Reducing Tool Fatigue: How to Keep Your Remote/Hybrid Workforce from Short-Circuiting

As the world settles into a new normal post-pandemic, it's clear to everyone that remote work is here to stay. However, working online comes with its own set of challenges that only grow as time goes on.

One of the most common complaints from people who work remotely is tool fatigue.

Tool fatigue is the sensation of being overwhelmed by the number of technology tools available and feeling like you can't keep up with the latest changes. It's a real phenomenon that can lead to burnout, anxiety, and even depression.

It can also result in lost time for a company, as employees focus much of their energy on keeping track of where and how information is stored instead of using that information in meaningful ways.

So how can you spot tool fatigue, and what can be done to reduce it to future-proof your workforce?

What is Tool Fatigue?

The new digital landscape has certainly taken its toll on all of us, with recent studies showing that 36% of people have experienced digital fatigue in the last month. That number jumps with a younger demographic. Around 47% of people under the age of 25 have been suffering from digital fatigue, but what is it?

Digital fatigue is defined as a “sense of exhaustion or anxiety that can be caused by overuse of technology.” With so many people now working remotely or hybrid, the line between our work and personal lives has become blurred. We are constantly tethered to our devices.

Oftentimes, the issues are exacerbated by having too many programs and things to keep track of. It can be hard to stay on top of everything and it’s easy to feel like you’re not accomplishing anything, creating a negative feedback loop that teams can quickly get lost in.

What Causes Tool Fatigue?

Imagine trying to cook a meal, but every time you needed a different utensil or ingredient you were going to a different room of your house. The knife is in one room, the pots and pans in another, and the spices are across the street. This can be how it feels to settle in for work and have to utilize a plethora of different online tools before you even start.

To be effective, many workers now have to maintain their productivity using a variety of digital tools. This number has only increased as more people work remotely or on hybrid schedules.

To make matters worse, there is no standardization among these tools. They each have individual interfaces, login credentials, and ways of organizing information.

The sheer number of tools can be overwhelming, and trying to keep track of them all can lead to users feeling a sense of dread when using any of them. The result is a decrease in productivity and an increase in frustration.

Tips to Minimize Tool Fatigue

Now that we've covered what tool fatigue is and how it can affect your team's workflow and productivity, let's go over some solutions.

1. Encourage employees to take breaks

This one seems simple, but it's often overlooked. Just because your employees are remote doesn't mean they can't (or shouldn't) take a break now and then.

In fact, it's even more important for them to do so since they're not in a traditional office setting where they can step away from their desk for a few minutes.

Encourage your team members to take regular breaks throughout the day, and trust that it can only lead to a more engaged, and therefore more productive workforce.

2. Create an environment that promotes focus

If you want your employees to be productive, you need to create an environment that promotes focus. This means eliminating distractions, both at the individual and team levels. There are a few ways to do this:

Start by ensuring everyone has a dedicated workspace in their homes where they can work without distractions.
Set clear expectations around when and how employees should be available (i.e., during work hours, they should only be available for work-related matters).
Use communication and collaboration tools like Slack or Stormboard to create channels or workspaces for specific topics or projects so that employees can easily tune out distractions when they need to focus.

3. Centralise your workflow

With so many tools available, it can be hard to keep track of everything that's going on. A great way to combat this is by using a tool like Stormboard, which allows you to centralize all of your team's work in one place and leverage integrations and data stream embeds to reduce tool-switching.

Not only does this make it easier for everyone to stay on top of things, but it also cuts down on the number of tools you need to use overall.

4. Schedule regular check-ins with your team

One of the benefits of remote work is that it allows for more flexible schedules. However, this can also lead to a feeling of isolation if employees don't feel like they're part of a team.

To combat this, schedule regular check-ins with your team (weekly or bi-weekly is usually sufficient). This will give everyone a chance to catch up with each other and stay connected.

5. Keep meetings short and on track

If meetings are dragging on, or if they're not focused, it can be very easy for employees to tune out. Keep meetings short and sweet, and make sure there's a clear agenda that everyone is aware of before the meeting starts.

On average, workplaces are spending upwards of 4 hours a week planning meetings, and 67% of those meetings are still considered unsuccessful.

Using a tool like Stormboard allows a lot of that planning to be streamlined, keeps the ideas flowing for brainstorming sessions, and can even create instant reports after the meeting to ensure that everything discussed is taken forward.

These reports can even be sent off to any stakeholders, so you’re cutting another step out of your workflow. Stormboard in particular is compatible with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more, so whatever tools you’re currently using, it quickly and easily syncs up with.

6. Encourage employees to disconnect after work hours

It can be tempting for employees to always be "on" since they're working from home, but it's important to encourage them to disconnect after work hours so they can recharge and come back refreshed the next day.

Encourage your team members to set clear boundaries between their work life and personal life. Maybe that means setting a rule that they won't check work email after 6 pm, or maybe it means taking a few days off each week to completely unplug.

Whatever it looks like for them, make sure they find a balance that works.

Long-Term Effects of Tool Fatigue

Studies show that 70% of employees consider themselves disengaged at work. This can be for several reasons, but a fast track to this kind of burnout is having the workday be more overwhelming than it needs to be, and lots of tools can certainly cause that.

Engaged employees can increase your company's productivity by 22%, and you're also far more likely to hang on to employees who feel their time is being well spent.

If a team is using too many tools, there's a greater chance that important messages will get lost in the shuffle. This can lead to frustration and errors, which are costly for any business. Employees spend around 17.5 hours every week dealing with communication breakdowns, which can lose the company time and good ideas.

Tool fatigue is also a big reason why people end up working longer hours than they need to. When there are too many tools and not enough clear instructions on how to use them, people will take longer to complete tasks and often make mistakes. This can lead to extra work having to be redone.

Getting a handle on these issues will help any team stay on top of their goals and bring them into the future.

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Start your full-featured 30-day free trial today or chat with one of our collaboration experts to find out how Stormboard can help provide some relief from tool fatigue and promote more efficiency across your business.

About the author:

A programmer by trade, Nick Saraev is a freelance writer and entrepreneur with a penchant for helping people excel in their careers. He's been featured on Popular Mechanics & Apple News, and has founded several successful companies in e-commerce, marketing, and artificial intelligence. When he's not working on his latest project, you can find him hiking or painting.