According to new research, wearable technologies increased workplace efficiency by nearly 10%. “Participants in the study wore Neurosky MindWave brain activity sensors, GENEActiv motion monitors and the Lumo Back posture coach to assess employee behaviour and allow them to improve upon it,” The International Business Times reports. In addition to improving productivity levels, strapping on the motion sensors and other, wearable devices upped overall job satisfaction. Subjects wearing the new technologies reported at least 3.5% more enjoyment from their day-to-day responsibilities,The International Business Times continues. The studies tracked employees’ behavior over the course of a month.
Experts, however, agree that the technology has the most potential for supervisors and management — not their employees. While the wearable devices improved workers’ posture, sensors are also capable of identifying and recording employees’ moods, location, temperature, and more. Employers could use this information to gauge employees’ true feelings about tasks and job satisfaction, and ultimately use the data to help make improvements, researchers add. Workers and/or supervisors can also track the most and least productive times of day and schedule important meetings and reports accordingly.
The introduction of wearable technologies is not wholly positive. There are some likely complications or difficulties that will arise, too. “Handling behavioral data… entails responsibilities that will lie with self-regulating organizations who will need to work within a social contract to collect and use this type of data sensitively and appropriately,” CNN explains. In other words, companies will have to decide what is and what is not privileged information — and what can be legally and appropriately gleaned from the technology to help employees. For these reasons, the implementation of the technology may take some time.
For now, there are plenty of ways to quickly and efficiently boost productivity at work. Relatively simple actions, like writing prioritized to-do lists and making a cup of coffee can vastly improvement employees’ productivity. Taking 10 minutes to brew coffee helps employees recharge — and calmly and confidently face the rest of the day.