Workers who interact over e-mail less productive, researchers say
June 1, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Communication, Employee computer use, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Think e-mail and other communication technologies make employees more productive? Think again.
Employees who frequently talk face-to-face are more productive than those who rely on e-mail, phone calls, Facebook and other electronic means, according to a recent report by researchers at MIT and New York University.
Participants in the study were equipped with devices called “sociometers,” small badges that track wearers’ movements, record their voices and detect when they’re standing near someone else wearing the device. In other words, they measured how often the employees interacted with each other in person.
The result: Employees who had face-to-face conversations throughout the day were more productive.
A similar study by the same research team was released in December, with the same results: Employees at an IT company who had regular in-person meetings were 30% more productive than those who didn’t.
The reasons are two-fold, researchers say. First, talking face-to-face helps groups solve problems faster than when they try to brainstorm other ways.
Second, face-to-face support networks increase general morale and job satisfaction, which are key to maintaining productivity.
The lesson for managers: Though technology has made it possible for employees to work together without ever seeing each other, it’s good to encourage in-person collaboration.
View all the Latest StoriesTags: e-mail, Facebook, productivity, study
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Wow – who wrote this story? When you’re in HR and dealing with many managers at one time, email is the safest way to communicate especially when you need proof of a conversation – just file your emails according to manager or topic and in six months when you’re told “I didn’t say that”, you simply forward your saved email and “Poof”, you’re out of trouble.
Email is the preferred way I communicate. Don’t bother calling, just email me. As for one-on-one conversations. Meetings are a great way to brain-storm or gather everyone together for a one-a -week meeting, but otherwise – email me !!
June 9th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
I have a “rule” that I try to use with my interactions: If it takes more than two emails (each direction) in a “conversation” to troubleshoot a problem or communicate something, I’ll stop and pick up the phone to get the problem solved. True, email is a great CYA tool, and a good tool to get written communication pieces “out there” quickly, but it’s grossly overused for problem solving and very ineffective as a substitute for FTF dialog. In addition to being slower than verbal communications, email requires more time to communicate complex discussions, because you cannot monitor “understanding” via facial responses.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I agree with HR GAL as far as documenting a meeting. I also know that most people “skim” emails and often times misunderstand or misread them. I find that meeting face to face is the best approach and after a meeting I will fire off an email summarizing what was discussed and agreed upon. The article is correct about the more interaction, the better morale and the more heads you have working on a problem.