Why Surfing The Net Makes You A Better Employee
Thursday April 2, 2009
CityNews.ca Staff
Employers, take note. Instead of banning Facebook and YouTube at the office, you should be encouraging their use in small doses.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne found people who use the internet at work for personal reasons are about nine per cent more productive than those who don't. In fact, so-called "workplace internet leisure browsing" helped to sharpen concentration.
"People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration," noted study author Brent Coker. "Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days' work, and as a result, increased productivity."
Most popular among workers: searching for information about products, reading online news sites, playing online games and watching videos on YouTube.
"Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online under the pretence that it costs millions in lost productivity," observed Coker. "That's not always the case."
Coker's team surveyed 300 workers who browsed for less than 20 per cent of their workday. People who surf excessively, he pointed out, will be less productive.
