In today’s fast-paced workplace, multitasking is a crucial skill for success. Employees are constantly navigating a stream of instant messages, customer demands, tight deadlines, and competing sources of information – each seeming to require immediate action.
While we all appreciate the importance of multitasking, we may not know exactly what multitasking is or how it impacts productivity and business outcomes.
Here are four evidence-based strategies to better understand multitasking and improve team performance, satisfaction, and success.
1. Understand what multitasking is . . . and isn’t
We typically think of multitasking as performing two or more tasks at the same time. But science shows that the human brain cannot focus on multiple complex tasks simultaneously. Instead, we engage in task switching, rapidly alternating attention from one task to another.
As Dr. David Meyer, a cognitive scientist and leading expert on multitasking, explains, “If you have a complicated task, it requires all your attention, and if you’re trying to spread your attention over multiple tasks, it’s not going to work.”
True multitasking, then, is less about doing everything at once and more about prioritizing and sequencing tasks effectively. Yet juggling these demands can be challenging for even top multitaskers, leading to job stress, cognitive overload, and burnout – issues increasingly documented in today’s workplaces.
2. Reduce distractions to combat stress and increase productivity
Multitasking forces us to constantly switch between tasks. Much like texting while driving, trying to do two things at once divides our attention, slows our response times, and increases the likelihood of errors. This mental juggling doesn’t just reduce efficiency, it also drains energy and heightens stress levels.
Constant interruptions are the enemies of effective multitasking. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports that multitasking can lead to a 40% decrease in productivity. Not surprisingly, it also increases the incidents of mistakes. By limiting interruptions and creating distraction-free work environments, we can boost productivity, reduce errors, and lower stress for employees.
3. Realize the impact of multitasking on key success factors
While it’s true that multitasking is challenging, our research shows that some people are better at switching between tasks than others. We recently conducted a study in which we focused exclusively on multitasking ability for individuals working in a contact center environment (including such factors as speed and accuracy, comprehension, and navigation effectiveness). Based on this research, we found a wide variance in multitasking ability among participants. We also saw a significant relationship between multitasking ability and other success factors such as sales effectiveness.
It certainly makes sense that employees who are better able to focus on customer cues and quickly navigate answers are more likely to instill customer confidence and better meet customer needs. Identifying employees who can rapidly shift attention while maintaining high performance is essential in fast-paced environments.
4. Pinpoint top multitaskers
So, how do you accurately predict multitasking ability before you hire? Obviously, it’s not enough to simply ask candidates to rate their own multitasking ability. You need a realistic and objective measure of actual performance. That’s why a work sample or simulation is the best option. These have higher fidelity than other screening methods and are proven to deliver higher accuracy in predicting job success. By immersing candidates in the same type of fast-paced environment they will experience on the job, you will see which candidates can effectively switch between tasks – and which cannot.
Multitasking is a complex skill that goes beyond juggling tasks; it requires prioritization, focus, and agility. By embracing the science of multitasking and investing in tools to assess it accurately, you can achieve higher employee performance, reduce stress, and drive long-term satisfaction and retention across the organization.
Ready to Identify Top Multitaskers and Retain the Best Talent?