Is it time we said ‘goodbye’

to multi-tasking?

When a new email lands in your inbox, how quickly do you react?

Back in 2001, Thomas Jackson published research showing that office workers reacted to most of their incoming emails within six seconds. Speedy! Work resumed over a minute (64 seconds) later, with emails found to interrupt work 96 times in a typical eight-hour workday. This research was conducted over two decades ago, so consider how many disruptions are currently caused given that the present-day worker receives an average of 120 emails every single day!

What’s the relevance of these interruptions to your role as a SBL? Whilst you might take advantage of muting notifications to lessen distractions, you won’t be immune to the effects of multi-tasking. Contrary to popular belief, doing more than one task at a time can take a toll on productivity, whether that’s immediately opening that red email icon that’s disrupted your current workflow, or juggling five ‘priority’ jobs.

You won’t be immune to the effects of multi-tasking

from your MIS and inputting it into your payroll process. When you’ve got more than one system open, you’re multi-tasking – and you’re using up valuable time simply moving between different digital environments. Though each switch could be as miniscule as a few tenths of a second, they can add up to significant amounts when you’re repeatedly moving back and forth between tasks. Reducing the need for your team to multi-task - or togglebetween numerous systems to complete a single task improves the efficiency of the activity, and decreases room for error. In school and MAT central teams, this starts with having as much information as you can relating to one particular activity in a single, central place.

Find

Multi-taskers are often lauded for their seeming ability to undertake numerous activities at a single time, but the truth is that even brief mental blocks created by switching between tasks can cost up to 40% of a person’s ‘productive’ time. That's according to David Meyer, PhD, and it also applies to the time your team spends toggling between different e-systems to complete a single task - for example, extracting employee absence information

One-stop systems to manage activities like HR and compliance mean your team isn’t having to spend time moving from one system to another, or remembering the most effective way to use them! They’re familiar with the appearance, navigation and the way they work, meaning they’re also more likely to feel confident to use their initiative to problemsolve. This leads to greater staff satisfaction, helping to reduce both minor and major frustrations that can build up over time and cause a greater problem down the line. In a busy world where time feels increasingly tight, using it wisely is key - and we’re here to help you unlock the true power of your time!