Addressing cognitive overload: A Q&A with Jennifer Kraszewski

Employees have been experiencing an excessive amount of burnout recently. There is so much coming at us every day (both for managers and employees) that it can be difficult to keep up with everything and/or work at our full capacity. When trying to juggle our own daily tasks, it can feel next to impossible to give our all to outside responsibilities as well due to cognitive overload, or mental exhaustion.

Jennifer Kraszewski, VP of HR at Paycom, a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, discusses cognitive overload and how to help yourself and employees when possibly experiencing this.

What is cognitive overload?

Cognitive overload can be defined as a state of mental exhaustion that occurs when the demands placed on working memory exceed its capacity. Working memory is the part of the brain that holds and manages information temporarily while performing cognitive tasks. Cognitive overload is the point at which the working memory becomes overwhelmed with too much information.

You can also think of it this way: Your working memory is the data cache or temp file on your computer, meaning it is responsible for managing and controlling information temporarily. At the same time, you’re performing cognitive tasks such as reading, writing, strategic planning, creative thinking and problem-solving. If you’re asking too much of a computer at once, it can stall, freeze or even crash, which is what can happen to you when experiencing cognitive overload.

How can you tell if you are experiencing it as a manager or leader?

It can be challenging to look inside ourselves to determine if we are at our breaking point. So to understand if you’re experiencing cognitive overload, ask yourself a few questions:

• Have I been getting stressed out by smaller annoyances more than usual?
• Am I less focused on traditional tasks than I normally am?
• Is my productivity level lower than normal?
• Am I making subpar choices and/or overlooking details when making decisions?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, you may be suffering from cognitive overload or on the path there. That means it’s time to develop strategies to combat it so you can be at your best for yourself and your team.

What are the telltale signs that your team members are suffering from cognitive overload?

Here are some signs that people on your team are feeling overloaded and overwhelmed.

1. Limited concentration: Are people having trouble focusing on tasks or in meetings? Are they asking questions or making requests with unnecessary details? Too much pressure on your team’s working memories can make it harder to focus and extract important information. This may become especially apparent toward the end of each week, shift or workday.
2. A drop-off in productivity: People typically complete easy tasks on their to-do list first, partly for instant gratification, and avoid the more difficult and overwhelming items. When being assigned a large number of urgent tasks, workers may try to check easy tasks off their lists first and push off the longer-term or more complex projects for the sake of their mental loads.
3. Poor decision-making: While cognitive overload can slow down productivity, it can also push people to rush through things and make mistakes or uninformed choices. An increase in typos over oversights on projects can be a sign that someone is overloaded and rushing.
4. Increased stress: If your team members are visibly stressed and seem to be at their breaking points, cognitive overload may be partly to blame.

What are the risks of cognitive overload if not addressed?

If cognitive overload is not addressed, it can pose challenges for maintaining a positive work environment, since that feeling can evolve quickly into burnout. When employees feel burnt out, it may impact a company’s culture, productivity and retention, all of which can hurt the bottom line.

Are there best practices for reducing the causes of cognitive overload?

There are multiple steps HR teams and managers can take to reduce cognitive overload. Here are a few ideas to get started.

1. Invest in wellness and mental health support for employees. Benefits like comprehensive mental and physical health coverage, family-building support, charitable involvement, financial wellness programs and flexible time off can make sure workers feel valued and that they are able to balance their professional and personal lives.
2. Simplify your employees’ lives in every way you can, including eliminating frustrating technology. Outdated and overwhelming amounts of technology can lead to cognitive strain. A survey of 1,000 office workers conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Paycom in July 2023 found that 71% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work. Too many logins and apps can create another symptom of cognitive overload- tech disengagement- where employees abandon the tech that is supposed to help them. Single HR software technology solutions like Paycom help simplify work processes and enhance employee wellbeing.
3. Effectively manage workers’ time. Use software to assess how long employees spend on certain tasks, rather than making assumptions. Often, employees are spending too long on tasks that can be easily automated with the right HR tech.
4. Encourage people to take breaks. Whether that entails paid time off or lunch/coffee breaks during the workday, time away from the factory floor or desk helps people clear their heads, which can work wonders for reducing cognitive overload. Make sure this is part of your workplace culture and that people don’t feel guilty taking their much-needed time away.

Anything else to add that we haven’t asked?

It’s important for leaders to develop a form of self-awareness when it comes to workplace demands. Cognitive overload is especially common for employees who work in high-pressure or fast-paced environments, such as health care, customer service or emergency services. During busy times of the year, leaders should be even more aware of telltale signs of cognitive overload and implement proactive measures to alleviate the pressure. The same is true for onboarding new hires or delivering new training. Too much information too quickly can overwhelm new employees and lead to early disengagement. Onboarding employee software can help set up team members for success before they walk through the doors on their first day.

Read more: Nearly three-fourths of employees report feeling burnout from their jobs

Cognitive strain caused by multitasking and overwhelmed employees is costing companies more than they realize. By addressing the challenges of cognitive overload, organizations can minimize losses while boosting employee engagement.