Poor Time Management Affecting UK Businesses
Recent survey reveals that UK businesses are losing thousands of pounds each month due to a lack of time management skills amongst employees, and the situation is predicted to worsen.
Time management is an essential part of productivity and efficiency in the workplace. However, a recent survey conducted by STL Training has revealed that poor time management is having a significant impact on UK businesses. The survey polled 1,000 UK adults between the ages of 18 to 65 in full-time employment, and the results were startling. Despite 65% of employees describing their time management abilities as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’, the survey found that 71% of employees have completed work-related activities outside of work hours in order to manage their workload, and 68% of employees do not use any kind of time management system on a regular basis. These findings suggest that employees may be struggling to manage their workload effectively, overestimating their time management ability and that businesses may need to take action to address this issue.
According the survey, 61% of employees feel on top of their schedule four out of five days per week. 43% of respondents only feel on top of the workload three days per week, and 10% of employees don’t feel that they have their workload under control at all.
These figures may come down to the lack of time management abilities amongst staff, with almost 60% using to-do lists to manage their time and over half of respondents (51%) relying on their email inbox. Incredibly, almost a quarter of employees (24%) just do whatever feels more important in the moment, which could be contributing to an overwhelming workload and leading to missed deadlines and important tasks.
The survey also found that employees are frequently distracted at work, with social media being the biggest distraction (43%), followed by emails (35%), talking to co-workers (32%), pointless meetings (29%), and noise in the office or from outside (20%).
Moreover, 72% of employees said they spend more than an hour every day on low or zero value tasks, 49% use social media unproductively at work, and 30% spend more than an hour in pointless meetings every day.
“Time management is a crucial aspect of work-life balance, and our survey results clearly show that employees need better training in this area,” said a spokesperson from STL Training Providers. “The distractions at work, coupled with poor time management skills, are costing businesses valuable time and money. Investing in time management training can help employees prioritise their tasks, manage their workload effectively, and ultimately improve their productivity and performance.”
The company emphasised the importance of employers investing in time management training for their employees, and for employees to take ownership of their time management skills. “Our proven learning and development solutions can help employees improve their time management skills, reduce stress, and increase confidence,” she said. “We encourage businesses to take action and invest in their employees’ development, as this will not only benefit their employees but also the business as a whole.”