Magazine menu Close Magazine menu

Author

Kritika Narula

Kritika is a freelance journalist and content consultant who writes about the future of work, health and culture.

Get in touch with Kritika

Latest stories by Kritika

digital presenteism

Presenteeism threatens flexible work gains. Here’s how to beat it.

  • Digital transformation
  • min read
    • The pandemic forced many businesses to make a swift move to enable      remote work. But it's not just the threat of infection that recommends this shift – remote work can often mean reduced costs and improved productivity. Flexible hours have significant benefits too, like improved talent-attraction and employee health. Despite the promised benefits, businesses offering remote work and flexible hours may still see 'presenteeism' – a greater emphasis on being 'at work' than being effective. Qatalog and Gitlab's Killing Time At Work report found workers spend an extra 67 minutes online every day just to show their colleagues and managers they're 'working'. Why does presenteeism happen? Tony Jamous, founder and chief executive officer of Oyster HR, says, "For many years, [we sat] at a screen for eight hours a day with few breaks. Now, because of increased remote work flexibility, employees are adopting 'non-linear' workdays. These empower employees to do the school run, take a gym break or adjust their schedules to find their optimal focus time." Back when manufacturing drove many economies, workers had to be on site to create output. As office-based work grew, output was less tangible, so we started to equate longer hours with productivity. What makes us productive and effective at work? Tariq Rauf, founder and chief executive officer of Qatalog says, "Someone could be visible and present online for 60 hours a week and achieve little. Whereas, the next person might work for half that time, at different times of the day, and be phenomenally productive." Contrary to popular belief, people who work most effectively are not necessarily those most disciplined, but those who speak to themselves with kindness and self-compassion. Georgetown University professor Cal Newport links peak productivity with deep work, meaning "working for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction." When it comes to distraction, constant app notifications are a big culprit – knowledge workers receive notifications from an average of 6.2 different apps or tools. Productivity's enemies include stress, anxiety and mental and physical fatigue. Psychotherapist Roxy Rhodes told me, "Mental and physical tiredness compound mistakes, which could negatively impact your career progression. Working through illness also means you may need longer to recover, increasing burnout risk." Dr. Wladislaw Rivkin, associate professor in organizational behavior at Trinity College Dublin agrees that working through illness – even digitally – is a bad idea. H     is research found working when unwell "has a knock-on effect for remote workers' performance on the next day as [it] drains employees' psychological energy, which cannot be fully recovered after work." Business impact of presenteeism Presenteeism can be more detrimental than absenteeism. An "always-on" communication expectation can hamper productivity and cause anxiety. Remote work was meant to level the playing field for employees with disabilities, but if workers feel forced to show up for the sake of it, that benefit is lost. Employee digital surveillance further corrodes trust, and brings challenges of its own making by reducing contextual performance and morale and increasing stress. Workers feel drained, fear their employer is 'out to get them' or retaliate using the likes of mouse jigglers – software or devices that simulate      mouse movements to prevent computer sleep mode from activating, giving the impression the employee is working. "Having to prove you're working by using mouse jigglers or clicking the screen every few minutes indicates a toxic culture. When we hire people, we look for candidates who will take ownership of their work. How long it takes them to accomplish a project is up to them, as long as the output is delivered. We don't need employee tracking software to see output," says Bhavya Arora, talent management and culture partner for sales engagement platform Outplay. Young workers and juniors in a team are more susceptible to practicing presenteeism. Some organizations position choosing your own working hours as a privilege earned by those higher up the career ladder, and junior workers worry their work ethic may be seen as lacking even if they're absent even for a few minutes. How to switch off "always on" culture 1.    Measure performance by output not hours "We don't believe someone's commitment to work or their performance should be measured by how many hours they've worked," says Outplay's Arora. Qatalog founder Rauf agrees, "Organizations should implement an output-driven culture that focuses on the work people do, rather than worrying about when they do it and how long they're at their desk." 2.    Use tools that suit asynchronous work Communication tools that send notifications can reinforce an "always on" culture and mean workers find it hard to switch off. Encouraging 'asynchronous' instead means finding ways for colleagues to work together even when not logged in at the same time. Tariq Rauf, founder and chief executive officer of Qatalog says, "Asynchronous work lets people with caregiving responsibilities fit work around their life." Qatalog tries to enable asynchronous working with their platform, which centralizes knowledge, processes and resources in their platform. Asynchronous communication tools, like Loom for video messaging, CloudApp for screen recording, Yac, which claims voice messaging can eliminate meetings, and Hypercontext for meeting management, aim to provide for effective, high-fidelity communication      for asynchronous work. "With the right technology, you can break down silos and provide visibility across an entire organization," says Rauf. "Once you can see what everyone is working on, with decisions made transparently, trust is much easier to build. It's not a silver bullet, but it's a strong foundation." 3.    Build trust and lead by example Asynchronous communication tools must feed into a culture of trust and empathy. Leaders should hire employees they trust to get the work done, so there's no need to be logged in at the same time. Psychotherapist Rhodes says, "You're setting a precedent for what's expected of your employees – if a staff member sees their boss showing up to work sick, they'll likely feel pressure to do the same." Small but thoughtful changes in how you communicate can also build trust: Don't send employees texts or emails outside work hours. Let team members control their availability, honoring 'do not disturb' statuses. Segment communication channels, for example, using Slack for regular communication but mobile messaging apps only for emergencies. Rhodes also recommends, "Having a non-contact way for employees to announce sickness is effective in some companies. Staff feel anxious about "phoning in sick" and having to have a conversation where they feel they have to justify how ill they are." Management consultancy McKinsey's 2022 report found 40 percent of workers value flexibility so much, it drives their decision to stay in a job or look for a new one. If workers can't do their best work, employers will lose them. Productivity is in work delivered, not hours worked or how fast employees respond to messages. No workplace benefits from performed productivity, and presenteeism can strip remote work of its benefits. Businesses must make sure they give employees the tools and freedom to work in the way that best suits them.

