Millennials get a pretty bad rap. The stereotype is that they are lazy when it comes to work and are addicted to technology, without being able to make it a few hours without checking their smartphones.
No matter how untrue (or spot-on) this may be when it comes to some young folks, a new survey found that hiring millennials could cost companies some serious cash.
According to research from the recruitment specialist Ajilon, U.S. employees ages 18 to 34 waste a lot of working hours by being on social media for their own personal use and playing Pokémon GO.
Ajilon surveyed 2,000 office workers throughout the U.S., asking about their online habits while they are on the clock.
While it's expected that employees of all ages take a mini break to check their Facebook for a quick second during the work day, the survey found that 11 percent of people spent over an hour on social media while at work each day — and this is not talking about during their lunch break.
It was employees ages 18 to 34 who were mostly guilty for spending so much time on social media. Seventy-five percent of millennials reported that they check their social media while working. The research found that they spent 33 minutes on their social media each day on average, with 13 percent being guilty of spending more than hour on their accounts during work.
Twenty-one percent of participants admitted to using Snapchat and 21 percent Twitter, but Facebook was the most popular social media platform, with 88 percent of workers checking their News Feeds at work.
The survey also found that when millennials aren't busy at work by being on Facebook, they are distracted from being productive by playing Pokémon GO. A total of 27 percent of the survey's participants reported that they did play the popular augmented reality mobile game at work.
So, when employers take into account that the average hourly rate in the U.S. is $25.69, millennials' behavior could be costing them up to $3,596 per employee per year.
"When evaluating social media usage at work, the financial impact is astonishing," Tisha Danehl, vice president at Ajilon, said in a press release. "Social media is here to stay and mobile platforms are only getting smarter, so employers must establish clear policies in order to keep employees productive and engaged at the office."
The best way to keep employees focused on their work tasks and to keep them productive when on the clock is to make sure employers have a social media policy in place.
Photo: Sean Hagen | Flickr
