In today’s workforce, the tech platforms we use allow us to do so much, that would otherwise be impossible. However, one of the main challenges I see with a lot of these tools is the inevitable distractions that affect productivity and interrupt our ‘flow’. Look around the office and it’ll be easy to spot people who are in the zone, only to suddenly be distracted by social media or other interruptions.

These people are moving from being in ‘flow’, where they are working productively and efficiently to ‘grind’ which generally comes about when a person is faced with specific hurdles or feels unenergetic/unenthused about tasks but also when they are simply distracted by the environment.

Online Distractions

Whether it’s for candidate/client leads, understanding candidate movements or engaging with audiences in newsfeeds, social media has become an integral part of a recruiter’s toolbox over the last decade. But despite the obvious benefits, it’s also become a key barrier to staying in ‘flow’ in the recruitment world. Take LinkedIn, for example. A recruiter may log in with the intention of searching for certain candidates, but in reality, due to the very structure of the platform, the influx of notifications, messages and connection requests can quickly make the user lose focus.

Following these cyber trails is only natural – after all, social media platforms like LinkedIn are built for engagement and designed to keep users there for long periods as they navigate the site.

Social media is one obvious ‘flow’ interrupter, but it could also be the result of the pop-up alerts received for new emails or messages, or offline distractions like questions/interruptions from others. Whether it requires an action or not, it’s still an interruption. It’s no secret that it takes people large chunks of time to regain focus (10-12 minutes on average), so with all these distractions, how do we maintain ‘flow’?

Increasing Your Focus

My advice comes down to education and promoting better practices around social media and communication in the workplace. For me, there are three main behaviours to help increase your focus in the workplace:

• Turn off alerts and notifications on both your phone and your inbox – Instead of having a constant stream of interruptions, force yourself to have set times to check messages.
• Prioritise and recognise what is important or urgent – Is the task something that can wait? This comes down to good self-management.
• Ensure that you are in control of the tech that you use, not the other way around – with much of your day being connected to social media platforms, it presents its own unique challenges but being aware of what those distractions are will help you to keep control.

Closing Thoughts

Although social media and other tech platforms enable us to do an enormous amount of things we couldn’t otherwise do, they come with pitfalls that need to be managed. Have you experienced something similar in your workplace? What did you do? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As usual, if you’re looking for your next great built environment career move or the best talent to join your team, get in touch now!