Talkative colleagues are the most common distraction for office workers and New Zealanders are particularly susceptible to office gossip, according to a new survey.Recruitment company Robert Walters conducted a global poll asking office staff about their
Talkative colleagues are the most common distraction for office workers and New Zealanders are particularly susceptible to office gossip, according to a new survey.
Recruitment company Robert Walters conducted a global poll asking office staff about their most time consuming distraction at work.
Overall nearly half (48%) said ‘talkative colleagues’, 34% said personal email and internet browsing, 8% said social networking sites, 6% smoking breaks and 5% personal calls and/or text messages.
But the trend was particularly marked in New Zealand, where a whopping 70% of office workers said talkative colleagues were the most time-consuming distraction at work.
Robert Walters New Zealand managing director Richard Manthel said personal use of email and internet is widely perceived as the most common time-waster at work but the survey shows this isn’t the case.
Informal conversations can fuel productivity but a lot of the time office workers engage in conversations “out of politeness,” he said.
“With most offices now being open plan, other people’s conversations can be hard to avoid.
“Of course, the odd chat during the day can provide a welcome break and can spark new ideas but there is a balance that needs to be struck.”
What’s your biggest office time-waster? NBR welcomes your comments.
