“... this is a wake up call for us as individuals as well as for business and HR leaders. We need to change the way we live and change the way our organizations work.” - Josh Bursin, Bursin by Deloitte Principal and Founder

Research shows that employees in the 21st century workforce can check their cell phones up to 150 times a day, which can result in stress, distraction, and a general reduction in workplace productivity.

What is the 21st century workforce?

According to Deloitte, the 21st century workforce is categorized as “global, highly connected, technology-savvy, and demanding. Its employees are youthful, ambitious, and filled with passion and purpose. Millennials are a major force - but so are older workers, who remain engaged and valuable contributors.”

However, at the end of 2014, Deloitte released their Human Capital Trends Study, one of the largest-ever studies of corporate talent and HR needs. It surveyed more than 2,500 companies in 90 countries across the globe. Their biggest insight? Businesses around the world are having a difficult time adapting to the needs of the 21st century workforce.

Among the issues examined in the study, one of the biggest is what they refer to as “the overwhelmed employee” who deals with the flood of information, text messages, tweets, emails, meetings, and conference calls every day. What’s more, over half of the respondents to Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends survey believe that “their organizations are not doing a good job helping workers address information overload and today’s demanding work environment.”

The Deloitte research found that this habitual and constant level of activity also costs money: they estimate close to $10 million a year for mid-size companies. Another more revealing finding is that more than half (57 percent) of these work interruptions were a resulting from either social media or switching among different stand-alone applications.

What can be done about this issue?

To address this, companies need a pragmatic approach to helping employees identify and manage the triggers that lead to feeling overwhelmed. Here are some tips for employers to help their employees stay on task (and on time):

• Offer employees attention management training
  By incorporating attention-management instruction into annual reviews and training sessions, your employees will be able to learn techniques to get the most out of their working hours. This can be done by introducing programs like Mindtools, which have developed an action program - or "industrial strength" versions of to-do lists which incorporate short-, medium-, and long-term goals. They assist with time management, all while increasing your effectiveness and productivity.

• Allow more flexible schedules in the workplace
  Whenever possible, employers should give employees some flexibility in how and when they get their work done. Everyone works differently, so ensure you are allowing each team member to work to their strengths. Adopting these workplace flexibility arrangements can lead to reduced absenteeism, a lower turnover rate, and improving the mental and physical health of your workers. This measure will also go a long way in increasing employee morale, productivity, and loyalty.

• Set consistent (and clear) priorities
  Managers should have regular communication with their employees about priorities and deadlines. Encourage your employees to ask questions and periodically check in to make sure that they are meeting your expectations. A more unexpected, but equally as important step is encouraging your employees to take a real lunch break. If they have an opportunity to unwind and use social media, or better yet exercise, during their lunch hour, they will likely be more productive and better at managing their attention later on in the day.
  
  You should aim for your employees to find a happy medium between work life and all their other responsibilities. Feel free to direct them to our post with tips on achieving a realistic work-life balance. Being engaged at work (whether in the office or at home) and focused on the immediate task at hand has been shown to increase resilience in the face of stress, provide clarity in dealing with complex situations, foster creativity and enhance emotional regulation.

Expert Advice

In an article published by the Principal and Founder of Bersin by Deloitte, Josh Bersin, it was concluded that the onus must be placed on all areas of leadership within the organization, not just the Human Resources team: “ … it’s also the need for CEOs and CFOs to understand that investing in people (training, work, environment, support, career, mobility) is perhaps the most important investment they must make.” He goes on, saying that “people are the product in nearly every company today - and while many HR teams are certainly not optimized, the solution is not to cut back, but rather to transform and optimize the talent function.”

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that companies need to recognize that overwhelmed, hyper-connected employee must be seen as a business concern. As employees become more connected and messages and information increase in frequency and number, it is paramount that employers develop standards, principles, and technologies that simplify work.

Business and Human Resources leaders should prioritize finding ways to make information easier to find, keeping teams small, simplifying processes and systems, and making sure leaders provide focus. With these new guidelines, improved employee satisfaction, productivity and teamwork will result.

Do you need consultation on how to best approach this pertinent issue? Are you looking for integrated and customized approaches to your HR and Workforce management? Please reach out to our HR Services and Consulting team!