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Strangest and Most Common Productivity Killers at Work Adapted from Information Provided by CareerBuilder From hiding in the bathroom, to testing the powers of hypnosis, some workers will do just about anything to avoid doing actual work on the clock. In a survey from CareerBuilder, em- ployers discussed the most common productivity killers in the workplace, as well as the most bizarre things they’ve caught employees doing on the job. The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder, and included a representative sample of 2175 hiring and human resource managers across industries and company sizes. Killing Time - and Productivity Thanks to smartphones, noisy coworkers, and never-ending Facebook feeds providing hours of distraction, obstacles in the way of actual work are seemingly endless. When asked to name the most common productivity killers in the workplace, employers cited the following: Strangest Nonwork Activities Workers Have Done On the Job Employers were also asked to reveal the most unusual or unforgettable things they found an employee doing when they should have been working. Here’s a few of the more memorable answers: Employee was: k Taking a sponge bath in the bathroom sink. k Trying to hypnotize other employees to stop their smoking habits. k Visiting a tanning bed in lieu of making deliveries. k Looking for a mail-order bride. k Playing a video game on their cell phone while sitting in a bathroom stall. k Drinking vodka and watching a movie. k Sleeping on the CEO’s couch. With so many distractions around, it’s surprising any work gets done at all - and sometimes it doesn’t. Productivity killers can lead to negative consequences for the organization, including compromised quality of work, lower morale, missed dead- lines, and loss of revenue. Killing the Productivity Killers “Between the Internet, cell phones, and coworkers, 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 reenergize you. The trick is finding the right (work-appropri- ate) activities that promote - rather than deplete - energy.” Haefner offered several tips to help employees take time-outs to improve, rather than kill productivity. Taking a short breather may be good for you and your job performance; but make sure to set a definite ending time for the break so you know when it’s time to get back to work. Research shows a few minutes of light exercise can rejuvenate the brain and lead to sharper cognitive function; so walk away for a while (liter- ally). Also, surround yourself with posi- t ive, product ive people. Much l ike laughter, productivity can be infectious. Watching how others make themselves productive can inspire us to act similarly. 1. Cell phones/texting: 52% 2. The Internet: 44% 3. Gossip: 37% 4. Social media: 36% 5. E-mail: 31% 6. Coworkers dropping by: 27% 7. Meetings: 26% 8. Smoke breaks/snack breaks: 27% 9. Noisy coworkers: 17% 10. Sitting in a cubicle: 10% 53 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MAY 2017