Information Overload, is the inevitable result of the always-on, more-is-better approach to communication in modern organizations. Unfortunately, it’s also a cause of less employee engagement and poor decision-making. We look at how this is the case in this article
Content of this article:
Information overload; too much information
Despite companies’ efforts to modernize their communications with new platforms, most employees feel they receive “too much” communication in their organizations. 1 : 4 of employees feel overloaded by all the information. This means that employees report that they are overwhelmed by the number of information sources available within the organization, feel there is no point in keeping up with the information they receive, and spend their day in so many meetings that they have no energy left for their actual work
Quality costs quality
According to various studies and surveys, many knowledge workers receive anywhere from 50 to 100 emails a day. Some people, especially those in management or highly communicative positions, may receive even more emails, possibly up to several hundred per day. It is important to note that the issue is not just the quantity, but also the quality of the emails. Managing email communications and ensuring that important messages are not lost in a sea of emails can be challenging. This is one reason why information overload and email stress have become common problems in modern work environments
Information overload through the knowledge economy
It may be tempting to think of this simply as the cost of doing business in a knowledge economy, but feelings of overload carry real productivity costs. For example, the number of employees who understand and align with business strategy drops by more than half when they feel information overload. Moreover, only 6% of those who feel information overload report that they are very likely to stay with their current company. It is easy to imagine that a decrease in energy due to overload will only exacerbate employee engagement problems such as burnout, fatigue and distrust in leadership
All that information
Think of a typical day for the average employee. They start with an inbox already brimming with email conversations with co-workers, internal news items, meeting invitations of all kinds, requests from outside vendors, phishing attempts from malicious actors and a few messages from their personal lives – and then it only goes downhill
Periods of concentration and productivity are disrupted by interruptions and time is wasted searching for crucial information on the various platforms
Information volume appears to be only a partial cause of information overload. The real problem is the information itself – and specifically the degree to which obtaining and interpreting the information imposes additional “work” on the recipient. This is what we call information overload
From information overload to information-tax
Information overload is defined as a set of information that:
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- Duplicative: 57% of employees and managers say they often receive multiple communications on the same or similar topics at the same time.
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- Not relevant: 47% say the corporate communications they receive are not related to their daily responsibilities.
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- Effort required: 38% say they have to do extra work to keep up with the amount of information they receive in their organization.
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- One thing is wrong: 33% say the corporate communications they receive are often contradictory or internally conflicting.
Conservatively estimated, an employee wastes 3 hours and 27 minutes per week dealing with information load
Information overload during onboarding
Information overload is also a major challenge during the onboarding process for new employees. During this period, new employees are often presented with a plethora of information, ranging from company policies and procedures to getting to know colleagues and systems. This can lead to new employees feeling overwhelmed and stressed, making it more difficult for them to integrate effectively into the company
To reduce the impact of information overload during onboarding, organizations can consider some strategies, such as:
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- step-by-step orientation: Rather than offering all information at once, organizations can offer a step-by-step orientation, with new employees gradually accessing relevant information as they become more comfortable.
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- Adaptation to individual needs: It is important to consider the individual needs and learning styles of new employees. Some people learn better by reading, while others prefer hands-on training or interaction with colleagues.
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- Clear communication:Provide clear communication about what is expected of new employees during onboarding. This can help reduce confusion and focus on essential information.
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- Support and guidance:Provide new employees with opportunities to ask questions and offer support and guidance to help them understand and process the information they receive.
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- Let them investigate themselves: The best way to unkeep information is to work with it. Appeal to their resolution skills and let them investigate on their own.
Reducing information overload during onboarding can help new employees integrate more smoothly and effectively into the organization. It allows them to better focus on what is truly important to their new role and reduces the stress associated with processing too much information in a short period of time. And perhaps if you, as an organization, ensure a better way of transferring information during onboarding, you are laying the groundwork for good information delivery in the future
This is exactly why ENBOQ has embraced the Cone of Experience as the foundation for effective information transfer
