Multitasking is a “Red Flag” for Business
Why Multitasking is a Business Trap: Personal Experience and Neuroscience Insights
Many job postings state that the position requires stress tolerance and multitasking. For me, these are two red flags when looking for a job, especially the second one. Having many years of experience working in a multitasking mode, I have experienced many negative consequences.
My experience working in the “everything at once” mode
The last two jobs were a madhouse. There were many different tasks, and you had to switch from them immediately. Plus, working in an open space was very distracting: chatter, foreign smells, not always pleasant, and different music from different colleagues at maximum volume in headphones.
In the morning, when I opened Notion, I saw that there were already many tasks for the day, and each manager thought that their task had a priority, and everyone wanted to receive the task yesterday. But there were many managers, and I was the only content manager in the company.
When I started working, someone would distract me: a message from my boss or a colleague whose task was even more urgent, or I had to go to a meeting, or it was someone’s birthday, or one of my colleagues would come up with their task. I had to interrupt the task I was working on, find the task I needed to switch to, read its description, delve into it, and start doing it. Or I could put off the new urgent task and return to the task I was already doing.
My head was spinning. Even taking a bunch of notes, with such multitasking, mistakes occurred. It was impossible to switch from one task to another instantly. The brain needed time to think. Tasks could change every 15–20 minutes. Rarely were there tasks that would take more than an hour. In addition, I couldn’t take a 10–15 minute break like other colleagues; I didn’t have time for it.
As a result, after some time, the volume of work grew, and concentration decreased. Tasks had to be redone, and I was told that I was inattentive.
I thought that something was wrong with me. But it was wrong with the boss.
I developed insomnia and anxiety, and I was blamed for everything.
Once I went to an interview at another company, where the owner said that he doesn’t have multitasking among employees; each person has their own task. If the business wants to grow and develop, there is no place for multitasking. And I think this is true.
Neuroscience and Psychology on Multitasking
Scientists also confirm the negative consequences of multitasking:
- Decreased concentration and increased number of errors. Frequent task switching can take up to 40% of productive time. Research shows that switching at least once every 23 minutes makes it impossible to complete a task 100% correctly. This interferes with analyzing information.
- Research from Stanford University has shown that multitasking impairs cognitive abilities and lowers IQ.
- Deterioration of brain structure: An MRI study from the University of Sussex found that multitasking was associated with a reduction in gray matter density in areas of the brain involved in cognitive and emotional control.
- Due to the constant cognitive strain and stress associated with constantly switching between tasks, multitasking increases the risk of emotional and physical burnout.
- According to a survey by the American Psychological Association: 60% of respondents noted an increase in stress levels; 55% of respondents believe that multitasking reduces cognitive abilities and worsens memory.
Why Multitasking Is Bad for Business
The mistakes an employee makes while working at such a pace and the decrease in productivity ultimately cost the business more than hiring several specialists.
An employee focused on one task will complete it well the first time. But an employee working in multitasking mode faces stress and haste, will make mistakes, and spend time correcting them.
As a result, more time is spent on redoing, which leads to financial losses for the business. Efficiency falls, and no one wins.
Multitasking is not a superpower
I have personally experienced what multitasking is. It’s not a superpower, but a factor that reduces efficiency, worsens mental health, and leads to rapid burnout. It’s not at all beneficial to business, since tasks have to be redone and, as a result, much more time is wasted.
Multitasking is a sign of a company’s inefficiency, not the quality of an employee.
If I see this point in the job description, it means this company is not for me; it has a small budget, it wants one person to do the work of several specialists, so it’s not suitable for me.
To recover from the effects of multitasking, I decided to do something I love. Maybe you’ll find something useful, beautiful, or necessary here or here 🦝?
Have you encountered multitasking at work? Share your experience in the comments.
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