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Not Just Idle Chatter: American Idol Most Talked-About TV Program At Work
Spherion Snapshot Survey Reveals TV Programs Discussed Most Often At Work
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 17, 2007 — American Idol is the most talked-about television program in the workplace for the second consecutive year, according to the latest Spherion® Workplace Snapshot survey conducted by Harris Interactive®. Thirty-seven percent of U.S. workers named American Idol as the TV program discussed most often in the workplace, up from 35 percent in 2006. Nearly one-quarter (21 percent) admit discussing the popular TV show during company time, and 10 percent of workers have engaged in debates over the contestants on American Idol. Grey’s Anatomy ranked second with 17 percent of respondents discussing the program at work.
According to the survey, women named American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy as the two most discussed TV programs at work (44 percent and 28 percent respectively), while men named American Idol and 24 (31 percent and 14 percent respectively). Women are more likely than men to discuss American Idol on company time (27 percent compared to 15 percent) and are more likely to have gotten into a debate at work over the contestants (12 percent vs. 9 percent).
Regardless of gender or program preferences, many agree that TV chatter can have positive effects. Forty-four percent of U.S. workers agree that talking about television at work increases office camaraderie, with workers aged 18-24 and 30-39 most likely to agree that it increases workplace camaraderie (54 percent each).
Methodology
The April 2007 Spherion® Workplace Snapshot is based on data from the Harris Interactive® QuickQuerySM online omnibus conducted monthly by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 2,792 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, was interviewed in a poll conducted March 29 – April 2, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting adjusted for respondents' propensity to be online.
With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 2,792 U.S. employed adults one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- two percentage points. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Spherion
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.
With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing 375,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion’s career blog, The Big TimeSM, at www.spherion.com/careerblog.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiaries Novatris in France and MediaTransfer AG in Germany, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.
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