Why Australians are switching off from work and hacks to get your focus back

Finding a job is harder than it was a few months ago. There are fewer vacancies and more candidates competing for each one.

Applicants today are also expected to have stronger interpersonal skills than they were previously, according to an analysis of 12 million job ads by the CSIRO , a trend that we’ll explain later on.

But first: Australians are switching off from work.

The big issue | It’s far from a crisis, but employee engagement data from Qualtrics shows that five key measures tracking the experience of Australian workers have fallen over the past year.

Steve Bennetts , head of growth and strategy at Qualtrics, said this was partly because the economic slowdown had pushed employers to announce redundancies and encouraged others to introduce return-to-office mandates that required workers to attend the office more than they would like.

The impact | It’s meant that, for many employees, their experience of work is getting worse.

The trend is particularly pronounced among new starters, many of whom found that the reality of their new jobs failed to live up to the sales pitch. And Bennetts argues that employers must address the issue if they want to lift their productivity.

What should employers do about it? | Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart , co-founders and co-chief executives of work design platform Beamible, argue it essentially comes down to eliminating low-value tasks and enabling employees to spend more of their time on work that energises them and has the greatest impact.

They say companies that do this work not only make their employees happier and more engaged, but they also get a major productivity boost.

The other side | Minerals Council of Australia chairman Andrew Michelmore agrees that lifting productivity is the name of the game. (Productivity growth in Australia, which is the basis of improved living standards, has declined by 6.5 per cent since March 2022.) But, as Melbourne property developer Tim Gurner infamously argued last year, Michelmore reckons employee expectations have got out of whack and “we’ve lost our work ethic”.

The bottom line | Either way, given company budgets will be constrained by rising input costs and softer consumer spending, finding ways to maximise workers’ output will be a top priority for employers throughout 2024.

Other news | Elsewhere, we explore why university students are dropping out at a record rate, reveal how the federal government is responding to inadvertently leaking consultants’ confidential billing rates, and look at the industrial action that’s reportedly leading to shipping delays.

You're missing out! Get even more insights a day early when you sign up to our FREE Work & Careers newsletter: direct to your inbox, every Thursday.

Why this executive fasts for 17 hours a day

David Donnoli doesn’t go in for productivity “hacks”. Unless you’re inclined to file intermittent fasting under that heading.

Donnoli, an associated director of operations in Australia and New Zealand for Swisse Wellness who was named an AFR BOSS Young Executive in 2023, says his productivity went “through the roof” when he started eating all his meals within a seven-hour window.

He skips breakfast, eats lunch around midday, and normally eats dinner around 6.30 or 7 o’clock. And he says it’s given him a razor-like focus that has taken him back to his 20s.

“I don’t have that post-meal slump. I seem to maintain that energy [throughout the day], and I feel like I sleep a little bit better,” Donnoli says.

This week’s Breakfast with the Boss also gave Donnoli the chance to explain why he’s such a big believer in work-life balance, and why flexible working helps him cope with stress.

Thanks for joining us. If you haven't already, subscribe to The Australian Financial Review today for complete access to all our news and analysis.