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Essentially, Zoomers
It may sound ridiculous, but tips include walking quickly around the office with a laptop under your arm or typing loudly on the keyboard. At the same time, taskmasking is not just another TikTok trend, but a real problem, as managers interviewed by Fortune magazine say.
The spread of taskmasking is growing in line with the increase in time spent in the office — and has gained popularity right now, given return to work policyimplemented by many companies.
«Companies that require their employees to return to the office are sending the message that presence equals productivity», says Amanda Augustine, career.io resident. «This trend reflects the belief among young professionals that face time spent at work is not equivalent to their performance and effectiveness».
In fact, the main message of today’s taskmasking is an attempt to prove that «looking busy» does not mean being more productive.
Managers say they have seen a dramatic increase in the number of employees making unnecessary appointments or spreading simple tasks across the entire workday to create the appearance of work. However, some believe that this is the fault of the managers themselves.
«If employees feel the need for taskmasking, the question is not why they are not working harder, but rather — why do they not feel that their real work is valuable? When people are putting more effort into appearing productive than being productive, it’s probably a trust or engagement issue»,” says Victoria McLean, CEO and founder of career consulting firm City CV.
Last year’s Workhuman study showed that 36% of employees imitated productivity at workThe main goal was to achieve a work-life balance. At the same time 70% reported that it had no impact on their actual productivityand almost half say that they have remained above average employees.
«This indicates that the main reasons for taskmasking may not be related to a refusal to do work, but rather to feelings of exhaustion from being in the office or not doing enough work to fill their hours in the office», — Augustine adds.
Source: Fortune