Why recruiting more neurodiverse talent could benefit your business

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • The candidate's application was impeccable. They had great academic scores and a flawless practical test. But in their interview and presentation, they avoid eye contact and can't give a succinct answer. How would you assess them? Many hiring managers would dismiss this candidate without a second thought, labelling them "not a good fit" or "fails to perform under pressure." But evidence suggests they may be throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Untapped potential in neurodiverse workforce Neurodiversity refers to variations in how people think and experience the world. Neurodivergent people might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD,) autism, dyslexia and more. Increasingly, these conditions are seen as natural and valuable variation between people rather than disorders. Meg O'Connell, CEO and Founder of Global Disability Inclusion, says, "Companies often overlook people with disabilities, and this includes people who are neurodivergent. Recruiters and hiring managers are not equipped to effectively interview and assess people who are neurodiverse." O'Connell says not being able to fairly assess a neurodivergent person's abilities deprives companies of talent at a time of higher than average numbers of people resigning. Organizations need a strategy to include neurodiverse candidates. For tech companies, neurodiverse talent can mean especially useful strengths, like hyperfocus, pattern recognition and attention to detail. Cybersecurity and content marketing consultant Lisa Ventura, who is autistic herself, points to what neurodiversity can offer in cybersecurity. "[Some] neurodiverse people are good at finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, the small red flags and minute details critical for hunting down and analyzing potential threats. Other strengths include pattern recognition, thinking outside the box and methodical thinking." Differences are strengths "Instead of focusing only on what makes a neurodivergent person different, we should embrace the benefits different viewpoints and minds bring to the table," says Ventura. This untapped potential comes in many forms. People on the autism spectrum have faster pattern recognition, attention to detail and a stronger memory. In the workplace, employers report a range of good qualities including honesty, precision and consistency. People with dyslexia have sharper peripheral vision and notice more visual anomalies. Thom Hartmann, the founder of the Hunter School, describes people with ADHD as "hunters in a farmer's world." Kimi Wright, Operations Executive at UK digital and tech recruiters Adam, says the condition means she can multitask efficiently. "I find it easy to juggle many pieces of work. I have been often told my hyperfocus is beneficial, especially when I am doing project work or large copywriting tasks. I research new projects passionately and retain a lot of information. When I see a problem, I jump right into it and work my way out. It's meant new processes and smoother ways of working within our team." Human brains exist on a continuum In his book The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of your Differently Wired Brain, Thomas Armstrong, Executive Director of American Institute for Learning and Human Development says human brains exist along continuums. People process information, present and communicate differently. Armstrong explains the 'spectrum' of autism using sociability: Some people with autism are very sociable, some are introverted but relate well to others and some prefer to be alone. Uptimize is a training platform that helps organizations engage with talent that thinks differently. It uses universal design principles to find out what colleagues, managers and HR can do that will likely benefit everybody. Ed Thompson, CEO and founder, says management should ask employees their working style preferences and find ways to accommodate. For example taking sensory sensitivities like noise or bright light into account when designing office layout, recreational spaces or