The Newest Work TikTok Trend: Task Masking

There’s a new HR TikTok trend going down, and it’s called Task Masking. It’s the not-so-subtle art of looking busy when you’re not. Performative actions, or “performative theater,” as it has been called, have been taking place for years, but they haven’t been a part of pop culture until now. Gen Z is offering tips on how to task mask on TikTok and even filming themselves doing it in their workplaces.

What Drives Workers to Task Mask?

Every manager has had “that employee” who huffs, goes on about how hard they’re working, walks quickly around the office, or engages in other activities to look busier than they are. 

Generally, this is because those workers know they are underperforming and want to ensure their low performance flies under the radar. However, the current trend for younger workers may come from a different place: being forced to return to the office from a remote working role. If employers choose to inconvenience them by requiring workwear and commutes, they will intentionally inconvenience them right back. 

Some of these workers are doing it because they are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start with their tasks. Some of them are even high performers, trying to look busier so they don’t have more work stacked on their shoulders as a reward for getting tasks done well and on time. In other cases, employees are just frustrated and taking a stand.

How to Diagnose and Remedy Task Maskers

So, how do you distinguish between these task masker groups? Productivity monitoring software like Prodoscore can help. While they engage in the same behaviors, the Venn diagram of those employee groups is not an overlapping circle. With employee productivity monitoring in place, you can distinguish between your underperformers, those who are just letting off steam, those who are overwhelmed, and high performers at risk of burnout. 

With the data Prodoscore surfaces, businesses can visualize workloads and where there may be a need to add to or lighten responsibilities. The insights also help uncover when activity is performative rather than productive. Addressing the needs of each individual is an effective shield against task masking and makes for open and honest conversations about what’s going on. 

Here are a few tips for addressing the various groups of task maskers: 

1. Roadmap for low-performing task maskers

• Identify your least engaged employees with Prodoscore
• Offer individual coaching, training, and a blueprint for success from top performers to elevate output
• Consider confidence-building exercises, as these employees may be task-masking because they are too afraid to ask for guidance for fear of losing their jobs

2. Roadmap for task maskers resentful of return-to-office mandates

• If workers express disdain for RTO, work with senior executives to offer a hybrid working model. With insight from a solution like Prodoscore into how employees are working, regardless of location, leadership can still get accountability and assurance that work is being done. 
• Offer perks for coming into the office, from lunch events to field trips to a commuting allowance.

3. Roadmap for overwhelmed task maskers

• Use a productivity solution to determine if workers have too much on their plates; if the load is reasonable, work with them to break down tasks into manageable chunks with clear start and end points. 
• If they are overloaded, move some of their workload to other workers or reconsider deadlines.

4. Roadmap for high-performing task maskers

• Encourage workers who have finished their work early to go home, take a break for something fun, or do something else they’d enjoy.
• Avoid offloading extra tasks onto your workhorse employees and assure them they won’t be assigned more until they’re ready.

If you’ve adequately addressed everyone’s issues, they will be less likely to task mask. Of course, if the behavior is disrupting others, you can take those workers aside and gently explain that you know they’re busy and productive, so the theater is unnecessary. In some cases, more drastic measures may be required, including additional coaching, restructuring, or a shift in responsibilities. 

If you want to manage employee disengagement, you need Prodoscore. Our employee productivity monitoring solution has helped hundreds of businesses better understand their people with powerful workforce analytics.