Summary

The article discusses the myth of multitasking, emphasizing that despite scientific evidence proving its inefficiency, employers continue to expect it, leading to decreased productivity and increased stress.

Abstract

The article "Why Do Employers Still Ask You to Multitask?" by Christina Szeman delves into the persistent expectation of multitasking in the workplace despite its debunked status as a productivity myth. The author shares personal experience of job-hunting difficulties due to an inability to multitask, which led to unemployment during the pandemic. Scientific studies are cited to confirm that multitasking not only reduces productivity but also costs companies millions annually. The article argues that the human brain is incapable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously without making errors, causing stress, and reducing efficiency. It suggests that employers are misguided in believing that multitasking saves time and money, contributing to "The Great Resignation" as employees face overwhelming workloads and stress. The author calls for the removal of multitasking from job descriptions and for employers to focus on single-tasking to create a more productive and less stressful work environment.

Opinions

The author believes that the expectation to multitask is an unrealistic and outdated employer demand that negatively impacts employee well-being and company performance.
Multitasking is seen as a detriment to productivity, with the author citing numerous scientific studies to back this claim.
The article suggests that the continued demand for multitasking abilities in job postings is a sign of employers' ignorance of the actual costs associated with this practice.
There is a call to action for HR professionals and bosses to reevaluate job requirements and workplace practices to eliminate the myth of multitasking.
The author points out that "The Great Resignation" may be partly due to the unrealistic expectations of multitasking, leading to employee burnout and dissatisfaction.
The article implies that specialized roles and delegation of tasks could be more effective than expecting individuals to multitask.
It is suggested that employers should invest in proper training for employees on specific tasks or software rather than expecting them to juggle multiple responsibilities.
The author expresses hope that the article will enlighten employers about the drawbacks of multitasking and encourage them to adopt better practices for the benefit of their companies and employees.

Why Do Employers Still Ask You to Multitask?

When Scientists have proven that it’s a myth.

A week ago, I did submit my resume to a job posting that I wanted. Of course, I read what is required for this position. However, this company wants me to do one word that bugs me.

The reason, well, I was laid off from the last place of employment, not only because of the pandemic, but because I cannot MULTITASK.

When I started that job, I knew that I couldn’t focus on more than one thing at a time. So I thought that I could multitask there as time went on. But, of course, I can’t write a script and answer the phone when it rings simultaneously. That, to me, is distracting; I would rather have a receptionist (Which my last employer did not have) answer the phones while I concentrate on writing the radio commercials. So I was just trained on doing two things, and I am bitter that they didn’t train me on a particular software (Which I wish the Universities that I graduated from had, but they didn’t), which is a requirement for the same position in other companies.

Unfortunately, NO ONE can multitask. It is a myth that one person can handle more than one task at the same time. This has been a proven fact in Science for years!

Yes, there have been many scientific studies which shows that multitasking is a myth. But yet, I still do see employers still requesting people to do that for any position on the job boards. Why is that? Do they still believe that multitasking saves their company time and money?

A lot of studies say that doing more than one task at the same time decreases employee productivity because humans make mistakes while multitasking; plus it cost companies $450 million per year. As for the myth that multitasking saves time, it does the opposite. In addition, it creates lots of stress, and it is not an efficient way to work.

I know what you are thinking. You think that you can text someone on your phone, drink coffee, work on your laptop, at the same time you check your Facebook feed. Well, here are some tests that you can only do once just to see if you can or can’t:

If you didn’t do too well on any of these tests, don’t worry. They are there to make you think twice about multitasking.

As I mentioned, tons of scientific studies prove that multitasking is not suitable for us mentally or physically. It is because our brain cannot switch from one task to the next simultaneously.

So, why aren’t employers getting the message that multitasking will not save your company time, energy, and money? It does the opposite. No wonder there is The Great Resignation going on. People are getting little pay and a lot of stress from this.

If you are a boss, or someone who works in HR, who is looking for people to fill some positions within your company, it is now time to get rid of the word multitasking from the job descriptions on LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job boards. No one can literally do more than one task all at once, even if you think or say they can. And if one of your employees cannot do one of the tasks they are assigned to do, ask or hire someone else to do that.

There was a question in Quora about this. Some people wrote that employers are slow to realize this and still expect people to save them time and money by doing more. What they don’t understand is that multitasking does not do that.

I just hope that a boss reads this article and figures out a better way to save the company time and money without having them and their employees do too much and just focus on one task. That will make it a better place to work.

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References

Bryan College. (n.d.). How Are Multitasking Millennials Impacting Today’s Workplace? Bryan College. http://www.bryan.edu/multitasking-at-work/

BuzzFeedVideo. (2016, August 3). Can You Get Through This Multitasking Test? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txWeSnJBT-M

Cleveland Clinic. (2021, March 10). Why Multitasking Doesn’t Work. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/science-clear-multitasking-doesnt-work/

Crenshaw, D. (2011, January 14). Think you’re good at multitasking? Take this test. (2014 Version — See Description for new video!). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHQv1KdpI-8

Crenshaw, D. (2021, January 19). Try the Myth of Multitasking Exercise! | Updated Version of Multitask Test. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eQyfirx2HA

D’Angelo, M. (2019, February 6). How Does Multitasking Impact Productivity? Business News Daily. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4019-multitasking-not-productive.html

Hamilton, J. (2008, October 2). Think You’re Multitasking? Think Again. NPR. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95256794

Hammond, C. (2017, February 12). Only a small percentage of the population can multi-task well — could that be you? bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170210-a-test-can-identify-supertaskers-but-only-a-few-pass-it

MacKay, J. (2019, January 17). The Myth of Multitasking: The ultimate guide to getting more done by doing less. Rescue Time: blog. https://blog.rescuetime.com/multitasking/#:~:text=The%20problem%20is%2C%20there%27s%20no,t%20actually%20getting%20more%20done.

Malin, J. (2019, June 4). Why Multitasking Is A Myth, Backed By Science. Start it up. https://readmedium.com/heres-why-multitasking-is-a-myth-backed-by-science-7bfc833aaf31

MindfulThinks. (2020, May 6). Can You Pass This Multitasking Test? | Psychology of Attention. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8JdsNWZiM

Napier Ph.D., N. K. (2014, May 12). The Myth of Multitasking. Psychology Today Canada. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-multitasking

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