company retreats. When it comes to the remote, hybrid or back-to-office debate, Thompson says there's no 'one size fits all.' "Some enjoy the control of their own environment. Others miss the stimulation of the office. The key is to be sensitive to each employee's needs and preferences, without making assumptions." Ventura agrees. "Giving those who are neurodivergent the choice over where and how they work is key. I started to work solely from home in 2015 because I got to the point where I could no longer cope with working in an office. I couldn't stand the noise, interruption and chatter. But I was brought up to ignore all that and go out to work because it's what we must do, and I masked how I really felt." Tailored to the individual To level the playing field for neurodiverse people, we must revamp job designs and hiring practices. David Emm, Principal Security Research at Kaspersky, recommends, "thinking outside the box and re-defining the methods we use to draw talented people into our organizations." We must move away from the 'survival of the fittest' mindset and focus on making environments in which everyone can flourish. And it's not just about the physical environment – Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria can often come hand-in-hand with ADHD. Wright says it helps that her manager checks in regularly, breaking news sensitively and working together on hard days. In his book, Thomas Armstrong also talks about the positive feedback loop when neurodiverse people can construct suitable niches for themselves, such as microhabitats or subcultures. Anthony Moffa, working as a Software Engineer as part of JP Morgan Chase's Autism at Work program, says, "not having to pretend I was neurotypical boosted my identity, confidence and self-esteem." Improving HR practices HR practices and work cultures must undergo a major revamp to be fair to everyone. Ventura advises job descriptions and advertisements avoid lists of skills and attributes describing the 'ideal' candidate instead focusing on what the role involves and experience needed, making clear what's desirable versus must-have. Requirements like 'must have strong teamwork skills' or 'must be a good communicator' can discourage neurodiverse jobhunters. Employers and hiring manager training helps. O'Connell of Global Disability Inclusion says, "We help managers understand how neurodiverse talent might interact or respond, giving space for candidates to respond and the opportunity for management to truly assess the skills and abilities of these candidates." Take behavioral-style interview question, where interviewers ask candidates for a specific example of using a skill, with questions like "tell me about a time you handled a difficult situation." Processing large numbers of past experiences and choosing just one can be hard for someone with autism. Instead, experts recommend making questions specific and phrasing them in future tense, for example, "If one of your team didn't want to participate in a project, how would you encourage them to take part?" Share information in advance, such as interview questions and assessment details. Be open to individual needs and suggest accommodations you can make. For online interviews, Wright suggests displaying the question in chat for the interviewee to refer to. Managing neurodiverse employees Many autistic employees feel empowered by routine as they feel comfortable in predictable patterns. Structure and schedule things as much as possible, use templates and break large tasks into smaller ones. Interpersonal interactions shouldn't make or break careers. Neurodiverse talent needs ways to show their skills and abilities that don't involve presentations or group work. Reflecting on how we can make work more inclusive for neurodiverse people shows we can tap into a more diverse talent pool by giving employees choice to work in ways that suit them. Neurodiverse people bring unique advantages and skills. Workplaces have an opportunity today to reinvent themselves and welcome those who think differently.
by Innovating leaders.
Innovative tech.
About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

  • For all other countries