Beware Of Boredom In The Office

Boredom can strike at any time during the work day, especially for office workers who spend most of their time staring at a computer screen. But frequent bouts of boredom can hinder productivity and that is something employers should be wary of.

Sleeping office woman image from Shutterstock

According to industrial and organisational psychologist, Dr Marla Gottschalk, if employees suffer from frequent boredom they are likely underutilised and disengaged:

” Yes — we could argue, that time for the mind to rest and wander can be positive (shown to augment creativity.) However, there are limits to this dynamic in office environments. We need to be vigilant concerning potential negative outcomes, such as decreased job satisfaction, engagement and intention to turnover.”

Gottschalk recommends opening up honest conversations with employees about boredom. How often do they feel it? When does it usually occur? Offer them a mix of tasks, some of which that are challenging, to boost their work engagement and give them a chance to develop new skills.

Employers should also reflect on their processes and the tasks they assign to workers to assess whether they have become stagnant, which can breed boredom in the office. It could be a good opportunity to reinvent them to make them more interesting for employees.

[Via LinkedIn Pulse]