Working or Wasting Time? Korn Ferry Survey Shows Too Many Meetings & Calls are Preventing Professionals from Getting the Job ...
November 13 2019 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Editor’s Note: Survey Results at Bottom of Release
Meetings and calls. They are daily rituals at most workplaces,
but according to a new Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY) survey of
professionals, the quality and quantity of those gatherings may be
putting a damper on productivity.
More than two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents say that
spending too much time in meetings and on calls distracts them from
making an impact at work.
More than a third (34 percent) say they waste between 2-5 hours
per week on calls or meetings that don’t accomplish anything.
Thirty-five percent say that they’d go to a meeting even if they
knew it wasn’t going to be productive, instead of declining the
meeting.
“Too often, the answer to any work issue is ‘let’s meet.’ While
collaboration is absolutely what drives innovation and success in
today’s global marketplace, it’s time to get creative with how we
use our time together,” said Korn Ferry Senior Client Partner Cathi
Rittelmann. “Meetings aren’t necessarily bad, but the way we prep
and lead them can sometimes derail productivity. The bottom line is
this: clear objectives, an agenda and identified roles never go out
of style.”
When asked what scenario leads to the greatest impact at work,
the majority of respondents (64 percent) said 1:1 conversations
with a colleague. Only 16 percent say meetings and calls had the
greatest impact.
For more than half (54 percent) of respondents, less than 70
percent of their workday is spent accomplishing productive work
tasks.
And while approximately half (49 percent) say they feel judged
professionally by the number of hours they spend on the job, they
say all work and no play isn’t effective. Eighty-seven percent say
that taking periodic breaks throughout the day makes them more
productive, even if they are spending less time on actual work.
About the survey The Korn Ferry survey of 1,945
professionals took place in October and November 2019.
Survey Results
If you were invited to a meeting or
call and believed it would not be a productive use of your time
would you:
Decline the invitation
65 percent
Attend the meeting or call anyway
35 percent
Does spending too much time in meetings
and on calls distract you from making an impact at work?
Yes to a great extent
16 percent
Yes to some extent
51 perent
No to some extent
25 percent
No to a great extent
7 percent
What scenario leads to the greatest
impact at work?
Meetings and calls
16 percent
1:1 conversations with a colleague
64 percent
Working independently
20 percent
How many hours per week do you spend
attending unproductive meetings and calls?
None: All my meetings/calls are
productive
11 percent
1-2
34 percent
2-5
34 percent
5-10
15 percent
More than 10
6 percent
How much of your day is spent on
productive work tasks?
All of it
8 percent
About 90 percent
38 percent
About 70 percent
31 percent
About half
20 percent
Less than half
3 percent
Do you feel you are judged
professionally by the number of hours you work?
Yes
49 percent
No
51 percent
Do you think taking breaks from work
tasks during the day makes you more productive, even if you are
spending less time doing the actual work?
Yes
87 percent
No
13 percent
About Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We work
with clients to design their organizational structures, roles and
responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise
them on how to reward, develop and motivate their workforce. And,
we help professionals navigate and advance their careers.
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Tracy Kurschner 612.309.3957 Tracy.Kurschner@Kornferry.com
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