 66% a year. The interruption epidemic is reaching crisis proportions for some businesses. Experts estimate that email overload alone can cost large companies up to $1 billion a year in lost productivity.

So what can organizations do to help manage the constant interruptions and give employees the much needed time to concentrate and focus their attentions?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Set specific times to check emails. (3- 4 times a day at designated hours)
• Have employees turn off email notification sounds.
• Implement "quiet times" when message or phone contact is not allowed.
• Promote less email use and encourage more face to face contact. (Communicating by phone or face to face saves time and builds relationships.)
• Have employees respond immediately only to urgent issues.
• Put "no reply necessary" in subject line when you can and resist replying to emails with "Got it" or "Thank you".
• Have employees use automated out of office messages to create focused work times. "I'm on a deadline with a project- will be back on-line at 1pm"

While these suggestions won't work for all departments in an organization, such as customer service, I am willing to bet by implementing a few of these suggestions - employees will get a lot more done, be more in control of their calendars and feel much less stress.