The Multitasking/Productivity Fantasy

This past week I read several recruiting ads that listed “multitasking” as a desired quality in a candidate (Multitasking is defined as performing more than one task at the same time—for example, editing a document or replying to emails while participating in a teleconference). But research has found that only 2.5% of people are actually able to multitask effectively (see Why Multitasking Doesn’t Work). For most people, our brains are designed for monotasking, doing one task at a time (see Media Multitasking Effects On Cognitive vs. Attitudinal Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis).

But during interviews, potential team members . . .