There are lot of factors that can seriously affect employees' productivity like disturbing noise, unscheduled meetings and frequent phone calls. But to understand more about productivity killer, Ask.com conducted a survey to find out what are the possible things that mostly distracts employees in the office.
Noisy co-workers
The survey found out that 61% of U.S employees who were questioned agreed that the biggest office distraction is loud colleagues. Office workers mostly prefers to work in a quiet environment.
Working From Home
Surprising as it may seem, but 63% of the respondents said they can fully focus on their personal workspace rather working from home. The survey found out that employees prefer to work in the office as they believed that working from home only presents numerous distractions.
Working With A Group
The survey discovered that 86% of them prefer to work alone. They believed that working solely can allow them to hit maximum productivity. Ask.com suggested that "while group-oriented workplace perks like foosball and bean bag lounges have become popular tools for unlocking creativity and boosting morale, they don't always drive efficiency." It turn out that working alone can maximize output compared to group effort.
Impromptu Meetings
Forty percent of the respondents said that unscheduled meetings is one of the major distraction. The study showed that employees are often distracted by co-workers who suddenly stopped on their workspace to discuss some matter. Half of the respondents also said that they primarily communicate with their colleagues through email to avoid any further distractions.
Working Within Cubicles
Twenty seven percent of the respondents also said that they are more productive if they work outside their cubicles, suggesting that they can maximize their output if they work in an open room. Lisa Ross, vice president of human resources at Ask.com said that cubes are best for office space but it doesn't provide exciting or inspiring atmosphere to workers.
Working Beside Their Boss
The study revealed that 38% of the respondents would rather work with co-workers who practice unpleasant habits like someone who eats loudly, than work next to their boss.
