Ok – let’s get real – no one really “works” all day when they’re at the office. Maybe it’s because of personal obligations, that annoying co-worker, or maybe it’s because they hate their job – there are a ton of distractions keeping employees from being productive.

So what are they doing when distracted? We’re going to tell you in MEMEs.

Applying to jobs

What better time to apply to jobs than while on the clock of your current job – which you probably hate or you wouldn’t even be applying to other jobs, right? Plus those job applications are usually long and mundane. No sense using personal time to devote to such tasks.

Texting their friends

Phone at the finger tips? They’re likely bitching about how much they hate their jobs to their friends. Or how their boss (that might be you!) is a horrible manager. Oh, and bonus – unlike with blocking distracting websites IT can’t really block employee mobile phone use.

Scrolling through social media

Ok, who doesn’t scroll through social media at least once every day? Ok – maybe if you’re super busy you only do so in the bathroom. But most of us check out Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat at least a few times a day…and comment, like, and share (if you’re good to employees they may even share good things about you).

Making plans

Well – happy hour isn’t going to plan itself, now is it? Those “team building” events are needed after all. And those concert tickets won’t buy themselves, will they? It’s normal to make plans while at work; I mean…if you expect your employees to respond to emails after hours or on weekends then they expect a little leeway as well.

Reading Elite Daily or BuzzFeed

Where else can you find the latest on the big stories, celebrity buzz, and the proof of why cats belong in our lives? They not only need to know what’s going on in the world – but they need to post about it, too, real-time. Ya, I’m talking to you imparticular Millennials. Oh, and don’t block employees from watching cat videos. Laughter is in the best interest of productivity.

Moral of the story is this – you won’t retain their full, 100% attention all day at work. An entire day of work devoted productivity is unrealistic. Today’s workforce expects to remain digitally connected, even at work. So embrace it. If it truly hinders performance then take steps to deal with employee or policy concerns. If they can manage their need for distractions throughout the day – you might be surprised how much more engaged and productive they really are.

About Scott Span, MSOD: is CEO & Lead Consultant of Tolero Solutions – an Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients in achieving success through people, creating organizations that are more responsive, productive and profitable. Organizations where people enjoy working and customers enjoy doing business.

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5 Things Employees Really Do At Work (Told in MEMEs)

Applying to jobs

Texting their friends

Scrolling through social media

Making plans

Reading Elite Daily or BuzzFeed